Conor McGregor is a massive MMA star but it’s his business acumen that has made the Irishman one of the world’s richest athletes.
The former dual-weight champion is the highest-paid fighter on the UFC roster and in 2021 outearned Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to top Forbes' highest-paid athlete list.
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However, his ability to financially outdo two of the biggest names in football history is largely due to his success outside of the Octagon.
‘Notorious' has amassed a £200million fortune by combining his massive UFC cheques with several companies, which means he can retire from fighting whenever he wants.
Ahead of his comeback bout against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29, talkSPORT.com has delved into five ways McGregor has become a champion in the business world.
Pub portfolio
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The UFC superstar, who makes no secret of his love of drinking, has used a portion of his wealth to acquire a portfolio of pubs in Dublin.
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In 2019, McGregor spent £1.7m on The Black Forge Inn and is believed to have spent a further £868,000 transforming the venue into a gastro pub.
Today, it’s one of the most popular venues in the Irish capital and a well-known celebrity hotspot after earning custom from football icon Steven Gerrard, comedian Kevin Hart and rap legend Snoop Dogg.
McGregor owns two more pubs in the city and is planning to expand his empire further afield in the coming years.
“I have about five others in the production phase, construction, building and renovation phases,” McGregor said in 2023. “I wish to bring this for sure to the United States of America and all across the globe.”
Alcohol companies
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McGregor’s biggest earner away from fighting has been his alcohol businesses, particularly the Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey he launched in 2018.
In April 2021, the 35-year-old and two other investors sold their stakes in Proper 12 for$600m [£503m]and McGregor became the richest man in sport as a result.
‘Mystic Mac’ still works with the brand today as he fights a lawsuit from his former training partner, Artem Lobov, who claims he came up with the idea and is owed money from the sale.
Since then, McGregor has launched Forged Irish Stout to rival Guinness and is having tremendous success with the beer, which often sponsors the biggest fights in boxing and MMA.
Fitness app
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As well as keeping fans entertained with pub grub and alcoholic beverages, McGregor has used his platform to help people get ripped like him.
Ahead of a comeback fight against Dustin Poirier in January 2021, McGregor released McGregor FAST – an app that is “grounded in revolutionary sports science that adds purpose to training.”
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The program comprises distinct, science-supported zones - Green, Orange, and Red - which featureworkouts designed to increase a person's anaerobic threshold and, consequently, their capacity for hard work.
Fashion
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McGregor was famously on the dole when he arrived in the UFC, but after banking a $60,000 bonus in his debut he bought a three-piece suit and gold pocket watch.
The Crumlin native always likes to look good, and he quickly earned a reputation for spending enormous amounts of money – between £5,000 and £10,000 - on suits from an A-list tailor.
David August made the infamous ‘F*** you’ suit McGregor wore for a press conference with Floyd Mayweather ahead of their crossover boxing bout in August 2017.
A year later, the two men went into business together and formed August-McGregor, which has been selling suits and casualwear to people ever since.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC)
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McGregor’s latest move sees him become a rival of his boss.
UFC CEO Dana White has had a great relationship with his biggest star over the years but will be irked by him purchasing a stake in a rival fight promotion.
It was recently announced that McGregor has become a part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) and earlier this week he signed the paperwork to make things official.
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McGregor will be championing the rapidly rising promotion in the coming years, but fans are already speculating about him taking off the gloves and getting in the ring for a bare-knuckle bout.
Whatever happens, BKFC is about to get bigger as McGregor will combine his promotional skills and business brain to make bare-knuckle the next great fight sport.
