Dana White might actually give Conor McGregor a stake in the UFC

Shortly after his UFC 205, lightweight-title-winning knockout of Eddie Alvarez, which sent his stock rocketing to new heights, UFC superstar Conor McGregor made an unprecedented demand: he, a fighter, wanted a piece of the UFC.

“Where’s my share? Where’s my equity?” McGregor queried at the UFC 205 post-fight presser. “If I’m the one that’s bringing this, they’ve got to come talk to me now,” McGregor said. “I’ve got both belts, family on the way. If you want me to stick around, if you want me to keep doing (this), let’s talk. But I want the ownership now. I want the equal share. I want what I deserve, what I’ve earned.”

At first this seemed like a near impossibility, as UFC President Dana White quickly suggested there was no way McGregor would just be given a piece of the pie:

“Listen, a lot of people bought in on the UFC,” White told TMZ in December. “Banks, celebrities, and everything else. Listen, you want a piece? He’s got a lot of money. Come in and buy a piece, man.”

More recently, however, as McGregor is closing in on his hundred million dollar showdown with Floyd Mayweather, White has changed his tune.

“I have a feeling we’re going to have that conversation,” the UFC boss told MMAjunkie during a Tuesday night media scrum. “And I don’t mind it. I welcome that conversation. He deserves it.”

“It’s never been done, but anything is possible,” he added. “There’s a lot of people who feel like they’re worth this, and they’re worth that – we know what this kid’s worth.”

Conor McGregor, who has headlined many of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-views, is undeniably the biggest star in the promotion’s history. Do you think he deserves a stake in the UFC? Join the conversation in the comment section.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 8/23/2017.