Conor McGregor’s return has already generated ‘Way Over’ $20 million, becoming biggest gate in UFC history

Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon is still several weeks away, but that isn’t stopping the Irishman from breaking more revenue records.

On Saturday, June 29th, McGregor will compete for the first time in nearly three years when he meets former Bellator MMA champion Michael Chandler in the UFC 303 headliner. Emanating from T-Mobile Arena during International Fight Week, the event is expected to be a massive money-maker for the promotion.

Speaking at the UFC St. Louis post-fight press event, CEO Dana White confirmed that the gate for McGregor’s return is already “way over” $20 million, making it their highest gate of all time.

Dana White says the #UFC303 gate is already way over $20M. @TheNotoriousMMA #UFCStLouis pic.twitter.com/SAGWyd3kXI

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) May 12, 2024

“It’s already way over $20 million,” White confirmed.

Conor McGregor is already responsible for three of the four highest gates in UFC history, the biggest being his November 2016 clash with then-lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. That event generated $17.7 million.

With UFC 300 bringing in $16.5 million at the gate and a reported million-plus pay-per-view buys, 2024 will undoubtedly be another banner year for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Maybe they’ll finally share some of that wealth with it’s fighters. … But probably not.

Conor McGregor Has Kept Busy During His Three-Year-Long Layoff

McGregor’s quote-unquote “greatest comeback in combat sports history” comes 35 months removed from a devastating leg break suffered in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Though he has been out of action, ‘Mystic Mac’ has kept himself busy.

Aside from selling his popular brand of Irish whiskey, Proper No. 12, for a whopping $600 million, he also made his big screen debut in a remake of the 1989 action classic Road House for Amazon Studios.

McGregor also made headlines last month when he announced that he had become a part owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship during the promotion’s fourth-annual KnuckleMania event in California.