Meet The Man Behind Conor McGregor’s +$650M Empire

Episode 487: Shaan Puri (https://twitter.com/ShaanVP) and Sam Parr (https://twitter.com/theSamParr) talk with Audie Attar (https://twitter.com/audieattar) — the man behind Conor McGregor's +$650M empire. Audie pulls back the curtain on the MMA business empire he's built, sharing the behind-the-scenes story of signing and working with big names like Michael Bisping and Conor McGregor. He offers an inside look into the economics of the Mayweather vs. McGregor and dissects the evolution, explosive growth, and structure of MMA. He also addresses the challenges and public criticisms McGregor’s faced. Whether you're an MMA superfan or simply interested in the business side of combat sports, you’ll enjoy this conversation with the manager who helped shape modern MMA. Want to see more MFM? Subscribe to the MFM YouTube channel here. — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/ • Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ • Copy That - https://copythat.com/ Check Out Shaan's Stuff: • Try Shepherd Out - https://www.supportshepherd.com/ • Shaan's Personal Assistant System - http://shaanpuri.com/remoteassistant • Power Writing Course - https://maven.com/generalist/writing • Small Boy Newsletter - https://smallboy.co/ • Daily Newsletter - https://www.shaanpuri.com/ — Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (6:13) Early UFC days (9:17) Signing Michael Bisping and discovering Conor McGregor (13:20) How Audie signed Conor (17:15) What’s it like managing fighters? (19:45) How they created Proper Twelve (23:00) The value of owning a brand vs. doing sponsorships (28:30) McGregor vs. Mayweather payout (34:00) The appetite for blockbuster boxing matches (45:00) What was it like after the Proper Twelve exit? (52:21) How he handles McGregor’s criticisms and allegations (57:24) Advice to his younger self (01:03:31) Conor's transition from beloved fighter to highly criticized (01:09:40) Closing thoughts on UFC — Links: • Audie’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/audieattar • Audie’s IG - https://www.instagram.com/audieattar/ • Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel. — Past guests on My First Million include Rob Dyrdek, Hasan Minhaj, Balaji Srinivasan, Jake Paul, Dr. Andrew Huberman, Gary Vee, Lance Armstrong, Sophia Amoruso, Ariel Helwani, Ramit Sethi, Stanley Druckenmiller, Peter Diamandis, Dharmesh Shah, Brian Halligan, Marc Lore, Jason Calacanis, Andrew Wilkinson, Julian Shapiro, Kat Cole, Codie Sanchez, Nader Al-Naji, Steph Smith, Trung Phan, Nick Huber, Anthony Pompliano, Ben Askren, Ramon Van Meer, Brianne Kimmel, Andrew Gazdecki, Scott Belsky, Moiz Ali, Dan Held, Elaine Zelby, Michael Saylor, Ryan Begelman, Jack Butcher, Reed Duchscher, Tai Lopez, Harley Finkelstein, Alexa von Tobel, Noah Kagan, Nick Bare, Greg Isenberg, James Altucher, Randy Hetrick and more. — Other episodes you might enjoy: • #224 Rob Dyrdek - How Tracking Every Second of His Life Took Rob Drydek from 0 to $405M in Exits • #209 Gary Vaynerchuk - Why NFTS Are the Future • #178 Balaji Srinivasan - Balaji on How to Fix the Media, Cloud Cities & Crypto • #169 - How One Man Started 5, Billion Dollar Companies, Dan Gilbert's Empire, & Talking With Warren Buffett • ​​​​#218 - Why You Should Take a Think Week Like Bill Gates • Dave Portnoy vs The World, Extreme Body Monitoring, The Future of Apparel Retail, "How Much is Anthony Pompliano Worth?", and More • How Mr Beast Got 100M Views in Less Than 4 Days, The $25M Chrome Extension, and More

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Sam Parr?

  What was reported, I think, was 30 to Connor and 100 to Floyd. Was that what was reported?

• 0:04Speaker 01

  I think it was certainly higher for Connor than I know. And, and, you know, for Floyd, I would imagine it would be probably around there or higher, just depending on what he did again.

• 0:14Sam Parr?

  Wow. You really think that 100 million was true?

• 0:17Speaker 01

  Well, I mean, Connor was, you know, I'd say just under 100, right? When it's all said and done. So that's his part. So again, he has a part, we had a partner in UFC. So, and I won't get into the specifics, but yeah, so for Floyd's side, it's very reasonable to think that he could have pulled in 100. Um, assuming that he, he didn't take it all.

• 0:48Sam Parr?

  Audi, I, I, I see all these interviews with you. I see you on the UFC, like behind the scenes stuff and you're always wearing slick suits. And you're dressed nice right now, but I just saw that you're drinking out of a Stanley mug. Just to remind everyone at home that no matter how fancy someone is, we all have a little basicness inside of us.

• 1:06Speaker 01

  You know, I always say like, you know, it's business, much like sports, you have to, you know, you wear your uniform to play the game, right? But we're all human. At the end of the day, we all have our casual clothes or, you know, our, our.

• 1:20Sam Parr?

  I've only seen one interview you, and I've watched a bunch of your interviews. There's only one interview that you weren't wearing a suit. You were wearing like Lululemon and a hat. That was the only time I've seen you.

• 1:29Speaker 01

  I'm gonna have to switch it up now, man. That's, you know, I have to switch it up, but it's a pleasure to meet you guys, man.

• 1:35Shaan Puri?

  You should zig and zag the other way because I think a lot of people in the like agents, talent management, they are all like very slick looking. You should go the other way, right? Like, um, you should go athleisure as your main thing because you were an athlete. So I feel like you could pull that off and a lot of guys in that space will all look like suits to, you know, in comparison.

• 1:54Speaker 01

  I'm gonna, I'm gonna have to, man. I'm gonna have to to make people remember that I was actually one of them before I became a suit.

• 2:02Sam Parr?

  There were, well, there, there were some bum out there in San Francisco who was the first person to wear just like, you know, pajama bottoms and a T-shirt instead of a suit. You, you just, that, that's, that, that's your burden now, I guess.

• 2:12Speaker 01

  I was from Cali too, so I gotta start just rocking flip flops. You know what I mean? Just, just all good with the flip flops and the shorts.

• 2:19Shaan Puri?

  In Silicon Valley, uh, it's like the opposite. Like I remember when I first moved here, I went to like this nice, kinda like club speakeasy type thing. And everybody's waiting in line and a guy walks up with a hoodie and you know, it just looks completely disheveled and the bouncers know like, all right, this guy's either homeless or a billionaire. We don't know which one. We gotta just err on the side of maybe this is like the next Mark Zuckerberg. Let him in, let him in first. Go that way. I realized, oh shit, the status game is different here.

• 2:44Speaker 01

  That's funny. I heard a lot about that. Yeah, certainly. Counter culture, if you go to business, the New York, the New York hustles, all suit and tie, whereas the San Francisco hustle is definitely flip flops and holes in your T-shirt.

• 2:59Sam Parr?

  So your introduction here is, it's, it's, it's, you've done a bunch of stuff. So you've started Paradigm, which is, you just call it an agency, a sports agency, sports management company?

• 3:08Speaker 01

  I'd say it's a sports management and entertainment platform. That's what it is.

• 3:12Sam Parr?

  Platform. All right. With the most famous guy being Conor McGregor, but I also think you have Izzy. Do you have one more champion on there? I thought you had three.

• 3:19Speaker 01

  So Izzy's a former client of ours, but definitely was an amazing client while he was with us. Michael Bisping.

• 3:25Sam Parr?

  Michael Bisping.

• 3:26Speaker 01

  Steven Wonderboy Thompson, Michael Ben and Page, Rico Verhoeven, past clients, obviously like Chris Lidle, who's actually one of my first clients. That's how I got into the sport. But yeah, very fortunate to work with some of the greatest fighters of all time though.

• 3:43Sam Parr?

  Yeah. So just a bunch of ballers, but then you also co-founded Proper 12, which we're going to ask you all about it, but according to the headlines, it was like a $600 million exit. So you've had some, maybe even more success there than the main thing.

• 3:54Shaan Puri?

  What's cool is, so you run a talent, kind of like, let's say, what part of your business is talent management, talent agency? And that's cool. There's a bunch of our audience that also owns agencies, which I think is great. But what I liked about you is that you have also kind of the venture side. So you're like creating brands and business ventures off the talent. And we've talked about these kind of creator brands in the past. We had, you know, Mr. Beast on here and he's got all these kind of like feastables. He's got other, you know, corporate brands underneath it. We had Instagram star Dani Austin come on and she's got Divvy, like a haircare brand that's doing, you know, way more money than she can get kind of just in, versus like influencer brand deals. And so what I like is that you've got.

• 4:35Sam Parr?

  And Rob Dyrdek.

• 4:36Shaan Puri?

  Yeah, Rob Dyrdek. You've got both. And that's been a theme that we've kind of been, been playing with. So I think we'll, we'll try to hop around a little bit, but I definitely.

• 4:45Speaker 01

  Bless you, bless you. I mean, I'd be remiss if I didn't give you those two. Sorry.

• 4:49Shaan Puri?

  Oh, wow. What a gentleman. Look at that.

• 4:52Speaker 01

  John may edit it out and then

• 4:55Shaan Puri?

  No, keep that in. That's a character shower right there. I'm like, I'm talking if Sam's dying over there, I'm gonna finish my point. I don't care.

• 5:06Speaker 01

  He's good. He'll come back.

• 5:07Shaan Puri?

  Yeah, exactly.

