The UFC’s involvement in Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor has always felt just a little bit odd. As the world’s largest MMA promotion, the UFC has never had to take its cues from a boxing model, especially where contracts come into play. The Ali Act doesn’t cover mixed martial arts, thus things like champion clauses, exclusive negotiating rights, image rights, sponsorship deals, financial confidentiality, and all sorts of other little points, have worked their way into UFC deals where they otherwise may not have.
So, as the promotion steps into the world of boxing, working to negotiate McGregor’s half of the May-Mac spectacle, how do they manage their new role?