UFC 196 will feature one of the most popular fighters in the sport in a new division as Conor McGregor takes on Nate Diaz at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The move from featherweight to welterweight for the March 4 bout will help McGregor make a pretty penny.
On Friday, McGregor, who was joined by Diaz, spoke with CNBC’s Jane Wells about the financial side of Saturday’s fight.
“I’m going to breeze past the $10 million mark,” he said.
Along with the fight’s purse, McGregor will get a cut of the pay-per-view revenue, per Wells.
It’s quite an increase in earnings compared to his last fight. At UFC 194 back in December, McGregor made $500,000 for knocking out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds, per MMA Fighting.
After that fight, UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta told ESPN’s Darren Rovell that he thought McGregor would be the sport’s “first $100 millionaire.”
If he keeps hauling in paydays like the one he’s expected to bring in against Diaz, that’s a real possibility. He would be the first UFC fighter to earn that much money if it does happen.
Diaz did not disclose to Wells how much he’ll make Saturday night, stating that it will be “a lot more than anybody else,” to which McGregor replied that “he can thank me for that one.”
The interview with the two fighters became so heated that Diaz got up and walked out, according to Wells. These ill feelings are nothing new for these two, who almost got the fireworks started early Thursday night:
Behavior like that only raises the anticipation of this fight as McGregor looks to improve on his 19-2 record. Once he steps into the Octagon to take on the 19-10 Diaz, he’ll become a significantly wealthier man.
Stats courtesy of UFC.com
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