• 5:09Speaker 01

  No, no, I appreciate the recognition. Look, I mean, we certainly, I feel, were one of the early, you know, platforms slash agencies, if you will, that really saw not only, you know, an opportunity, but more so wanted to do more for our clients, right? We wanted to disrupt our respective industry, but also think far beyond that and not just think transactional. And for me, in mixed martial arts, it was an underserved market and we wanted to not only advocate for our clients, but advocate for the sport, really push fighter, fighter, not only earnings higher and higher, which still have a long way to go, but they've come a long way from when we first started

• 5:50Speaker 01

  and back in 2009 in the sport. And we were very fortunate because we came in right before the first, you know, rights deal was actually paid. You know, the UFC was paying to be on Spike prior to the Fox deal. And as, you know, most people know, that's the main economic driver of any professional sports organization, whether it's the, you know, NFL, the NBA, and now obviously from a mixed martial arts perspective, the UFC.

• 6:17Shaan Puri?

  They were paying Spike to put themselves on TV?

• 6:20Speaker 01

  That's publicly known. They were actually, you know, paying for that airtime. So the original Ultimate Fighter and then all that was broadcast on Spike back in the day. Yeah, they were not only funding their own production, but they were paying for that airtime. And Fox was that really first paid deal that the UFC garnered, you know, and which was a monumental milestone for the sport and for the promotion. And the sport of mixed martial arts, you know, is, it wouldn't be here without the UFC, which is the catalyst for where the sport is today. Now you have other promotions that are competing. And promotion is very synonymous with leagues, right? So when you talk about leagues,

• 7:01Speaker 01

  you know, there's certain terminologies within sports world that are very similar, although there's a lot of differences as well, right? In terms of, you know, Athletes in the NFL NBA being employees and then fighters being independent contractors. So for us, we saw an opportunity of it not only being the fastest growing sport in an underserved market for the athletes, but then also really thinking beyond just management. How could we create, you know, more value for the clients? And, you know, it takes a special client and a special personality like Conor McGregor. So I was very fortunate to sign him 10 years ago and, you know, and we had a vision and he was very, very bullish about that vision as well.

• 7:42Shaan Puri?

  Let's rewind, let's rewind to that. So you, your story is kind of, I'll give you the first part very fast. So you, you played football at UCLA, ended up getting injured. You move into management side of things. You got, you got some kind of football players as your first clients. And then you branch into MMA and you discover Conor McGregor. Can you tell the story? How did you, how'd you discover Conor? What was, what was his situation like at that time? And what was those kind of the first meeting? Take us back to those days.

• 8:13Speaker 01

  Yeah, sure. So I think taking it back to the first days, the early days really working with guys like Chris Lidle, right? Getting into the business or working with a guy like that. I got to work with him for one fight and he retired. So then it was being able to sign Michael Bisping, which was a massive opportunity for me and someone that I'm so proud of, not only as a, as a client, but as a friend as well, went on to be the first British champion, first champ UFC champion from, from the UK. And, you know, he was a pioneer of mixed martial arts for all the up and coming athletes within Europe, you know, Ireland included. So I was very fortunate enough to start to work with Michael and, and other clients

• 8:55Speaker 01

  as well earlier in my, in my career in, in, in the UFC and mixed martial arts in particular. And so when I signed Conor was when he first came on to, to the, to the UFC scene, right? He was fighting in the regional promotion in Europe, Cage Warriors, which is still around and still a, you know, let's call it a mid-major, if you will. And these are, these are to some extent, they're professional promotions, but their feeder programs in the larger promotions, if you will. And he had just signed to the UFC and. We were introduced, interestingly enough, like through Facebook. And at the time, it was, he was, you know, looking at signing with one of the agencies in the sport.

• 9:39Speaker 01

  And I got an opportunity to pitch him and, and coach, his coach, John Kavanaugh, as to why I felt that we would be the best fit for him. So you gotta, you know, put, now put your best foot forward and, and give it a shot and, and hopefully you win that business. And I was fortunate enough that, um, you know, we got first opportunity actually to work with him heading into his, you know, his first fight, we were saying, okay, well, let's pause now, let's talk after this first fight. So he beats Marcus Primmidge.

• 10:09Sam Parr?

  Was that the 50 G's baby?

• 10:11Speaker 01

  Baby, yeah, that's the famous line, that fight. And after that, his second fight was his US debut, actually against Max Holloway. And we, we started to work with, with one another, um, heading into that fight. And so, um, the rest is history. But one of the things, you know, we recognized is not only his athletic ability, but then he had special, a special knowledge, talent in, inside the octagon. But you could tell he was very special and charismatic. He had that it factor that, you know, is, is, you know, I think it's, it's once in a, it's once in a generation type of, of an athlete as well. Not only from a physical perspective, but a qualitative perspective. And so, you know, the sky was going to be the, the limit, um, in terms of what we could do together.

• 10:53Sam Parr?

  And was that, I mean, I've, I've seen all the, there's these older interviews where Connor still has acne. He has no tattoos and he says like, you know, mark my words, you will see me in the UFC, you will see me as a champion one day. And then coming up, leading up to that Marcus fight, and then I think it was Dennis Silver in Boston, if I remember correctly. Like in the early days, you still see that he has some type of star power on camera. But behind the scenes, uh, even at a young age in his early twenties, did you notice that, uh, the confidence and the star power was there just in your normal hanging out sessions?

• 11:25Speaker 01

  Yeah, you could definitely see his charisma behind the scenes. And, um, you know, he was, like I said, he was very witty, uh, very, very confident, but also very engaging, you know? I think one of the things I always. Tell people is that, you know, majority of people in the world know who Conor McGregor is. And I would argue that most of them have never seen him fight. They've actually seen more of his interviews and, and, and, um, and him talking because, you know, when he talks, you can't take your eyes off of it, right? He's just so fun and whether you love him or hate him, you're watching him, you know? And that's, that's, I think what makes him special.

• 12:06Shaan Puri?

  Yeah, you find it Connor is kind of like, we've had guys on this podcast that are like, yeah, I discovered Uber. I was like the fifth investor in Uber or, you know, like their early investors in Facebook or something like that, right? It's like a, it's like an angel investment that goes on to become this, what do we call it? It's like a unicorn, right? It's like this billion dollar brand that you discover at that early age. Were, were other people pitching him for business at that time? Cause I remember that first scrimmage fight, there was like a hype around him. Like even his entrance, entrance, people were like really excited about him and, and I didn't know who he was at the time. So I don't even know how people were so excited about the guy at that time. So I imagine that, you know, there were other agents trying to win that business at that time.

• 12:49Shaan Puri?

  Do you have any good fun anecdotes or stories of like your hustle at that time to get him? Or was it like, no, people, it was kind of like, uh, like an ignored asset. People didn't realize that this was going to be, that he was going to be a big deal. And it was, it really was, it didn't look like it was like this hotly contested thing.

• 13:07Speaker 01

  No, I definitely think that people were, were, um, you know, hot on him. But I think everybody was pitching him on the same idea. It was more transactional and I think what, where, um, I stood out surely was because I, I had a broader vision. I had a broader vision of creating IP, you know, and creating media and content, but also creating, uh, business ventures, right? And I really was bullish on that idea. Uh, and I, I remember even when I first launched Paradigm, 2009, my business plan was not only to be the best in class from a management perspective, but build, uh, clients, media and IP whereby building more brand equity for them. And that will yield not only more ancillary revenues from a sponsorship perspective,

• 13:50Speaker 01

  but increase their value from a, from their playing contract or perspective athletically, and also leads to, to business ventures. And, you know, I, I was laughed at when I first had that business plan. It's too busy, focused on what you could do, you know, like, uh, and, and I think that that's what. stood out to him because he had that vision in himself as well. And it was even if you think about what we did back in two thousand seventeen with the Floyd fight. I mean, everybody thought we were crazy, you know, that that fight was never going to happen. And everybody doubted us, everybody, even some of those ended up doing the deal and partnering with us. So ultimately, you know, we had to believe in ourselves and and more importantly, go out and actually execute.

• 14:34Speaker 01

  Right. Because you can have dreams, you can have visions, you can start something. But if you don't execute successfully, it means nothing. And now that trend is common. Those exhibitions now are commonplace. You see everybody now taking place in these exhibitions. And there's an appetite from a consumer perspective for these unique matchups. Where people are are matched up from from different sports, just to compete in combat sports. And then we even launched our venture on the back of that. We launched Proper two thousand eighteen. And so, you know, again, at that time, I think it was maybe George Clooney and and maybe Puff Daddy at the time. You know, but I don't think anybody else now like spirits. Everybody has has some type of a liquor brand that they're they're hocking.

• 15:18Speaker 01

  And and then ventures is commonplace as well. So, you know, to me, I'm proud of the fact that we had this vision and we were able to execute more importantly. You know, because it's very hard to do. It's hand to hand combat every day entrepreneurship.

• 15:31Sam Parr?

  I I want to ask you about the proper 12 stuff. But before that, so like I grew up watching Entourage. And so you see like Ari Emanuel or Ari Gold dealing with like crazy young actors who have monies and money. And it's like, you know, drugs and sex. And then ballers, it's like drugs and sex as well. But the difference between, you know, ballers was NFL. But then there's the difference, I imagine, with UFC fighters where it's you're not an actor. You're not a player. You're going to get out there in your underwear and fight to the death in front of millions of people. Can you like tell me a little bit about the difference between managing someone like Connor or Izzy? Like these like, because I imagine them, are they crazy?

• 16:15Sam Parr?

  What's that mindset like on a daily basis and that mentality? Particularly when it comes to business, are they? Have you found that you've got to hold them back from being so aggressive sometimes? Or what's that like with that type of athlete?

• 16:26Speaker 01

  Well, first of all, I don't think they're crazy per se. So it's not, you know, because of the profession or the sport that they're in that that they tend to be maybe a little bit.

