Former two division UFC champion Conor McGregor has previously requested some equity in the UFC, which has been shot down by UFC President Dana White.
It would appear that there is no chance that McGregor gets equity in the UFC, with White citing NBA star Michael Jordan in an example as to why it won’t happen.
“If you look at basketball, Michael Jordan didn’t own a piece of the league, and the list goes on and on,” White told KLAS TV (via Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie). “Is Conor very valuable to the sport, and to the brand UFC? Of course he is. But that’s a tough one. But I think there’s other ways we can make him happy.”
McGregor recently announced his retirement from MMA competition, it is unknown at this time if that was related to the denial of equity by the UFC.
White says that denying McGregor equity isn’t a sign of disrespect, especially since White feels that McGregor is one of the most respected athletes in the sport.
“Who gets respected more than Conor McGregor does? C’mon. The guy’s never been disrespected – definitely not by me,” says White.
Endeavor, who is the parent company of the UFC, may go public later this year, which would give McGregor that long sought after opportunity to own a piece of the promotion.
