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Conor McGregor will prove himself to be the greatest fighter in history vs Floyd Mayweather, says his manager

Exclusive interview: Conor McGregor's manager, Audie Attar of Paradigm Sports Management, is confident his man will stun the world when he fights Mayweather

James Edwards
Thursday 20 July 2017 15:35 BST
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The countdown to Mayweather vs McGregor is well and truly underway. And the world promotional tour may have ended last Friday in London, but it doesn’t appear as though either man will be out of the spotlight until long after fight night.

One man who has been an integral part of McGregor's meteoric rise to the top is his manager, Audie Attar. The President of Paradigm Sports Management has been by McGregor’s side since his earliest days in MMA and is a trusted member of McGregor’s small inner circle.

Last week, Attar accompanied McGregor on all four stops of the promotional world tour and saw it all play out with his very own eyes.

Speaking exclusively to The Independent after the culmination of the final press conference in London last Friday, Attar reflected on a crazy four days which saw both fighters take part in four press conferences in just four days.

“It was an amazing experience and I think it exceeded everybody’s expectations,” Attar said. “If we had more time I’m sure we would’ve done more cities, but given we were only seven weeks out from the fight we had to limit it. The crowds were amazing and I think the energy between the two fighters was incredible throughout.

“It’s all over now and we’ve just got six weeks until August 26 and the greatest fight in combat sports history ever. I tell you, when Conor goes out there and proves everybody wrong, he will no doubt go down as the greatest fighter in history.”

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With the promotional tour now over, McGregor and his team have flown to Las Vegas to undertake the rest of his preparations ahead of the big fight. Attar outlined his own plans for the next six weeks and pointed out that his duties at Paradigm mean he was a wider remit than just managing McGregor.

“I’m going to fly to Vegas with Conor and the rest of the guys and make sure they get settled,” Attar said. “We’ve booked a private gym and the best facilities available. I’ll then fly back to my family and see them and then I’ll be in Vegas every week.

“I’ve still got a lot of guys fighting in the coming weeks. I've got Chris Weidman fighting in Long Island against Kelvin Gastelum which should be a great fight. I’ll just continue to run the company and make sure that all our clients are happy. I’ve got a big negotiation going on with another one of my clients as well.”

Attar also manages former UFC middleweight champion Weidman

Despite his hectic schedule, Attar maintains a good work life balance. Work and fulfilling his professional dreams is important to him, but being a family man will always remain at the top of his priorities.

“It’s non-stop, but I love what I do and it’s something new every week,” Attar said. “Luckily, I’ve got a supporting family who understand that I do what I love and know that I’m always there for them to be the husband and father that I need to be.”

Attar has been with McGregor since the early days

Mayweather and McGregor will be lining their pockets on August 26, but they won’t be the only ones benefiting financially from the super fight. Attar will no doubt pocket his own percentage of the revenue generated by the fight, but to him, achieving his goals and continuing to succeed professionally means just as much.

“This fight means that I’ve continued to achieve my goals,” Attar said. “It proves to people that I do what I say and say what I do. I’ve continued to prove people wrong, keep my head down and be the best at what I do. I’ve been doing this throughout my entire life and throughout my entire career.

“This is just the latest chapter of my life and it’s marathon not a sprint. I’ve got plenty more chapters yet to write. I just got to keep my head down and keep working hard.”

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