• 16:36Speaker 01

  You know. Crazy, so to speak, right?

• 16:39Sam Parr?

  I mean, like, when I say crazy, I mean, like, hi- hi- high risk.

• 16:43Speaker 01

  Well, what I, well, I think, look, it means depending on the field you're in, it's, that's subjective, what you think high risk and not.

• 16:49Sam Parr?

  Totally.

• 16:50Speaker 01

  Most people that come from, let's say, if you're a neurosurgeon, you're gonna think the combat sports is super high risk, right? But ultimately, I think every human being is different. There's certainly, there's certainly, uh, when you're that competitive, you're gonna be driven, you're gonna be more aggressive. And I think I see it even in business, at the same, at the highest level, there's, there's that chip on the shoulder. There's that edge that, that every high-level competitor has, whether it's an athlete in different sports, or whether it's a businessman or woman, in, at the highest level of their respective field. So, obviously, business acumen varies, right? So if you're talking about an institutional investor versus a professional athlete, that varies. But even within the sport, you have athletes that have a very high-level business acumen.

• 17:33Speaker 01

  Connor's not trained from an institutional perspective. He didn't go get his MBA. He, he doesn't have that, that academic background, if you will, right? But he's a very natural businessman.

• 17:44Sam Parr?

  What, what's a, what's a story as an example of that?

• 17:46Speaker 01

  I mean, the story is proper 12. I mean, could have easily taken a check from a sponsorship perspective and been so short-sighted, as opposed to putting up our own capital initially, finding the right operating partner, finding the right strategic capital supply chain route to market, going out and creating our own, working without getting the sponsorship check for X amount of posts, or Y amount of appearances, if you will, for an ultimate windfall that changes life and is generational wealth. So, that in itself is a great example.

• 18:16Sam Parr?

  Do you guys, do you guys have, like, Jameson, like, hey, we wanna sponsor you, and you were like, dude, fuck this, Connor, let's do our own thing?

• 18:21Speaker 01

  He's always had a desire to get into whiskey. It's, it's, like, he's Irish, it's part of their DNA, right? And his, his grandfather was a, was a whiskey man. And we always had the idea, when we were approached by a sponsor, and, and it was like, do we go and pursue a sponsorship and take a check, or do we just go and own our own? Business. And when you study the category and looked at the TAM and you looked at the opportunity, you're like, we could, this is ripe for disruption. We actually could really come in and do something here, right? And so that, that's a perfect example of his natural business activity, right? Because it's hard to do that, especially at that level. He wasn't making, you know, a ton of money yet up until we got to the Floyd flight, which is by the way, when we announced

• 19:05Speaker 01

  our entry into the market. We announced our entry into the whiskey market in our post five press conference.

• 19:10Shaan Puri?

  Yeah, I remember he's, he's holding the glass at the

• 19:12Speaker 01

  We started though, the process in 2014 and we were doing a lot of research and development and pivoting from different groups and, and ultimately we, we, we found the right, you know, formula, if you will, and the right team, et cetera. Right? Um, and, and the rest is history. And that to me takes a lot of, lot of intelligence for an athlete to do that's not trained, has to have the experience of building a business and, you know, more, more over the patience, right? To really bet on himself.

• 19:43Sam Parr?

  How much of your guys' capital did you put up to get it off the ground? And do you remember what your first year sales was?

• 19:49Speaker 01

  Well, I'll tell you, I can't disclose all the information just through the strict confidentiality provisions that exist with our partners and our acquire. So I gotta be safe. But I could tell you that we put up probably a few hundred thousand of our own capital initially. I could say that, right? Um, and that's, you know, I mean, that most of that went to lawyers, if you will, just before you even got started. So, um, but it's like strategically, I think the way we set it up, and we have great partners, you know, one of our partners is, is an operating genius and is a wizard in the spirits business, Ken Austin. So I gotta give him a shout out because I

• 20:27Sam Parr?

  Yeah, he had another company, right?

• 20:29Speaker 01

  I mean, he did Adion, then he did proper with us. He's done Terra Mada now. He's done Delolo, John De La, he's a, he's a, he's a G when it comes to spirits business, you know?

• 20:40Sam Parr?

  And when you find people like that, are you doing just like a, like a thirty, thirty, thirty? Like, you know, you guys all split equity evenly?

• 20:47Speaker 01

  I can't go into the details of the cap table. I wish I could, but again, the strong confidentiality provisions and all agreement. But it was, it's a fair deal and I think everybody's happy in the end. But moreover, you bring on a black belt that knows what they're doing. Cause at the end of the day, that's part of operating a business and being successful. It's like, you know what you don't know, but essentially no matter what cap table looks like, you gotta make sure you bring on that, the right expertise, right? From an operational perspective, you have to have all the right ingredients to be able to execute successfully.

• 21:19Shaan Puri?

  So even with something like that, let's say, uh, just to put this in perspective. So the decision to say, well, we could just take a straight sponsorship deal, get a check, make a few Instagram posts and, and you know, cash that check. Versus we're gonna do the entrepreneurial work and actually build a brand. The payoff difference, I imagine, you could tell me from, I think it's probably a hundred to one. Would that be approximate? So like, you know, if you just say, okay, over a few years, we would have a, a, a kind of an alcohol sponsor and we're, we're doing, you know, kind of these, these scheduled posts with them or commercials with them or whatever it may be. I think it's probably something like fifty to a hundred X bigger return by doing the work. Is that?

• 22:02Speaker 01

  I would say it's a more, it's a multiple of that.

• 22:06Speaker 01

  A few hundred.

• 22:08Sam Parr?

  How much would a sponsor should have been?

• 22:09Speaker 01

  I mean, I mean, back in that, back at that time, you know, when we first started the process, it would have been like two, two hundred fifty thousand, something like that. That would have been a big one. By the time we launched, he probably was in the seven figure range.

• 22:21Shaan Puri?

  Yeah.

• 22:21Speaker 01

  In terms of sponsor, sponsorship annually, right?

• 22:24Sam Parr?

  That's like an annual deal?

• 22:25Speaker 01

  Annual deal, right? Yeah.

• 22:27Sam Parr?

  Okay. So a million, some, some millions per year in order to promote a whiskey.

• 22:32Shaan Puri?

  Versus hundreds of millions.

• 22:33Speaker 01

  Uh, yeah, exactly. So I would say, I would say like, it was, you know, you could run any. You know, analysis, even in MTV and look at like how we won and won big.

• 22:45Shaan Puri?

  You talked about the Mayweather McGregor thing, how that came to like how that nobody thought that that was going to happen. And then it it actually happened and it was kind of amazing. I remember vividly where I was. I remember I was on, I was in Australia and I had to get up at a certain time. I was at a bar at like five in the morning or something like that to watch that fight. Um, but I also remember the buildup, like there was the kind of back and forth, almost flirting on on social media, talking, talking trash to each other to try to generate interest. Cause I think both guys Floyd and Connor are probably the two smartest businessmen ever that come through combat sports. And they kind of knew, okay, this is the right dance partner from for us to like execute something orders of magnitude bigger than what we could do. And um, and I remember at the time it was seen as

• 23:30Shaan Puri?

  almost like the the Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg thing today, or it's like, wow, it'd be crazy if it happened, but there's no way. I mean, just to get all these people to get them everyone to agree. Um, seemed impossible. Can you take us back? Like, uh, you know, like I see all these videos of you like hanging out at Connor's house or whatever. And like you get, you know, the behind the scenes stuff. There had to have been just like a couch conversation where you guys are like, okay, could we do this? How could we do this? What, what was the early days like before it came to fruition?

• 23:56Speaker 01

  So I, to your point, I think, you know, you have two of the smarter and savvy businessmen in combat sports that really understood. You know, the modern day fandom of both sports, right? And early days, like he wants to do it. And then it would be shot down by UFC, by, by members of the media, by whoever that just doubted that it would ever happen. Um, and I think that the, the banter is really what allowed it to happen. Because once they started going back and forth and you could actually see the level of engagement and interest from a market perspective and from a consumer perspective. It was hard to deny it, right? It was hard to deny it because it was like, this is real.

• 24:40Speaker 01

  It's viable. It's a, it's a win-win scenario and a win for all parties who'd be involved. Why not, right? The fans want it, the fighters want it. And moreover, the numbers were speaking for themselves from an analytics perspective. So that allowed us to really use what the two fighters were intelligently doing on a very instinctive level. Right? There wasn't plan, there wasn't scripted. It was very instinctive, but moreover, I think what my job is, is to look at the data and be like, right, there's something very viable here. There's something that, you know, you have to be able to take and continue to, to, to advocate and push for your client

• 25:21Speaker 01

  because you could effectively have a successful business opportunity even for the UFC. And so that, I think it took them a while to come around, but eventually they did because they realized there was just such amazing and intense interest around this event that it was real. It wasn't a gimmick. It was something that everybody wanted to see. And so I think that was a credit to them too, because again, it went against all their, their, their normal business practice. They'd never done something like that before. And it took, you know, I think for them to see the substance of it all, to then move forward with us. And ultimately it was a huge success. I mean, over four million buys.

• 26:01Speaker 01

  I mean, I think there's probably, there's a, something, there was some report I remember receiving. It was, yeah, like hundreds of millions of illegal streams. I mean, like, and we still did over four million buys. You know what I mean? Like, so could you imagine if like, it was the most bootlegged fight ever? Yeah. If we would have just been able to even just plug some of those holes and how many more buys we would have had, right? But I mean, it was such a commercial success. I mean,

• 26:27Sam Parr?

  Can I ask you a quick question about those buys?

• 26:30Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 26:30Sam Parr?

