Fight Business Podcast #22: Conor McGregor reveals PPV buys, Dana White’s brilliant PR move and Chatri hypes ONE Championship

Welcome back to the Fight Business Podcast, Patrick Auger’s show dedicated to the business-side of mixed martial arts.

In this episode, Auger discusses Conor McGregor’s receipt for PPV buys, what to expect from the UFC antitrust lawsuit next, how Dana White’s anti-media video was a brilliant PR move for the UFC, and more.

Auger says the biggest takeaway from McGregor sharing his receipt for PPV buys is that we now know not to blindly trust the estimated buys that are released by various sources. The real PPV buys were fantastic, but they were significantly lower than the 2 million figure that was thrown around by multiple sources.

Auger also comments on the antitrust lawsuit and says that while the recent update was a very significant step forward, we’re still many years away from progressing further because we can only expect the UFC to appeal the decision.

Dana White’s anti-media video received criticism from media and some fans, but Auger feels like this was a brilliant PR move that really connected with the casual and semi-casual fanbase. That’s really what matters to the UFC.

Auger also discusses the UFC’s planned move to network television on ABC.

What’s the latest on ONE Championship? Well, not much has changed because Chatri Sityodtong is still spewing hyperbole. Auger discusses how Sityodtong’s language carefully compares ONE to major sporting organizations and why this is beneficial for the promotion in its start-up phase.

And what’s Auger’s take on Pettis’ move to PFL? Find out by watching the full video above.

Timestamps:

• Conor McGregor proved why you shouldn’t trust UFC PPV buy estimates (1:35)
• UFC antitrust lawsuit update and what’s next (11:37)
• Dana White’s brilliant PR move (16:15)
• UFC could be coming to network television in 2021 (23:45)
• Why we shouldn’t believe the ONE Championship hype just yet (28:10)
• Anthony Pettis’ move to PFL  and why Auger thinks he wasn’t cut by the UFC (36:57)

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Follow Patrick Auger on Twitter: @AllDayAuger