Featherweight Conor McGregor cashed in this week with a new six-fight UFC deal that includes the promotion of his whiskey.

Conor McGregor SIGNS new six-fight UFC deal

Conor ‘The Notorious’ McGregor will return to the octagon after nearly two years of inactivity in a new six-fight deal with the UFC, president Dana White told ESPN on Thursday.

White didn’t disclose the terms of the deal but said it could earn McGregor the most money in the sport, given his pay-per-view appeal.

Per White, UFC 229 is currently trending towards 2.5 million pay-per-view buys. McGregor holds the UFC pay-per-view record of is 1.6 million buys for his rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202.

Besides the number of matches, the only thing we know about this deal is that it will include McGregor’s new whiskey, Proper Whiskey, as a sponsor in every UFC event in which McGregor competes.

“You bet your bollocks it is,” McGregor said when asked if the logo of his product will have a presence in the octagon. “On the canvas. Like [Khabib Nurmagomedov’s] blood will be on the canvas.”

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In May 2018, UFC completed a domestic media rights agreement with ESPN valued at $1.5 billion over a five-year term ($300 million-per-year for digital and linear rights). The agreement nearly doubles the amount paid from their previous seven-year contract with 21st Century Fox.

As the UFC prepares to head into a deal that White described as the “most monumental thing to happen in the history of this sport,”  it’s clear that McGregor will play a significant role in the long-term plans for the promotion and the sport of mixed martial arts.

McGregor’s first matchup will be at UFC 229 on Oct. 6 against UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov. His last fight was against Eddie Alvarez in November 2016, which ended in a second-round TKO. He was stripped of the lightweight belt because of inaction, and Nurmagomedov took over the title on April 8 with a win over Al Laquinta.

FC Barcelona has sealed one of the world’s largest soccer jersey sponsorships after signing a four-year deal worth at least $235 million with Japanese retailer Rakuten.

Barcelona Sign Four-Year, €220M Sponsorship Deal With Japanese Firm Rakuten

Rakuten is a top-tier global company that is gradually becoming a leader in e-commerce, communications, digital content and FinTech services for consumers and businesses alike.

The agreement was formalized Wednesday, in a ceremony held at the Auditorium 1899, with Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu, Vice President of Marketing and Media Manel Arroyo, and Rakuten Chairman and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani all in attendance.

“We are delighted with our agreement with Rakuten, a global brand in innovation whose experience and know-how in the fields of big data, communications and e-commerce will contribute to the future success of FC Barcelona,” said Bartomeu in his statement.

“This agreement puts us at the forefront of sports club sponsorships, which has always been an objective for the current Board of Directors. We hope this partnership between Rakuten and FC Barcelona brings unparalleled sporting and commercial success, and helps the club achieve its goal of being a reference point worldwide”.

Mikitani, meanwhile, stated: “This partnership opportunity is set to power our global brand strategy and, more importantly, as the Global Innovation and Entertainment Partner, we are looking to bring the collective power of our brands like Viber, Wuaki, Ebates, Kobo, PriceMinister to build a cool innovation framework that will deliver innovative solutions and services to fans, members and players”.

He continued: “I am very excited about joining the Barça community as I have personally followed the team for decades and have long admired their unique playing style and professionalism, their commitment to success and their culture of nurturing young talent – all values we share at Rakuten”.

The deal links the Spanish club with Rakuten from the 2017/18 season until the 2020/21 season, with the option of a further one-year extension. As a result of the agreement, Barcelona will annually receive €55 ($58.75 million) plus title incentives for the duration of the contract. This agreement will be ratified at an Extraordinary Meeting of the Club Members to be held in the near future.

This new sponsor ends Barcelona’s long-running search for a new company after its partnership with Qatar Airways, worth approximately €30 million ($32 million) per year, was extended for a year in July after expiring at the end of last season.

The Rakuten deal is one of the largest for on-shirt advertising, and is roughly the same amount United earns in its £47million-a-year ($58 million) contract with US car manufacturer Chevrolet. Barcelona has also signed deals to feature Turkish electronics brand Beko on shirtsleeves and US semiconductor company Intel on the inside of their shirts.

According to Repucom, a sports consultancy, corporate spending on soccer jersey sponsorship in Europe’s top six divisions has doubled since 2010, reaching €830 million ($1.032 billion) this year.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – OCTOBER 19: Lionel Messi of Barcelona celebrates after scoring his third and his team’s third goal of the game during the UEFA Champions League group C match between FC Barcelona and Manchester City FC at Camp Nou on October 19, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)