  So you said, you said four million buys. I'm not, I'm not attacking this strictly about this fight, but when I see pay-per-view numbers, like what the headlines are, I think most of them are complete bullshit. I think that with a fighter says, like, for example, I remember Floyd has multiple times said he's earned nine figures. So a hundred plus million off of one, one fight. And I'm, I think I've seen Connor say, I think he was just talking shit, but he's like, oh, I'm making this much money off this. Cowboy Seroni fight. I think those are nonsense. And the reason I think they're nonsense is it's almost like a rapper bragging about how much money they have. It's like

• 27:08Speaker 01

  Part of the brand.

• 27:09Sam Parr?

  You're not, it's part of your brand. And also, no one's incentivized, like Dana or Showtime or HBO, they're not incentivized to like, tell the public that, yeah, this dude's full of shit. We gave him $2 million. He didn't earn $20 million off this thing.

• 27:22Speaker 01

  Oh, wait, I, no, let me, let me just.

• 27:25Sam Parr?

  And like, it's not public information.

• 27:27Speaker 01

  That's a loaded, because there's certain elements of that, you know, could be hypothetically true. But for example, compensation is not fully reported.

• 27:36Speaker 01

  When you're talking about UFC, particularly MMA, like, that's not fully reported what the persons will be at the highest level, that is, you know what I mean? So, so it's actually more.

• 27:44Sam Parr?

  It's even that true, because I.

• 27:46Speaker 01

  It's just what's reported to the commission and assuming that they don't have, let's call it another agreement. So that's actual. In terms of pay-per-view, there's speculation. So for example, May Mac in particular, there was, you know, I think, there was rumors that were starting to trickle in that it did over 6 million buys or something to that extent, you know what I mean? But it landed in like the 4-3-4-4 range. And that's, no, that's actual, right? I mean, ultimately, you know, that's, those are not fudge numbers. And so, what you were hearing about what potentially Connor made and potentially Floyd made, on our side, I know it's more true. On the Floyd side, I don't know if he divulges who he splits it with or, you know, what that, what that looks like on his side. So I can't comment on, on his, right?

• 28:29Speaker 01

  But UFC was our partner, so I know what they're, what we're reporting for Connor was Connor's.

• 28:36Sam Parr?

  What was reported, I think, was 30 to Connor and 100 to Floyd. Was that what was reported?

• 28:40Speaker 01

  I don't think so, but maybe. I mean, in terms of what you're talking about, reported to the, the commission or the papers?

• 28:47Sam Parr?

  No, no journalist ever actually like breaks that down. You know what I mean? So that's why I'm saying like, these numbers are so high and I hear that and I've.

• 28:54Speaker 01

  Well, it was higher, I think, for, for, I think it was, for certainly higher for Connor than I know. And, and, you know, for Floyd, I would imagine it would be probably around there or higher, just depending on what he did. Again.

• 29:06Sam Parr?

  Wow. You really think that 100 million was true?

• 29:09Speaker 01

  Well, I mean, I, Connor was, you know, I'd say. Just under a hundred, right? When it's all said and done. So that's his part. So again, he has a part, we had a partner in UFC. So and I won't get into the specifics, but yeah, so from Floyd's side, it's very reasonable to think that he could have pulled in a hundred. Um, assuming that he, he didn't take it all, didn't have partners he split with, right?

• 29:32Shaan Puri?

  You're a business guy. So you see what Floyd did in the boxing business where he basically became his own promoter, runs his own, runs his own ship so that he can take the lion's share of, of the, the revenue or the, the profits that come from an event. Where like in the past, guys like Mike Tyson and others sort of got screwed because they're out there fighting, generating all this demand that they look at 10 years later, they're like, where's all the money? And the promoter is basically enriched themselves in that way. And obviously the UFC is totally different. It's like a league, it works differently. But a guy like Conor is essentially as big of a brand as the USC, UFC, uh, like, you know, I'll say it's debatable. They're in the same, like, they're the same like air.

• 30:14Shaan Puri?

  And if Conor McGregor was to go do a fight on YouTube, pay-per-view or whatever he wanted to do, he could pull the same numbers as a UFC card without the UFC's promotion. Do you think like, I guess, when you see what Floyd did, do you think anybody's ever going to do that with the UFC or in MMA where they're going to become their own promoter and have their own shows?

• 30:34Speaker 01

  I think the sport is still young and it's still evolving, right? And while the UFC is to some extent synonymous to a league as a promotion, it's still structured to some extent, you know, like prize fighting, right? There's still pay-per-view and even though there's rankings, sometimes you'll see the rankings are not, it's not true meritocracy because it's still prize fighting and entertainment to some extent, right? Um, and, and I think that they have come a long way, but there's still a long way to go in terms of how much fighters should, could earn, should earn. Um, but at the end of the day too, from a boxing perspective, I think that's why boxing has been on the decline. It's still fragmented, right? And there's, at the end of the day, there's not a, a, a true promotion that's, that's.

• 31:21Speaker 01

  Stood the test of time. I know Top Rank's been around forever, right? But who do they really have? Matchroom seems to be doing more. Obviously Premier still around and still PBC still competing. But you see it kind of fragmented, right? Canelo will fight for Matchroom, one for a couple fights and then he's fighting for PBC for a fight. And the difference is though, I think in boxing promotions could fight each other. And so they have to agree on that, right? I think in MMA it's going to continue to evolve, right? You now have the ability, can Conor do that? Of course, I think Conor is one of probably the only person could carry his own show. It's very difficult to do, right? It's hard to go, how many million pay-per-view sellers are there in either sport?

• 32:06Speaker 01

  Not a lot, you know, it's like, it's not that easy to do. So I think that from a UFC perspective, they've always looked at it as like, look, we're, we're building something that's sustainable. And they are correct in that regard, but I think that fighters definitely should have a bigger piece of the revenues as this thing continues to grow, which I think they've come a long way, but they still have a long way to go, right?

• 32:30Shaan Puri?

  Yeah, I was gonna say, you know, the other group that's trying to do their own shows is the kind of Jake Paul, Logan Paul style thing, where they're doing these kind of like, kind of celebrity matches, high interest fights, and getting people to buy pay-per-views for that seems to honestly be working. Like, you know, like, I don't know what you think about those guys, but I personally used to be like, oh, you know, kind of wrote them off as just like, kind of like, they were like in the jackass crowd of like the YouTube generation, the Vine generation. And then they said they were gonna do this boxing thing. I'll see, who knows how seriously they'll take it. But honestly, like, they've done a good job of actually like building up interest and pulling these events off and being like respectable, showing up very respectably and winning several of these fights.

• 33:11Speaker 01

  You can't hate on them, man. You can't hate on them.

• 33:13Shaan Puri?

  They're putting in time. Actually, our client Dylan Dennis is fighting Logan Paul coming up.

• 33:19Sam Parr?

  Dylan Dennis is your client?

• 33:20Shaan Puri?

  Yeah.

• 33:22Sam Parr?

  Oh, my God. That is so funny.

• 33:24Shaan Puri?

  Are you the genius behind his current marketing strategy? Is that your, did you sign off on that?

• 33:29Speaker 01

  No, no, no, that's all Dylan.

• 33:31Sam Parr?

  I thought you might have been his client. There's a, there's a famous video where Nate Diaz and Dylan are getting into it. And Nate, there was a beer on Dylan and I saw you in the video trying to be like the, the father in the whole like, you're like, hey Nate, Dylan, could you guys please walk away? Is that good?

• 33:46Speaker 01

  Didn't work out. My kids didn't listen.

• 33:52Speaker 01

  But no, I, you know, you gotta give those guys credit. I mean, look, I think they're, they're, they're putting in time in their craft. They're, they're going in there and, and they're not only, you know, taking a shot, risk it, you know? I could argue that they're not really doing it against real boxers. That's true. You know, I think they're being more strategic and, but you know, again, credit has to go to Connor, right? Who created that trend? Who started that? It was Les versus Mayweather. And then now, I mean, even if Floyd goes and fights someone else, he doesn't get the same result without it being another two, two A-side guys facing each other. And while I give all of them credit too, I don't think you've seen this blockbuster event that anybody's been hoping for.

• 34:33Speaker 01

  So, so at the end of the day though, there's a market though. There's an appetite from a consumer to go look at, you know, me and you, Sean. I don't, I think we may only get a hundred people that tune in, but nonetheless, there's a market there.

• 34:47Speaker 01

  Streaming on YouTube, Sam is gonna have to pay. He doesn't get a free.

• 34:50Shaan Puri?

  You underestimate how many people want to see me get my ass whooped.

• 34:54Speaker 01

  Likewise, my friend. I think you're right. You're right.

• 34:56Shaan Puri?

  So what are the, they've been begging to get Connor in that. I think that, that's the white whale that, that Jake Paul's chasing. What is the percent chance that a fight between Conor McGregor and Jake Paul ever happens?

• 35:08Speaker 01

  I mean, right now, Connor's focused on Michael Chandler. I'm saying ever, ever. I can tell you Floyd, Floyd, the rematch is, is there. Logan Paul wants to fight him. Jake Paul. Not a lot of possibilities. Not zero. Yeah, it's not zero. It's just not top of mind right now, right? Yeah. So.

• 35:26Speaker 03

  You need to take off your sports jacket. You need to have a proper 12. You need to like, I want the non-politician answer. That you, you, you managers are so good. I'd say the best of everything.

• 35:36Speaker 01

  This is funny. It's like, I wonder if I just wore frigging streetwear and, and, you know, and, and, and dyed my hair, bleached my hair like I used to when I was a young punk rock kid. And, you know, if everybody would really just hear what I'm saying, this is not bullshit. I'm just telling you the truth. Like, if he's gonna fight Michael Chandler next, right? It's not, and we're not thinking about that. You know what I mean? But ultimately, of course, we know he wants to fight. Of course, we know it's there. And of course, I think if everybody keeps doing their thing, it's gonna be a market for it, right? So.

