"This is something else that fighters can learn from" - Dan Hardy believes UFC stars should study Conor McGregor's Forbes feat

Dan Hardy believes UFC stars should study Conor McGregor’s Forbes feat.

Conor McGregor recently topped the list of the highest-paid athletes in 2021. McGregor earned $180 million, out of which $22 million were from his fight and fight-related endorsements. The rest of the money, $158 million, purportedly came from the majority stake sale of his whiskey brand.

Dan Hardy recently appeared on the Real Quick With Mike Swick podcast. Among several other topics discussed during the podcast episode, Hardy spoke about why UFC fighters ought to study Conor McGregor. Hardy stated:

“It is (incredible). But at the same time, I think it kind of almost devalues his business acumen. I got into a conversation about this on Twitter with a few people. Because the headline is that he’s the highest-paid athlete. But he’s the highest-earning athlete. Like, he’s not paid higher than the rest of the guys around him. He’s the highest-earning because of his business decisions. And this is something else that a lot of fighters can learn from. You’ve got to be promotable inside there. You’ve got to be marketable. But you’ve also got to know the game and know the business.”

“And Conor’s been very smart in all of the other things he’s done that; the extracurricular activities of the whiskey business. I imagine if Jon Jones had started, you know, a beer company or a vodka company or something, he might be in a similar situation.”

“But you know, like, these opportunities are available for anybody that’s good at marketing themselves within the sport. They’ve just got to; they’ve kind of got to back themselves. And you always knew that Conor McGregor was a good businessman by how interested Lorenzo (former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta) was around him. Obviously, Lorenzo is not around the UFC anymore, but he was fascinated by McGregor. And that must be because of the conversations they had in private, one-on-one."

"You know, there were always photos of him drinking whiskey with loads of cash. I bet McGregor was betting, backing himself constantly in those early fights. And Lorenzo was like, "I like this kid. He’s got ba**s." Yeah, and I think that was a big part of his spark as well. You know, some people are just unique like that. But highest-earning is a lot more down to his business than highest-paid down to his fighting ability. I mean, he’s still an anomaly in the UFC at 22 million in 12 months. That’s crazy. That’s what Jon Jones is wanting, you know.”

Dan Hardy and Mike Swick shed light on the fact that most of Conor McGregor’s earnings in 2021 have come from his business pursuits rather than his fights.

Considering Conor McGregor currently doesn’t have any other company that can fetch him the brand value akin to Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, he’s unlikely to top Forbes' highest-paid athlete list next year.

Hardy and Swick pointed out that soccer players, particularly the big names such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, consistently earn much more from their sport than Conor McGregor does.

Hardy and Swick concurred that footballers would probably retain the top-most spots on Forbes' highest-paid athletes list next year, whereas Conor McGregor probably won’t feature as high.

Dan Hardy praises Conor McGregor for changing MMA culture for the better

Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor at UFC 257

Dan Hardy opined that Conor McGregor’s success story has helped the MMA community grow richer and more popular. Hardy also addressed Conor McGregor being featured on Forbes' cover page as the highest-paid athlete. ‘The Outlaw’ said:

“It shines a lot on MMA. And that’s good for everybody. Every time he fights, it, you know, more than doubles the pay-per-view buys. And they’re not only watching McGregor fight. Even if they’re just casually watching the undercard as it’s happening or the rest of the main card, they might see something. Oh, they’ll remember Sean O’Malley because he’s got rainbow hair or something. Now, something will stick in their mind and they might be more invested than they were before McGregor."

"So, he’s done a lot of favors for everybody. And, you know, I mean, he’s added so many terms and phrases to the sport of MMA. I mean, "50 G’s baby!" and "Who the f**k is that guy?" They’re embedded in MMA culture now. They’re McGregor lines. Along with the ‘Billi Strut’ (billionaire strut) and a lot of other things – He’s changed the culture of MMA for the better for sure.” (*H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)

Presently, Conor McGregor is scheduled to face Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight that’ll headline UFC 264 on July 10th, 2021.