Presumably Zuffa. No way they want to co-promote with fighters. But you gotta pay to play. Conor is showing that mega stars have more power than previously thought.
There is no bending over, it is called a compromise.
If you look at it purely from a business perspective, as weird as it seems ...
UFC does not need Conor as much as Conor needs UFC
Without Conor, UFC is a $200m+ a year profit company
That is more than any Fertitta year
Without UFC, Conor cannot earn anything in combat sports because e voluntarily signed a contract.
Giving someone their perceived worth is far from "bending over" ... it is good business
PS ... the above is not a slam on Conor, it is actually a compliment. He is worth enough to compromise with