McGregor's extension is one of the more lucrative deals Monster Energy has done with an athleteGETTY IMAGES
Conor McGregor signed a "new one year-deal" with Monster Energy that is "worth millions and puts McGregor in the same category as other Monster athletes" like Tiger Woods, Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski and F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, according to ESPN's Ariel Helwani. McGregor has endorsed the energy drink brand since '15, and Hans Molenkamp, who runs Monster Energy's MMA division, indicated that the extension is "one of the more lucrative deals the company has done with an athlete." Molenkamp added that McGregor's initial deal was worth $50,000 "for a year" (TWITTER.com, 10/3). SB NATION's Adam Guillen Jr. wrote the Monster Energy deal "certainly won’t be the last lucrative sponsorship" for McGregor, as he has "no plans on letting up anytime soon thanks to his extension with UFC" signed last month. When he is "not joining forces with Fortune 500 companies, he’s putting in the work to build his own brand, including releasing his very own whiskey, as well as his upcoming line of custom-made suits." McGregor has "changed the marketing game" for MMA athletes (SBNATION.com, 10/3).
THE BUZZ BUILDS: While McGregor has been less visible promoting this fight than many of his past UFC bouts, his hype machine kicked into high gear for fight week. ESPN's Arash Markazi tweeted, "McGregor fans are taking over Las Vegas." MMA Junkie's Ben Fowlkes: "McGregor is out here on FS1 making a case for a 165-pound division, arguing against all the UFC's sudden title stripping, and making a whole lot of sense. Didn't imagine this interview would go that direction." UFC fighter Felice Herrig: "Just to be clear bc people like to make comments about things they know nothing about - being on the same card as @TheNotoriousMMA doesn’t make me anymore money #ufc229."