• 36:08Shaan Puri?

  Well, let's talk about the, the biggest of these freak show fights right now is Elon versus Zuck. And it was one of those things that like, in our worlds, like that's, that's never happened in the kind of business and tech world. And then Dana comes out and kind of certifies it. He's like, no, they want it to happen. We're talking to them. We might make it happen, which was.

• 36:27Speaker 03

  Yeah, but he always does that.

• 36:28Shaan Puri?

  Exactly. It's Dana White. So you never know. Uh, but, you know, it, it was interesting that it got a little bit more heat from that. What's your take on that? And again, same question.

• 36:37Speaker 01

  Probably, he does that, but I don't know if Dana would have gone on a limb if he hadn't really talked to both, right? I mean.

• 36:44Speaker 03

  Well, I'm sure he talked to both, but.

• 36:47Speaker 01

  I don't, I don't think that he would have done that, you know? And, and even Zuck training with fricking, you know, a bunch of different fighters, Izzy and Volk and, and John Jones and, and then, uh, Elon, bringing in GSP and.

• 37:01Shaan Puri?

  Do you believe it'll happen? And if so, who would you have?

• 37:04Speaker 01

  Zuck would be down. Catch weight, whatever. It doesn't matter.

• 37:09Sam Parr?

  Yeah, I agree.

• 37:10Speaker 01

  Like, I think Zuck is down. Zuck is a, is, is, is truly, you know, training and regardless of this fight or not, he's in there.

• 37:20Shaan Puri?

  Does that mean you think Elon might not be down? Cause that's our theory here on this podcast is that Elon wants to talk about it.

• 37:26Speaker 01

  Look, from the outside looking in and all the information that I have, which is probably less than what you have, being in the tech world, you guys have some fricking secret telegram groups and shit with.

• 37:37Shaan Puri?

  Who told you about that?

• 37:39Sam Parr?

  Dude, for knowing you or like knowing what I think of you, you're probably gonna be bad at it. I mean, I'm like.

• 37:46Speaker 01

  Hey, I'll, I'll, yeah, I'm definitely gonna pursue them, you know, but so long as we get some rights, not just transactional, we gotta build something together, you know? But no, but I, I, I think it's up to Elon. I, I truly think it's up to Elon, you know? And I don't know.

• 38:00Shaan Puri?

  Do you think? Dana came out and said, if it hap-

• 38:03Speaker 01

  They probably looked at the numbers though, for both X and threads. They're like, this is great.

• 38:08Shaan Puri?

  Yeah.

• 38:10Speaker 01

  But Zuck's more serious. Like, no, don't talk about it. I saw those text exchanges and all that kind of stuff that kind of were leaked. And like I said, Zuck's, Zuck's, Zuck's, Zuck's, Zuck's about it. He's not, he's not bullshit, you know?

• 38:22Shaan Puri?

  Dana has said, if it happens, it would be the biggest fight ever. He thinks it would surpass Floyd Pacquiao, it would surpass Floyd Connor. He thinks it would be that, cause it's just like, uh, you know, the freak of all freak shows in that sense. Like it crosses over into so many different, like fanbases or domains. You get all the combat force people, but you'd also get the business people to watch.

• 38:41Speaker 01

  I think so. I think so. And I think.

• 38:43Sam Parr?

  It would also be the saddest fight ever.

• 38:45Shaan Puri?

  Yeah, it'd also be really lame to watch.

• 38:47Speaker 01

  It was actually, it was, it was actually, it was actually kind of fucked up the way Elon was all about it. And then all of a sudden it's like, it's not gonna be the you upstate. It's gonna be Jared. Like, wait a second, you can't play along all this fucking time. And then, and then all of a sudden pull the rug, you know what I mean? Like, yeah.

• 39:02Sam Parr?

  Did you see the video of him curling a forty, or he had like a twenty pound or forty pound weight at his office and he did a live Twitter where he was, he's like, I'm curling to prepare. It's like,

• 39:10Speaker 01

  No.

• 39:11Sam Parr?

  I swear to God. If you think doing curls at your desk is how you prepare, you're, this is not gonna be good.

• 39:18Speaker 01

  Wrong sport, buddy, wrong sport, man, you know? I didn't see that. That's funny. That's hilarious.

• 39:24Sam Parr?

  Dude, I want to ask you, let me ask you a question about some other slick guys. So basically, a lot of people who don't watch UFC, they don't know that, uh, so Dana's the front guy. You know, he's doing a lot of the match setting and, uh, he does all the talking and he seems like a wonderful businessman. But the Fertitta brothers interest me most because they were, uh, I think, I think Dana only owned like four or 6% of it when it sold. But the Fertitta brothers owned most all of it besides some outside, outside money because they were already wealthy. But they seem like, those guys, they don't do a lot of interviews and they're a little bit behind the scenes. They seem like sharks. Have you learned anything interesting from, uh, uh, the two brothers and Dana, uh, about business?

• 40:01Speaker 01

  Well, so obviously, look, uh, they sold their, their business now, right? Endeavor ended up, you know, William Morris at the time, they, they bought it. Uh, but I, I had, uh, the pleasure of being able to, to, you know, deal, uh, across from Lorenzo Fertitta on, particularly, uh, on a, on a couple of clients, particularly Connor, obviously at that level. Um, and they're very savvy businessmen, very, very composed, you know? I, I, it's not, it's, the, the dynamic when I'm on the opposite side, naturally, it's adversarial a lot of the time, right? And so, um, you know, at the end of the day, I'm advocating for my clients. So it's, it's, I'm not their best friend, right?

• 40:42Speaker 01

  It's not like they're gonna invite me over for Christmas and, and, uh, but, but we do have, we did have a respectful relationship. And I really, really enjoyed dealing with someone, you know, that, that has been not only the trustful of our sport and a pioneer in it, but was a super successful businessman in the casino business and, and other businesses as well. So you learn, you learn from the interactions and the dealings and the negotiations that you're, you're, you're doing. Like, for example, when, when Mayweather McGregor happened and we, we basically got what we were achieving or were striving for from a negotiation, like Connor and I really, we had that moment where we walked out of Lorenzo's office. We're like, fucking did it, you know? It was like a moment, right? And so, do you guys like keep a straight face until you get to the parking lot?

• 41:27Sam Parr?

  Yeah, you get like giddy and start hugging and shit.

• 41:30Speaker 01

  Well, in the meeting, in, in, in the office, you have the smirk, you know? You don't give it all your, right? And then, yeah, when you get in the car, you celebrate, you know. But yeah, man, I think it's the human shit. I think that's what people don't realize. I mean, it's like, it's the same in all sectors, all sports. And even the most composed person that doesn't do any interviews, I'm sure have had those moments in their own, you know, journeys as well, right?

• 41:56Sam Parr?

  I read on, um, Front Office Sports, I think it's called, it's like a sports publication, that the final exit for, uh, Proper 12 was $600 million. And I think that was only four years after you started it. It's $600 million in the ballpark?

• 42:11Speaker 01

  Three years and I can tell you, listen, if it's publicly printed, then you gotta go with that because I can't necessarily comment on the specific numbers, but we're still involved too. It's not, you know, at the end of the day, it's, it's, we, we're still, you know, part of the team. We're still pushing it to grow the brand. We just came out with a new flavor, our Irish apple flavor, which is amazing. Um, you know, dangerously amazing too, because I, you know, you just, it drinks, it goes down so easy. Uh, but yeah, man, I'm, I'm super proud of that.

• 42:41Sam Parr?

  Was that, was that like a new level for you wealth wise? And what, I mean, or were you able to make money a little bit along the way?

• 42:47Speaker 01

  You know, I think that was a whole nother level, right? That was a whole nother level where you're able to achieve, you know, your, your, your, your, you know, your ultimate goals, right? But ultimately too, you're, you're, you're proving your concept, you know what I mean? Like ultimately like, we're not having to go sell the platform. We're creating liquidity events by creating opportunities, um, left and right. And not just for clients, now we're creating ventures that are, you know, accretive to the platform. We have a, a smart basketball technology called Hoop. We have, uh, you know, some other ventures in the pipeline that are coming out that are very, very much focused on, on advocacy for the entire sport and creating something.

• 43:30Speaker 01

  But we're putting our own capital in these things to create opportunities for everybody else, right? And so, and, and there's other things that we're creating specifically for our clients, right? So, so, you know, in lieu of, of, uh, of, of, of, you know, having the opportunity to invest or, you know, an athlete not, maybe not having the brand equity to go start their own venture, how can we bring them along to ride with us, you know, for, for the next Proper 12, if you will, right?

• 43:56Shaan Puri?

  I always like to ask people this, um, because.

• 44:01Shaan Puri?

  I remember, you know, when you start out in business, typically you have kind of nothing to your name and you've got this.

• 44:08Speaker 01

  Literally nothing, credit card debt, like exactly, nothing.

• 44:11Shaan Puri?

  So you start at zero or usually you go below zero, you dip below zero for a period of time.

• 44:16Speaker 01

  Way below zero. Well, the funny thing is, and this is what people don't appreciate, like my wife now, she was my girlfriend and she had a job and we were literally maxing out credit cards. And for the first seven years of Paradigm, I didn't take a paycheck. I was paying team members and staff before I was paying myself. And I think people lose sight of that, you know, it's like, but, but then when you have huge success, you still try to do right, take care of people. But even that's sometimes no good deed goes unpunished, right? But ultimately, the, it's a war of attrition. You have to be able to withstand all of it and really believe in what you're doing. And, you know, eat shit sandwiches daily.

