Conor McGregor's manager spills on UFC 329 comeback deal: 'It's a historical number'

A lot has changed in the UFC since Conor McGregor last fought in July 2021, including the promotion's broadcast deal. The UFC left ESPN for Paramount+ to kick off 2026, ending the company's longstanding pay-per-view model for its biggest events.Prior to the Paramount era, champions and main-event fighters on UFC pay-per-views received an additional portion of revenue through "pay-per-view points" based on viewership numbers.

As the highest-paid fighter in UFC history, McGregor was expected to be most affected by the removal of pay-per-view points from the financial framework.Those changes were an expected extra hurdle in putting together McGregor's comeback, which unfolds against Max Holloway at UFC 329 this Saturday. Speaking in-studio in Las Vegas on Wednesday, McGregor's longtime manager, Audie Attar, admitted on "The Ariel Helwani Show" that the contractual negotiations were difficult to navigate."

We've not necessarily always had an easy path, but we've always done good business, and that's something I'm proud of. I don't need [UFC] to like me, but they're going to respect the business, and that's what it's about," Attar told Uncrowned."It definitely was challenging in terms of, 'How do we do this in this new era without pay-per-view?'

You can talk about, 'He's been out.' It doesn't matter. This is still an entertainment business, and the KPIs [key performance indicators] of those businesses have shifted.

So he's still, as a famous man once said, 'Everybody thought he was toast, but he's still the bread.' Ultimately, that was our position in the negotiation."Credit to the UFC.

Is it where I want him to go in terms of market value? No, but [the number we landed on is] multiples over anybody in the UFC, including Zuffa Boxing — multiples," Attar continued. "It's a historical number.

“In the end, the UFC definitely moved way more than they ever have, and probably wanted to. But nonetheless, the way I look at this, it's a win-win because him fighting Saturday night,