“I actually would vote for him,” That’s what Chael Sonnen recently said after hearing about Conor McGregor’s bold ambition to run for presidential office in Ireland. McGregor has never been one to bite his tongue, and now he’s setting his sights on politics, vowing to shake up the current administration. But while Sonnen, a former UFC title challenger, admits McGregor might not have the full support of Ireland due to his lavish lifestyle abroad, he still wouldn’t hesitate to back the 22-6 fighter. That said, don’t mistake Sonnen’s words for blind loyalty—because when it comes to trust, he’s not fully sold on McGregor either.
McGregor has always claimed he had gotten the better of Floyd Mayweather Jr. during their 2017 mega fight. And sure, in the early rounds, he looked sharp. The Irishman even managed to pressure Mayweather—who had already hung up the gloves—into momentarily turning his back, forcing referee Robert Byrd to step in. But let’s not kid ourselves. Mayweather later admitted he carried McGregor through the fight before flipping the switch and putting him away once the UFC star ran out of steam. Talks of a rematch have floated around for years, but neither side seems in any rush to make it happen. And if you ask Sonnen? He’ll tell you straight up—it’s never happening.
A few hours ago, on his Beyond the Fight episode on YouTube, Sonnen expressed his thoughts behind the purportedly failed McGregor-Mayweather rematch negotiations. According to him, it all boiled down to one thing—money. Or rather, the lack of it. Sonnen claimed that the staggering figures reported from their first fight in 2017 were nothing more than smoke and mirrors. “It’s some of the same misreporting about what a great night of business Floyd [Mayweather] and Conor [McGregor] was,” Sonnen stated. He didn’t stop there. He corrected the narrative that was built around the negotiations for the purported rematch as well.
Nevada , United States – 26 August 2017; Conor McGregor, right, and Floyd Mayweather Jr during their super welterweight boxing match at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, USA. (Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
“Floyd and Conor did everything they could possibly do to get a rematch. They just couldn’t get a guy to sign the bottom of the check.” Why? “Because every piece of that story and the financial success that it had was false,” the UFC veteran claimed boldly. Wait… what?! That’s a huge claim. But is it actually true? The receipts from the 2017 fight say otherwise.
When Mayweather fought Conor McGregor in 2017, both fighters were already guaranteed a hefty payday—a $100 million guaranteed purse for Floyd and a $30 million guaranteed purse for McGregor. But here’s where it gets crazy: once the final numbers rolled in, they actually made two-and-a-half times those amounts. Money Mayweather walked away with $275 million. Meanwhile, The Notorious cashed in around $85 million. And that’s just from the fight itself. We’re not even talking sponsorships and side deals.
The bout did 4.3 million pay-per-view buys and pulled in over $600 million in total revenue, according to Showtime, the official broadcaster for the event. That’s the second-biggest fight pay-per-view buys, only behind Mayweather vs. Pacquiao in 2015. Oh, and ticket sales? The fight sold $55.4 million worth of seats—again, only second to Mayweather-Pacquiao.
For Mayweather, that was it. He bowed out with a perfect 50-0 record and a bank full of money. But McGregor? He made a pretty penny too. He then went on to have other high-profile matches against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier. However, since his loss to Poirier in 2021, The Notorious has stayed away from the octagon. And who can blame him, he made enough money so he could live comfortably forever. There were talks of a rematch between the two in 2022. But it failed to materialize. However, it probably had more to do with Conor McGregor’s existing UFC contract than a lack of success in the first one, as Sonnen claims. So do take Chael Sonnen’s claim with a pinch of salt.
It is also the reason why McGregor is more eager to return to the boxing ring than the UFC octagon as he revealed not too long ago.
Conor McGregor’s next big payday: a side quest worth millions?
During a chat with The Schmo in January after the KnuckleMania V press conference, McGregor dropped some interesting updates about his future in combat sports. When asked about a potential fight with Logan Paul, McGregor confirmed, “Logan! It was always Logan—two TKO fighters,” regarding the boxing match that was being discussed between the two. Now, here’s where things get even more intriguing. McGregor said that the Ambani family, the billionaire family from India, understood the business potential of this fight.
A fight between them would bring in massive attention, not just from fight fans but also from WWE and influencer boxing audiences. But there was one problem. Dana White refused to entertain the idea since McGregor still had fights left on his UFC contract. So, where does that leave the Irishman now?
July 13, 2017 – Brooklyn, New York, USA – CONOR MCGREGOR walks onto the stage for a press conference PK Pressekonferenz with Floyd Mayweather at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Boxing 2017 – Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor Press Conference – ZUMAp109 20170713_zaf_p109_003 Copyright: xJoelxPlummerx
Believe it or not, McGregor is seriously considering stepping into the influencer boxing scene. And he’s not even trying to hide it. “Like I said, I’m more inclined now for this influencer or f–king, whatever you call it,” he admitted. And when asked why, his answer was simple: “Because it’s astronomical money. It’s astronomical—the figures.” And who is he looking to fight there?
“Here is Jake, Logan, and f***ing KSI. I like the three of these guys. And then all the other ones that are tussling around,” the 36-year-old stated. As he put it, “It’s an interesting little side pocket branch. Stuff it down me sock and out I go!” So much for the grand UFC return, right? If the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight were still a possibility, you can rest assured that the two would find a way to work things out, regardless of what Chael Sonnen claims.
With that said, what do you think about Chael Sonnen’s claims? And, do you think Conor McGregor should fight Logan Paul, or is he better off sticking with MMA? Do share your thoughts with us below.
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