Eddie Hearn explains how Conor McGregor turned into “a nightmare” for Dana White and the UFC

Eddie Hearn believes the stardom of Conor McGregor has the UFC on edge.

McGregor is the biggest star in MMA. He has broken PPV and live gate records for the UFC. While he currently isn’t a champion, the “Notorious” one still rakes in some serious green for the top MMA promotion.

So, why would Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn think McGregor has been a “nightmare” for the UFC and its President Dana White?

Simply put, a superstar the likes of Conor McGregor knows their worth. UFC Heavyweight Francis Ngannou has been at odds with his promoter over restrictions in his contract. Ngannou feels he’s far too limited for being labeled an independent contractor.

During his appearance on The MMA Hour, Hearn said that the UFC doesn’t like it when any of its fighters become bigger than they are (h/t DAZN).

“For the UFC, where they’ve been very smart is by – it’s such an honor to get a UFC deal. You see these kids coming out of Bellator, or Cage Warriors, or wherever it is; but the thought of getting a UFC contract is everything.

“But I feel in the UFC, they don’t want you to get too big.

“And when you do – and I used to almost laugh at Conor because I could just imagine just the disruption that he was causing in that organization because that’s not really the name of the game.

“We don’t want a star that is bigger than the UFC. Conor McGregor became bigger than the UFC. Really. And that’s a nightmare for those guys.”

Other fighters such as Jon Jones have spoken out about fighter pay as well. Dana’s argument has been that MMA is an opportunity, not a career. He also insists that fighters at the top of the heap are paid more than their disclosed salaries indicate.