Conor McGregor is back in the octagon this Saturday for a welterweight bout against Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. McGregor’s return follows a 15-month hiatus from professional fighting during which he faced legal troubles.
During his time away, McGregor had to address allegations of sexual assault on two occasions. Despite denying the accusations in an interview with ESPN, the 31-year-old has not faced any formal charges. In another incident in March, McGregor smashed a phone owned by a man trying to take his picture in Miami Beach.
And in a separate incident a month later, a video emerged showing McGregor hitting an elderly man in a bar in Dublin. He was fined €1,000 for the altercation.
UFC is hoping McGregor’s return will boost pay-per-view sales as he holds five of the top six highest PPV numbers in UFC history. However, UFC already receives guaranteed revenue from ESPN for exclusive coverage, reducing the urgency to drive PPV sales for profit. Critics argue that prioritizing profits over ethical considerations is unnecessary given the organization’s financial stability.
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