LAS VEGAS – Conor McGregor’s wealth and material success were on full promotional display heading into UFC 246 – but he’s not the only rich superstar on the promotion’s roster.
At a post-fight news conference Saturday night, UFC president Dana White expressed his belief McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov 2 could be one of the biggest fights in combat sports history.
However, UFC lightweight champ Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) has recently voiced his disinterest in a rematch against McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC). White tacks this up to the intense rivalry the two fighters share.
“The reality is, Khabib has never turned down a fight – ever,” White said. “Khabib doesn’t turn down fights. That’s just not his style. He hates Conor McGregor. Conor McGregor hates him. Anytime you talk about one to the other, those are the type of responses you’re going to get.”
According to UFC president Dana White, McGregor isn’t the only fighter who’s laughed his way to the bank in recent years. Nurmagomedov is in McGregor’s ballpark when it comes to money, White said.
“Everybody talks about how rich Conor is,” White said. “Khabib is rich. Khabib has that type of money. Khabib has that type of money. When I say that type of money, I mean over $50 million.”
Nurmagomedov’s most prolific fight came at UFC 229 in October 2017 – against McGregor. That night, Nurmagomedov walked away with a disclosed purse of $2 million. This figure does not take into account pay-per-view points and other incentives.
While the McGregor fight’s magnitude was massive, Nurmagomedov pocketed three times the salary (upwards of $6 million) for his UFC 242 win over Dustin Poirier, according to Nurmagomedov’s father.
