Fighters react to Conor McGregor 150k purse
MMA suffered a Schizophrenic moment when the official purses for UFC 179 were released, and it was revealed that Conor McGregor was making 75/75.
MMA suffered a Schizophrenic moment when the official purses for UFC 179 were released.
Irish featherweight Conor McGregor made 75/75, in just his fourth fight in the organization. By contrast, the league’s performance bonus winner Joe Lauzon was making 30/30 for his 19th fight. Many thought “Notorious” was making too much too fast.
However, the hardcore fanbase also heard UFC president Dana White’s declaration that McGregor was something never seen before.
“Bigger than Brock Lesnar when he was here,” said White. “Bigger than any of the fighters we’ve ever had. Yes, (he’s bigger than Georges St-Pierre). I’ve never seen anything like this.”
So by another train of thought, if McGregor is bigger than GSP and Brock, then he should be getting more than 75/75.
Several fighters weighed in on the issue, firmly in the too much too fast camp.
Cody Bollinger @CodyBollinger
The fact that Connor makes more than cowboy is a joke. Yes Connor deserves that money but cowboy has done so much more and is paid less? Wtf
John Alessio @johnalessio79
Wow McGregor already making 75k + 75k per fight, seems messed up to me considering all the other vets in UFC making way less
Derek Brunson @DerekBrunsonMMA
$150k for McGregor 3 fights into the UFC, I need to up my sh*t talking! #UFC
One person probably not worrying too much about his purse is the fighter himself. Less than 18 months ago, Conor McGregor was collecting a welfare check of about $250 per week.
“Just last week I was collecting the social welfare, you know what I mean?” said McGregor in April of 2013 after he won a 60k performance bonus for his first UFC fight. “I was in there saying to them like, ‘I don’t know what going to happen. I’m signed to the UFC. I don’t know what….blah, blah, blah.’ But now I supposed I’m gonna have to tell them to f— off!”
“I didn’t have money before this… I was collecting 188 Euro a week off the social welfare. And now here I am, with like 60 Gs bonus and then my own pay. I don’t know what the f—s going on to be honest, right?”
What the f@$%s going on is the birth of a star.