• 44:59Shaan Puri?

  Right.

• 45:00Speaker 01

  Under way there.

• 45:01Shaan Puri?

  That's what I'm getting at. You, you eat these shit sandwiches for, in your case, seven years. In my case, I remember like sort of eight or nine years straight of just, like in my case, it was just kind of failure, but like in your case, at least you were building it up. And then you finally have the moment where it's kind of like validated, realize a payday comes in, you get a windfall along the way. And like financially, sure, that's exciting and things change at a logical level, but before it hits the logical level, there's kind of the emotional level of like, what does that feel like? What thoughts go through your head at that time? We had a guy come on the pod. He's like, dude, I used to just every day for the next week, I just drove to the bank and I would just go in the ATM, put my card in and say, print receipt. Cause I just wanted to see it. And he's like, I

• 45:44Shaan Puri?

  didn't even have anything, James Hong, he's like, I didn't even have anything I wanted to spend it on. He's like, I was just, I was just amazing to look at that because I knew the seven year or whatever, the years that go into not, not being there, not having that. And we had other people that are like, you know, Oddly numb feeling. I didn't feel anything. And other people are like, you know, I had a conversation with myself. I said, all right, now I'm here. Here's this pivotal conversation I had with myself. So I always like to ask people about that moment because I think there's usually something interesting that happens. It's not just like, just another day. So.

• 46:16Speaker 01

  It's surreal. It's surreal to me because, you know, on, on one end, it happened during COVID. So it was a real fuck. It was a weird fucking time for all of us, right? And, you know, you, you, you, you, you get there and honestly, it's like you're pinching yourself and, you know, because it's a new age, you don't have to necessarily go to the bank account to print the receipt anywhere. You could just look at that. I mean, I surely did that a few times. Like what, you know? Uh, but also like you have to make decisions like I, we, we hired more people. We gave people raises. We gave people bonuses that had nothing to do with the, with that part of the business and, and we invested back in the business. And so I was, first thing I bought was my mom, a place, my house and a car. And so I like, you know, I, I was trying to really,

• 47:00Speaker 01

  you know, stay grounded, you know what I mean? And more importantly, like try to do right, you know, as best as you can. By, for, for those that are important to you, both, um, family and on your team, right? And, and ultimately, um, still like just enjoy the moment because we were kind of, everybody locked in at home. It was, you know, every night it was for my wife and I was just surreal. And it's like, you know, then you start to think about, okay, well, do you tell your kids, do you not, how do you raise them right way? How do you make sure you keep them hungry and humble? And you know what I mean? It's not about that.

• 47:39Speaker 01

  A lot of things change, right? Because it's like you get there and you start to realize, um, you gotta start planning, thinking, and, and acting differently. But then also other unintended issues start to come up, you know, like, you know, that was, I forgot, more money, more problems. This is true, you know, at the end of the day.

• 47:57Shaan Puri?

  What problems?

• 47:58Speaker 01

  Just a, a lot of different things. I think.

• 48:01Shaan Puri?

  People want shit.

• 48:02Speaker 01

  People want shit. People think that they deserve shit. Uh, unappreciative people, no matter what you give them, you know, they just unfortunately have a self inflated view. Um, you know, I think there's, there's a whole list of issues that come up with it, right? That's the reality, but it is, you gotta take the good, the bad, the ugly and just keep rolling bunches and level up and level up and evolve. That's what it is.

• 48:28Shaan Puri?

  I thought you were gonna say you had a red panty night. I was, I was waiting for it. That was the.

• 48:34Speaker 01

  You said it for me. I did.

• 48:39Sam Parr?

  And you had two bites of the apple, right? If I remember correctly, like I think you guys, did you guys sell a portion of the, of the business early on? And I think you sold half of it and then

• 48:46Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 48:47Sam Parr?

  Another, I don't know if it was the half or the rest or another big chunk.

• 48:50Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 48:51Sam Parr?

  Right?

• 48:51Speaker 01

  Yep.

• 48:52Shaan Puri?

  Was it a hard decision to sell or did you have 600 million reasons?

• 48:55Speaker 01

  I mean, it was, I mean, look, and it first of all, it was an amazing, but always ask the fact be like, now we still have, we're still part of the business. So we can still keep making a lot of money in, in, in, into the next decade or, and longer, you know, at the end of the day. Um, because, uh, it's always difficult to think about, oh, would it, should it, could it, right? But you gotta be able to count, you know, the fortunes of it all, um, you know, and, and be grounded in, in, in that positive reality. It's not a negative thing, you know, it's very easy to always Monday, Monday morning quarterback something like, oh, we shouldn't have sold because this, this and that, but.

• 49:34Sam Parr?

  You have those regrets, which I think is normal, by the way. I think most people who not maybe most, I think who they sell, you, you, if you sell it right, you tend to sell early. Right? I mean, that tends to happen.

• 49:47Speaker 01

  I think, I think the way we structured the deal allows us to really not only made a ton of money, but we just continue to make a ton of money. And, and you know, ultimately have I had those thoughts? Sure. You always think about it and because it's for me, it's more so, okay. It's about execution, right? So not only do we execute, but then how's, how are the deal? How's the terms? How's this? How's that? And you know, so I'm kind of like constantly watching the film to make sure that I'm learning and growing as an entrepreneur because. I'm not resting on my laurels either. I'm not done, right? And so I'm, I'm still playing the game. While you play the game, you gotta be able to not only celebrate the victories, but watch the tape back and see where you could have gotten better, right? That's the only way you're going to be the best at what you do.

• 50:31Sam Parr?

  So I have a partner who, a business partner who basically, he was, he was already successful before, but his second company, he was about to get a $200 million check for the sale. And it was a, like a, one of those like clickbaity websites on Facebook that showed like top 10 lists. And then Facebook changed the algorithm and the sale, sale dropped from 200 million to like 30 million. And it was just a massive issue because of platform risk. And there's a lot of fear of platform risk. Do you, do you view Connor as like your platform risk? Like if he really, cause he gets in troubles, uh, sometimes he gets accused of a lot of stuff. Sometimes maybe he actually did do it. Sometimes he didn't do it.

• 51:09Sam Parr?

  Do you get nervous about platform risk with Connor of like, shit, if he does something really bad, I'm, I'm fucked.

• 51:17Speaker 01

  Yeah. Well, he's been accused of a lot of things and he's never been, that's, that's the, the, the facts, right? But obviously there's always risk and everything. And I think when you look at, you know, such a, you know, Connor's kind of like an enigma, right? And so there's certainly going to be, uh, those that may be diverse and not want to do anything. But at the end of the day, whoever gets involved with us understands the McGregor brand, right? And understands inherent risks that potentially come with that. But ultimately they also look at the track record and that is always going to win the day, right? Cause you could make all these claims, accusations, whatever, but ultimately the facts are the facts and the results are the results and the data is the data.

• 52:01Speaker 01

  So I think when you look at all those things, some of all parts is why we have a healthy relationship with all of our business partners and we continue to incubate and launch other exciting businesses and around the Connor brand. For me, he's the biggest client. He's the, he's, he's also the top one percent, you know, pop culture brand in the world. So it's like, unless I go and sign the other people in that small bucket, if you will, he's always gonna have, he's always gonna have, uh, you know, that, that, let's call it. You know, proportionate risk value across my platform, right? But ultimately, we're also, you know, much more than just one client and we're building something

• 52:45Speaker 01

  that for me is into the future, right?

• 52:47Sam Parr?

  Sean, did you see what happened with Barstool? So basically Barstool Sports sold to a betting company.

• 52:53Speaker 01

  Penn.

• 52:53Sam Parr?

  Penn, yeah. And I don't remember the final sale, 600 million plus. Dave made a killing.

• 53:00Speaker 01

  I think he got stock, that thing, right? A lot of stock.

• 53:03Sam Parr?

  Yeah, he, he got a lot of stock. I think he got some, uh, I think he was able to sell some. I know, I know that the, the, on Wall Street, you could see that he did sell a little bit. And he, um, basically after three years, Penn was like, shit, you guys are insane. Like you're, it's really hard for us to do, like, cause we're regulated as a casino. It's really hard to let you do what you want to do without hurting us. And ESPN wants to do this big deal with us, but they won't do it for with Barstool. You know what, Dave here, look, just have the company back. And if you ever sell it again, we get half of the profit. Cool. And in exchange, we're going to do this ESPN deal, which is going to boost our stock. We're good. It was like the, the greatest coup of all time of like, you know, Dave getting, uh, Dave selling it. And then them just saying, here, actually, we don't want this.

• 53:48Sam Parr?

  Uh, you know, maybe we have a world where the buyer of, of proper 12 is like, hey, this was cool and all, but you know what? You could just have it. It's yours now. You could have it back.

• 53:57Speaker 01

  I think that was brilliant. It's a great move for him. And I think he still has Penn stock too. So then the stock goes up and he win it again. So good for him. Yeah, that, then that's a, that's an interesting sector we're, we're getting ready to enter into as well. That's a, I'm interested to see what they do with it now, right? Barstools and see what they end up, who they end up, you know, partnering with to try to get that off the ground.

• 54:20Shaan Puri?

  You probably, I'm guessing you kind of studied other people who had talent like this. Like, I don't know if you, you're in a group chat with like Scooter Braun and like, you know, Don Chahedi or some of these guys that are managing, you know, the, the sort of the big scores. It's those same top 1% kind of like people who can move the needle.

• 54:36Speaker 01

  John's a, John's a, John's a friend. I don't know Scooter, but John's a friend.

• 54:40Sam Parr?

  Who's John? What's his last name?

• 54:41Shaan Puri?

  The guy who manages the Elk Boys now.

