Following Bus Attack Sentencing, Conor McGregor’s Manager Addresses Khabib Nurmagomedov Bout

Former UFC dual-division champion Conor McGregor is now mostly clear of legal proceedings surrounding his April 5 attack of a bus full of UFC fighters. Following McGregor’s sentencing on Thursday

, his manager, Audi Attar, spoke with ESPN and addressed his fighter’s future, including a potential showdown with current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“We’ve had some communication over the last couple of weeks and I think those will start to pick up now that this is behind us. I think everybody wants to get back to the good old days, if you will,” Attar said in addressing negotiations with the UFC. McGregor agreed to a plea deal that eliminated any felony charges and keeps him out of jail and free to fight.

“I know Conor has been training. He’s been getting in shape. He’s in great shape right now. And he’s ready to take this next challenge on. When that happens is yet to be known and I think the negotiations have to continue to play out.”

The current plans center on a bout between McGregor and Nurmagomedov, but the deal is more complex than simply negotiating a fight. 

While Attar confirmed that Nurmagomedov was the likely next opponent for his client, he also confirmed that the negotiations also include addressing the financial terms of McGregor’s deal with the UFC.

McGregor’s stock rose tremendously following his blockbuster boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather that, for the longest time, no one thought would ever happen. When it did, Mayweather vs. McGregor produced astounding numbers, becoming the second biggest pay-per-view draw in history, for which McGregor reportedly earned nearly $100 million.

Attar believes that renegotiating McGregor’s contractual details and the agreement for his next bout will occur simultaneously and characterized talks in a positive light.

“Things are off to a good start and I think it’s just about getting back to a place where everybody is happy,” he stated. “At the end of the day, we had a great relationship (with the UFC). We’ve done great things together. We’ve made history together. There’s no point that that shouldn’t continue.”

This article first appeared at News – MMAWeekly.com