Audie Attar

Audie A. Attar
Born	(1980-09-13) September 13, 1980 Baghdad, Iraq
Education	University of California, Los Angeles, Pepperdine University
Occupation	Founder of Paradigm Sports Management
Children	2

Audie A. Attar is an Iraqi-American sports manager and founder of Paradigm Sports Management. He is best known for managing Conor McGregor.

Early life and education

In 1980, Attar was born in Baghdad, Iraq. He immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was two years old, settling in Claremont, California. Attar would play football while attending Claremont High School, and would later be inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.

Attar would go on to attend UCLA, majoring in sociology. He once contended for a starting position on the Bruins as a linebacker, but was dismissed from the team after an altercation at a bar in his senior season, which began after a patron made an anti-Islamic remark. He later obtained a master's degree in business administration and a letter in dispute resolution from Pepperdine University.

Career

After working as an associate for several agencies, in 2009, Attar founded Paradigm Sports Management. Early on, he signed UFC fighters Michael Bisping, Conor McGregor, Chris Weidman and Stephen Thompson as clients, while also working with some NFL and MLB players.

Manny Pacquiao litigation

In 2020, Attar began representing boxer Manny Pacquiao as part of Paradigm's roster of athletes. Pacquiao was later sued by Attar for breach of contract, alleging that associates of Pacquiao influenced him to return to boxing manager Al Haymon, who signed Pacquiao to fight Errol Spence Jr. for the welterweight title, which violated Paradigm's exclusive rights to promote Pacquiao's fights. At the time, Attar was negotiating for Pacquiao to fight Mikey Garcia. Attar sought to recoup a $3.3 million advance given to Pacquiao and requested an injunction to stop the fight. The injunction was denied. Paradigm took on on $20 million in damages as a result of the contractual breach. The court ruled in favor of Paradigm, ordering Pacquiao to pay $5.1 million to the company. The total amount of the judgment was $3.3 million in actual damages, recouping the advance paid to Pacquiao by Paradigm, as well as $1.8 million in punitive damages.

Personal life

Los Angeles Times described Attar as "an avowed Muslim who abhors violence". He married his wife in 2003 and has two daughters.

Attar's father, Al, immigrated to the United States in the 1950s. After immigrating, he learned english and eventually earned two undergraduate degrees and two master's degrees. His father would move back to the Middle East to start a business, although moved back to America after Audie Attar was born. In 1991, Attar was visiting relatives in Iraq when the Gulf War began. He safely returned to the United States.

Attar's brother, Eddie, was murdered when Attar was a sophomore at Claremont High School. In his memory, Attar had Eddie's name tattooed on his shoulder in Arabic.