• 54:44Sam Parr?

  Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 54:46Speaker 01

  Um, yeah.

• 54:47Shaan Puri?

  So he's.

• 54:47Speaker 01

  He is, he is probably, he has, he has like a dozen or so of some of the top podcasts and personalities. You know, he's, he's, he's a, he's certainly a entrepreneur, I respect.

• 54:58Shaan Puri?

  And he, um, and so you, you kind of studied them a little bit. If somebody was studying you and they see what you're doing with Connor and how you built, like, I'm just gonna name them off. So you did whiskey brand proper 12. You have Netflix documentaries and like entertainment that way. You have Roadhouse, just like the new movie coming out. You have the August McGregor, the, the suit lines. You have title, which is like those recovery spray. You have the fast app, which is like fitness, like app plus, and I think like gyms coming or whatever. Like, you know, something like that, like a fitness brand that obviously fits.

• 55:28Speaker 01

  And we have, actually have a, a vet based, uh, competition coming with three called three K O. So that's going to be, you know, think of, of Spartan race meets, meets, meets, uh, CrossFit Games, you know?

• 55:40Shaan Puri?

  Very cool. So you have, you have that, you have, uh, I think it's like a mobile game that he's in. You get, you do like kind of the, the celebrity fight with Mayweather. There's, there's all these different things you've done around that person, that brand. And I'm sure some of them worked amazingly and some of them probably were too much work for what they were worth. You just, you, you learn as you go, right? You're not, I doubt you, you were the one entrepreneur who just magically had everything right from day one. No, no way, right? So if somebody was studying you or somebody had, you know, it was, it was, had, was with the next McGregor. Was it with another star creator? Would you, what would be your kind of like advice to that person? How would you advise them based on your learnings of the last 10 years of trying to figure this out?

• 56:19Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, first and foremost, I'm still learning, right? I'm still learning, I'm still growing. What I would say is, you know, you have to be ready to, uh, you know, not only dream, but act on those dreams, right? And come prepared from a research and preparation perspective, building out a plan and be fluid, because it's not always going to go to plan, right? But if you're prepared and you do have a plan, you're, you're likely more, you know, you're likely to execute, even if you have to deviate a little bit, because you have to stay fluid with what reality hits you with, right? Um, you have to also have thick skin, man. Like at the end of the day, it's a war of attrition. You're gonna eat shit sandwiches.

• 57:03Speaker 01

  Daily for a long time. And so you've got to be able to withstand that with a smile, but be able to see through all the noise, the pressure, and more importantly, have that ability to communicate with that with that client, right? Because you guys got to stay in sync in terms of what you're building. I would say, you know, one of the things I wish I would have done, build a team around you that's more experienced than you, right? Because ultimately, I think that that's what's going to allow you to accelerate your plan as opposed to bringing people and then having to deal with other things like those people turning on you for one reason or another.

• 57:39Shaan Puri?

  How big's the paradigm team?

• 57:40Speaker 01

  It's still boutique. So we're about 15 on the whole co level, but then every brand co, if you will, has its own respective team, right? And what I would also say is, you know, don't, don't stop innovating, right? Don't stop trying to create new opportunities that have to align, right? With their client, right? Organically, but you've got to make sure you're able to clearly define that.

• 58:07Shaan Puri?

  What's your criteria? So like you've gone into these 10 different categories. How do you pick which category to go into? What is it just?

• 58:14Speaker 01

  Well, first of all, it's aligned organically.

• 58:16Shaan Puri?

  Right.

• 58:16Speaker 01

  And they have to have a genuine interest because you can't sell something that's fake. I mean, everybody thought, and it's another thing, everybody thought profit over was going to be a gimmick until they tried it. Obviously, if you don't drink, you don't drink. But if you try it, you're like, oh, my God, this is great. Make sure we created a substance of brand, right? It wasn't going to be just something that we just put his face on it and try to sell. And that's important, I know, to him as well. And that's why he believes in, in, in the ventures that, that, that, that he's involved with. He's very passionate, but they're of substance as well, their quality. So you have to understand the market, you have to understand the players in the market, you have to understand how you fit in and how you can disrupt the market and grab market share.

• 58:59Speaker 01

  And you have to put a plan together that allows you to have a higher probability of success with the black belts that are going to help you operate the business, you know, and then having all the other components that are making sure that you could actually build a product or service or substance.

• 59:16Sam Parr?

  By the way, did you ever consider just putting his name on it? It's like you have like Jameson or Johnny Walker or Jack Daniels. Like McGregor's name is so famous. It's an interesting branding decision.

• 59:26Speaker 01

  It's actually take, it's taken. We did think about that. But actually, there's a, the McGregor clan, I think it's a Scotch, if I'm not mistaken. So that, that was certainly considered. We, we also considered notorious Irish whiskey at one point.

• 59:40Sam Parr?

  Right.

• 59:40Speaker 01

  Um, and, and you know, again, even early, earlier days.

• 59:46Speaker 01

  Names that were floating around, but.

• 59:48Sam Parr?

  No, Proper 12 is a good name. Proper 12 is good.

• 59:50Speaker 01

  It's a great name. Again, we'll.

• 59:51Sam Parr?

  What's it mean? Like the, is it like the 12 districts of Dublin or something?

• 59:55Speaker 01

  Dublin 12. So each, let's call it.

• 59:57Sam Parr?

  Yeah.

• 59:58Speaker 01

  Borough or city within Dublin is, is a number. And where he's from is Dublin 12. And so, and proper, I mean, they always say that was a proper night out, you know, like, oh, it's proper, good time. And, um, so it's, you know, proper number 12. That just made sense for the brand. And again, after pivoting several groups and finding the, the right partners, you know, we came up with the brand together and.

• 1:00:20Sam Parr?

  Sean and I are big fans of, of words, you know, like we'll hear someone say something and we're like, oh, man, the language they use was beautiful. That was really good language, whether it's writing or just someone talking. The cool thing about Connors, he, he, he's got the, a beautiful vocabulary and beautiful timing and beautiful phrasing. So he uses wonderful words. And so like, I remember when he was fighting Jose Aldo, he would talk about like, he was like, if this was another time, I would storm your pavilla. And then he like talks about like what he would do to them. And, uh, like he, he, like, you know, the whole red panty night. Like he just has like really funny, catchy phrases. I guess Trump kind of did this too, where he just like, it was just really catchy stuff. Are you guys ever just shooting the shit? And you're like, oh, that's a line. We're gonna, we're gonna have to use that. Uh.

• 1:01:03Speaker 01

  He's, he's very natural. I go back to the acumen. I mean, that is stuff that it's not rehearsed. It's very much. Stuff that he just comes up with, but we'd be there and he'd say some stuff like, that was hilarious. That's another, that's another McGregorism, you know what I mean?

• 1:01:19Sam Parr?

  You're like, put that in the bank, use that one.

• 1:01:21Shaan Puri?

  I have two fan service questions that are around that. Number one, during the Mayweather press tour, uh, which was just like.

• 1:01:29Speaker 01

  That was, that was so much fun.

• 1:01:30Shaan Puri?

  But it looked like, cause all UFC press tours are the same. You go, you sit and they ask you questions and then you react. Whereas that one was like, stand up and give a speech. And it almost looked like Connor was almost ambushed, like, oh, I just gotta give a 20 minute improvised speech in front of millions of people right now. And then he kind of did it. Was that an ambush? I always wondered.

• 1:01:48Speaker 01

  We had no idea what the format was going to be like. And Sam, yes, it was exhausting at the time, but just thinking back to it, every time it kind of comes up from whether it's the anniversary, whatever it may be. It was such a great experience, man. And it was like once in a lifetime thing because, you know, Sean, it, there was no format. To your point, I don't know if you saw ambush, but certainly we're like, oh, what, how is it for this one? How is it for that one?

• 1:02:15Shaan Puri?

  Right.

• 1:02:15Speaker 01

  But the energy of all of them was out of this world. And so I think that they fed off that energy, which gave them the ability to deliver these legendary lines, banter back and forth.

• 1:02:26Shaan Puri?

  I remember watching it and it was clear that he was like, wait, there's no fucking questions. I just have to, I just have to go. Okay. I'm a, I'm a comedian now. All right. Bet. And he said this line, he goes, you know, they, they tried everything. They didn't tell us the format. My microphone doesn't work. They're trying to put me in a uncomfortable situation, but they don't know. I thrive in uncomfortable situations. I almost feel like he was giving himself a pep talk during the speech. I, I really loved that line. That was, that was great. But I also have another kind of fan service question on almost the other side of the coin. So as you could tell, me and Sam, both fans of you, of the UFC, of Connor, like we, we really, uh, it took a lot of inspiration from some of the, you know, it's, it's just a badass thing to go out there and just fight and, and put yourself on the line like that every single time. There's something to be admired of that for sure. And I think Connor came in with a very.

• 1:03:12Shaan Puri?

  Uh, like at the beginning, how could you hate the guy? Like he was, he was bold, he came from nowhere. He was like, you know, this guy who was like a, you know, apprentice plumber. And then was like, all of a sudden beating everybody exactly this way. He said he would, his fighting style was electric. Like there was nothing to dislike about the guy I thought on the, on the come up. Uh, I'm sure some people did, but like the majority of fans, I think were, were, were on the come up. We're just like, this guy's incredible. And then there's sort of almost like a heel turn now where, um, I know a lot of people who I watch fights with. They're sort of feel like he's kind of jumped the shark like, oh, you know, now he's this like, first of all, he's like super jacked now in this huge way. He's like more of a boxer. He's, he hasn't fought in a long time, you know, he talks trash. Maybe he's crossing the line too much or he's getting in trouble.

• 1:03:56Shaan Puri?

