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The UFC’s long-awaited Conor McGregor comeback may finally be closer than ever — but the fight business around him has completely changed.
For years, McGregor stood at the center of the UFC’s pay-per-view empire, generating millions of buys and becoming the promotion’s biggest financial draw in history. But after nearly five years away from the Octagon, the former two-division champion is returning to a UFC that no longer runs on the same model that helped make him one of the sport’s highest earners.
At the start of 2026, the UFC launched its massive new $7.7 billion broadcast partnership with Paramount, eliminating standalone pay-per-view purchases for numbered events. UFC cards are now included as part of a Paramount+ subscription, marking a major shift in how fighters — especially superstar attractions like McGregor — get paid.
Under the previous system, elite fighters earned huge bonuses through pay-per-view points tied directly to event sales. McGregor benefited more than anyone from that structure during his rise to global superstardom.
Now, UFC CEO Dana White says the promotion has introduced a new compensation formula designed to protect top stars in the post-pay-per-view era.
“There’s a formula to it. McGregor’s going to do just fine,” White said following UFC 328. “If you look at the average of his pay-per-view numbers and what those events generated, there’s an equation built around that. And it’s not just for Conor — we’ve done it with several big-name fighters.”
McGregor, now 37, hasn’t competed since his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. The bout ended in devastating fashion after McGregor suffered a gruesome lower-leg break in the opening round, forcing a stoppage and extending his time away from the sport indefinitely.
Since then, the Irish superstar has remained active outside the cage while repeatedly teasing a comeback. His only officially scheduled return came in 2024 against Michael Chandler, but the fight collapsed after McGregor withdrew with a broken toe just weeks before the event.
Despite years of setbacks and uncertainty, White insists confidence inside the UFC is higher than ever that McGregor will finally step back into the Octagon before the end of 2026.
“There’s no official deal done yet,” White explained. “But I’m confident. I believed it last year too — this year, I believe it even more.”
Whether McGregor returns to reclaim championship glory or simply deliver another blockbuster event, one thing is clear: the UFC’s biggest star is preparing for a comeback in a completely different business landscape than the one he left behind.
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