UFC 202 may go on to set a number of records, but it already broke one. According to MMAFighting.com’s Marc Raimondi, Conor McGregor will earn the biggest disclosed MMA purse in the sport’s history at $3 million. His opponent, Nate Diaz, will earn $2 million, which makes up part of the biggest combined payday in a bout.
The disclosed payouts do not include any of the pay-per-view revenue either fighter may be getting, meaning McGregor and Diaz are likely making more money.
How much more? Unfortunately, that will remain a mystery.
It’s a considerable boost for McGregor, who became the UFC’s first fighter to receive a seven-figure disclosed purse at UFC 196, earning $1 million for his initial fight opposite Diaz. Diaz, meanwhile, received $500,000 for his win.
From a historical perspective, it’s a great increase over nearly all other purses. The biggest in MMA history for a long while was Andrei Arlovski’s $1.5 million payday at the 2009 Affliction: Day of Reckoning pay-per-view, which he main evented opposite at-the-time No. 1 heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko.
That record would stand until UFC 200, where Brock Lesnar made a disclosed $2.5 million for his fight with Mark Hunt.
While the headliners are getting big checks, the fighters on the undercard aren’t so lucky.
UFC 202 co-main eventers Anthony Johnson and Glover Teixeira will earn $135,000 and $65,000, respectively, with the winner doubling their pay. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is the fourth-highest-paid fighter on the card and will make a disclosed $85,000 to show, and another $85,000 to win.
In all likelihood, none of them will get a portion of any of the revenue generated from the broadcasts of the card.
Payout statistics courtesy of MMAJunkie.com‘s regular event-based disclosed payout pieces unless otherwise noted.
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