  Like there's all these things that honestly, like I know he's your client and he's your friend. And you're probably never gonna say a bad word about him. But I think there are some fair criticisms that like, you know, it's understandable why somebody who was a super fan might now feel like, ah, you know, I can't really, you know, get behind everything that I'm, that I'm seeing here. Um, do you think about that at all? And do you, uh, I guess like, what's your reaction to that? I, I don't really know how to phrase the question, but I feel like you're one of the few people on earth who would have an opinion about this that I would really care to hear.

• 1:04:26Speaker 01

  I mean, look, it, it's just like you are engaged with these conversations. Naturally I'm going to hear everything, right? From people around me and, you know, whether it's my friends or there's family. And ultimately what I'll say is this, like, you know, everybody's entitled to their own opinion. I know who the person is and obviously I, I do have an intimate relationship. It's something that's more than just transactional. It's more than just a client and business partner, someone that I, I'm, I'm loyal to. He's been loyal to me. And so at the end of the day, you know, I know that history wants its done being written. Will be interpreted by everybody differently. He's definitely not perfect. He's definitely made mistakes.

• 1:05:09Speaker 01

  A lot of the criticism too is subjective. It's based on where you stand and what you believe in or what you want to see, et cetera. But A, never been legally, all those accusations have not been legally found to be true. Right? B, he was the cleanest and most tested athlete before he got out of the saddle pool. And when he returns to fighting, he's going to do it the right way. And everything's going to be legal. So everybody can say what they want to say. There's nothing that was done wrong. Right? And so he's constantly being vilified because ultimately the stuff that they loved him for, he still does. They'll outspoken, they'll says what's on top of his mind. But maybe because he has the riches now and it's not the rags anymore.

• 1:05:54Speaker 01

  Sometimes we try to tear some people down. I don't know why. I can't tell you, right? But ultimately, I do know proof's in the pudding. He has to continue to go out there and show that he could continue to evolve, be the best version of himself, not just athletically, but as a human being as well. And ultimately that's on him to do. And I can't do that for him. You can't do that for him. But criticism is going to come. And when you're, when you're in the public eye, you gotta be ready to take it on. And at the end of the day, heavy's the head that wears the crown. You can't just want the good and not take the bad with it. So ultimately, that's something that we constantly talk about. Something that I know he says, I say to him, we talk about, he understands it, but it doesn't make it easy. It doesn't make it easy because ultimately it's like, you know, you know,

• 1:06:37Speaker 01

  you talk about that aha moment. I don't know how many entrepreneurs you've had on this podcast, but when they have that big moment, they don't need to be seen by everybody. They're probably enjoying it with nobody watching them. Or if they go somewhere, nobody really recognizing who they are, right? Myself included. So ultimately it's very different. And that doesn't, you know. Essentially absolved him of the responsibility that he has to take upon himself in certain instances. But more importantly, it makes me understand the pressure is real, not only to win and succeed, but on another level to live your life so visibly for everybody to just critique every little thing. In today's world, man, everybody has an opinion, you know?

• 1:07:21Speaker 01

  You guys, before you met me, you thought I was a square suit because of how I appeared visibly visually to you, without ever talking to me before, right? So it's like very easy and fast judgment based on whatever your belief system is, how you're raised, your experiences with someone that looked like me, whatever it may be, or your opinions of agents, just because you watch Andre Asimov. But I can't change that ultimately, right? And so when you live in today's world like that, for everybody to critique, man, it's going to come with not just the good, but the bad and the ugly as well, and you got to deal with it.

• 1:07:54Sam Parr?

  I like the fan questions, you know, this is, it's fun. We've had Ariel Hawani on here, you know, we've become friendly with Ben Askren. I think we've talked to Mike Bizbing, we've talked to a bunch of folks. It's, you know, Sean and I are super fans, so it's always fun to like get like the insider.

• 1:08:08Speaker 01

  How many fights have you guys been to in person?

• 1:08:11Sam Parr?

  I've only been to three or four. I think there's, I, the in-person event is definitely like the best in-person sporting event. But in my opinion, if you're like a nerd and a true fan fan, it's so much better to hear the commentary and to see it on, and just like to see like the replay of the Sean Mally knockout on Saturday, like it was really awesome to be able to like see it close up.

• 1:08:34Shaan Puri?

  There is one challenge with UFC, which is that the cage and the cameraman on every post of the cage does kind of screw up the viewing experience, depending on where you're at. Like I'm sure if you're right next to right ringside, it maybe you don't have that issue. But like, we went to one event at the Vegas place, the one where Masvidal kneed Askren into like, you know, you know, the next realm and. And you know, the guy I saw it, but the guy next to me like literally couldn't even see missed the moment because it was like a split. It was like in the first five seconds of the fight. And secondly, like, you know, just because of the cage, like if you go to a football game or a basketball game, it's open field. It's, you know, it's very easy to see what's going on. Whereas you're almost watching on the Dumbo Tron.

• 1:09:18Speaker 01

  Well, it's interesting. First of all, I think, look, there are pros and cons to your, both of your points. The energy of big fights is something else. It's electric. I mean, just the walkouts and the crowd and you feel it. And then you hear the thuds and you know, it's like, it's, it's pretty, pretty amazing.

• 1:09:33Sam Parr?

  I was at a Jorge and Nate and it was like spectacular.

• 1:09:37Speaker 01

  Right.

• 1:09:38Sam Parr?

  But you get just, it's just nice to be able to like, you gotta go home and watch.

• 1:09:41Speaker 01

  Re-watch it again. Yeah, yeah. But then from a view perspective, to your point, unless you're like the first few rows of the floor, it's actually that, the, the, the mid low riser, which is the perfect view because you're looking into the octagon, but you're still really fairly close. And I think that's the best view live, right? But nonetheless, no matter where your seats are, I think for big, big, big events, you, the, the electricity of that place is something else, you know?

• 1:10:09Sam Parr?

  So what's going to happen? Like I'm following this whole circus with Dylan Dennis and Logan. I've, I've never even seen Dylan Dennis train. I went and watched his two Bellator fights, but that was like years ago. What's going to happen? Like, I don't know. I've never even seen him spar or anything on like leading up videos. What's going to happen? Uh, on that. I would say in August, it's August 14?

• 1:10:30Speaker 01

  Logan is, is obviously has a, a leg up having, you know, boxed before, right?

• 1:10:38Sam Parr?

  Yeah, that was years ago.

• 1:10:39Shaan Puri?

  And I think he's bigger.

• 1:10:40Speaker 01

  No, listen, listen, I, I, I get it. Uh, uh, you know, the fight's actually scheduled October 14th, but, but.

• 1:10:46Sam Parr?

  Oh, October 14th.

• 1:10:47Speaker 01

  Dylan has made all the necessary. Necessary adjustments to his life, to his preparation, but this is his boxing debut. So he has to go in there and really prove it, right? Now, I could tell you the banter that's going back and forth. I mean, you know, he's confident in his abilities and he's definitely putting in the work. So ultimately, you don't, you don't make, you know, you don't take that position with the banter that he's doing if you're not going in there with the level of confidence in yourself. Right? So, and, and I, and I'm sure it's given Logan a little bit more training for it. Right? Cause ultimately it's, it's personal now, I would imagine, right?

• 1:11:23Sam Parr?

  Oh yeah. Not even Connor, you know, King of Trash Talk Connor wouldn't even, he never even went that far to talk about family. I, I don't like that he's talking about family, but I like it in the sense of like, I'm gonna stare at it.

• 1:11:35Shaan Puri?

  I'm a kid on the internet and I think it's funny too, you know?

• 1:11:38Sam Parr?

  Yeah.

• 1:11:40Sam Parr?

  Like it's too far, but at the same time I'm like, but it's there, you know what I mean? I'm watching that.

• 1:11:45Speaker 01

  I think what's interesting is the, you know, love it or hate it, the engagement for that is through the roof and, you know, it should help sell the fight. And more importantly, like it's about now performing, right? Cause ultimately you can talk all you want. Now you gotta go in there, but he's made all the adjustments to his life personally, professionally, which, which I'm very proud of him for doing that will give him that, that, that high chance of winning this. I think he's gonna press and shock a lot of people. People are not giving him enough credit. And I think when he gets in there, it's, it's his time to shine. Now he's putting, he's gonna put, he's gonna basically put his money where his mouth is because the mouth is getting ready is gonna make people wanna watch him, love him or hate him.

• 1:12:26Sam Parr?

  Well, you're, you're kind of implying you're like, well, it doesn't matter unless he loses. And I kind of disagree. I, I think, I think he's already won whether he loses or, or not. Like he's already got like from where he was starting to where he is now, like, you know, he's already got the, it, it'll be okay. He'll, even if he gets knocked out right away, he'll probably be better off than where he was.

• 1:12:46Speaker 01

  Oh, this is a great opportunity for him. No doubt, no doubt.

• 1:12:49Shaan Puri?

  Thanks for doing this, man. Uh, where should people follow you if they wanna get more?

• 1:12:52Speaker 01

  Just my first and last name, at Audiatar, Twitter, Instagram, Threads.

• 1:12:58Sam Parr?

  X.

• 1:12:59Speaker 01

  X, sorry. Yeah, sorry. Yeah. At Audiatar X, at Audiatar Threads, at Audiatar Instagram. I think one of three still remain.

• 1:13:10Shaan Puri?

  All right, Audi, thanks for doing this, man.

• 1:13:12Speaker 01

  All right, gents. Sean, Sam, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

• 1:13:15Sam Parr?

  And that's the pod.

• 1:13:20Speaker 04

  I feel like I can rule the world, I know I could be what I want to. I put my all in it like no days off. On the road, let's travel, never looking back.