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Conor McGregor will be back in the octagon for the foreseeable future, and his brand of whiskey is getting a promotional spot on the canvas.
- Conor McGregor inked a six-fight deal with UFC that will likely make him the richest athlete in the history of the sport.
- The deal includes sponsorship for McGregor's new whiskey and begins with his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov in October.
- There are plenty of great potential fights for McGregor, including a long-awaited third fight with Nate Diaz.
After a two-year absence, Conor McGregor is back in the UFC.
On October 6, McGregor will face off against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 for the lightweight championship, and regardless of the outcome, it's not the last we'll see of the Notorious one in the Octagon.
On Thursday, ESPN's Darren Rovell reported that McGregor had signed a six-fight deal with UFC, assuring that the promotion can sell pay-per-views with its most popular fighter for the foreseeable future. McGregor's initial fight with Nurmagomedov is included within the deal.
While the exact terms of the deal weren't disclosed, McGregor and UFC president Dana White gave some details about the agreement, including the fact that McGregor's new whiskey, Proper Whiskey, would be a sponsor for all of his fights, and present in the Octagon.
"You bet your bollocks it is," McGregor said when asked if the logo of his product will have a presence in the Octagon. "On the canvas. On the canvas. Like [Nurmagomedov's] blood will be on the canvas."
There is no guarantee that McGregor will fight all six bouts of the agreement, but the deal still comes as a relief to UFC, with the promotion happy to have its star back in the picture.
"It's not hard to do a deal with Conor McGregor because we know what he's worth," White told ESPN.
There are plenty of great fights for McGregor in the lightweight division. The winner on the undercard at UFC 229 between Tony Ferguson and Anthony Pettis is a possible outcome, if only because they could start promoting it the same night. Additionally, a third bout with Nate Diaz is something any fight fan would love to see.
The most compelling fight McGregor could book may be a rematch with Nurmagomedov in Russia. McGregor has already teased the possibility, and should the first match between the two be a classic, the potential spectacle of putting McGregor in front of a hostile crowd feels too good for UFC to pass up.