UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor hasn’t been seen in the Octagon since defeating Eddie Alvarez in the main event of UFC 205.
If the UFC wants their star fighter back in the Octagon, then he wants them to name him as a co-promoter.
“I was promoter on the Mayweather fight, and we’re in current negotiations,” McGregor said at a fan Q&A. “I ain’t stepping in that octagon again unless I’m part owner of the whole setup – I’m a promoter.”
Since the UFC began in 1993, there has been no co-promoters for any of their events.
McGregor is also claiming that he is currently negotiating with the UFC and they may want him to fight by the end of the year.
“Seeing this, it’s taking me back and making me realize, if I really, truly want to get back into the fighting – I’m in (the) negotiation stage,” McGregor said. “Everyone’s trying to get me to do something for money, and that’s all the way up, and all the way down. That’s from the fight game, that’s talk, that’s what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to get me back before the end of the year to make the company money so they can re-service the debt after the big $4.2 billion sale and all this bollocks, and I’m sitting there watching them type of wars I came through, back-to-back-to-back, and watching how I got there, and I’m like, I need to take my time here. I’m in no hurry. I’m in a great position. I’m in the forever money stage now. My money is up there rattling around in the money counter machine, so I’m good.”
During UFC's heavy UFC 217 week, Dana White indicated that McGregor's demands were a possibility, saying that “As we go into negotiations with Conor there’s always all kinds of crazy stuff out there. We always get deals done with Conor. Conor has been easy to deal with, and we’ll get it done.”
Assuming McGregor is on point about the UFC wanting him to fight by the end of 2017, then he could fight at the UFC 219 card because there is no main event set yet for that show.
