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Conor McGregor remains one of the biggest draws in the UFC despite suffering back-to-back losses this year.
Arguably the most popular combat sports athlete on the planet right now, McGregor helped the UFC and Endeavor rake in $1.1 billion in revenue in second-quarter earnings this year. It was touted as the "biggest first-half in UFC history."
A large portion of the credit for the massive growth in revenue for the UFC in the first half of 2021 goes to McGregor. The Irishman competed in a pair of lightweight bouts against Dustin Poirier in January and July.
Their rematch at UFC 257 sold 1.6 million pay-per-view buys worldwide, while the trilogy fight sold 1.8 million pay-per-view buys. The third fight between McGregor and Poirier also brought in a $15 million gate.
Conor McGregor took to social media to take credit for Endeavor's $1.1 billion turnover, stating:
"Endeavors half year turnover announced! $1.1bn. Incredible! Huge congrats to all! 2 fights it took me. Would have loved to keep it going to round out the year but this setback is just the launch pad for my major comeback!! Almost 6 weeks over surgery now! Wow! #OhYes @Endeavor."
Conor McGregor's charisma inside and outside the cage helped MMA achieve mainstream status
Conor McGregor is often credited for single-handedly putting MMA on the map alongside other mainstream sports. The Irishman's outspoken persona and entertaining fighting style attracted more eyes to the sport than ever before and there are numbers to back those claims.
Conor McGregor has headlined seven out of the top-10 highest-selling pay-per-views in UFC history. The Irishman's 2018 blockbuster matchup with Khabib Nurmagomedov remains the top-bought UFC event to date with 2.4 million buys.
Back in 2017, McGregor made history by switching over to boxing to take on the legendary Floyd Mayweather. The fight generated the second-highest number of pay-per-view buys for any event in combat sports history. It raked in an incredible 4.3 million buys. Just like that, Conor McGregor became even more of a household name across the globe, as did the UFC.
Despite suffering consecutive losses, the former two-division UFC champion remains the most popular fighter in the promotion. Conor McGregor's octagon return will likely once again generate massive numbers.
