Khabib Nurmagomedov: Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is easily one of the biggest names in the sport. The Russian superstar dominated the lightweight division while he fought. However, he became a global superstar thanks to his rivalry with Conor McGregor. So we look at how fighting Conor McGregor changed Khabib’s UFC earnings. For more combat sports news, follow Insidesport.IN.
The McGregor-Khabib rivalry is one of the biggest, if not the biggest rivalries in the sport. The two went at each other in the press conference and even engaged in one of the ugliest post-fight brawls. Despite all the controversies, Khabib and McGregor made lucrative purses from the fight.
Khabib Nurmagomedov: Did Conor McGregor Make Khabib a Millionaire? Analyzing the Eagle’s UFC Earnings After Fighting McGregor
Khabib Nurmagomedov UFC earnings before and after Conor McGregor?
Before the McGregor fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov took home a $680,000 purse for his lightweight title win against Al Iaquinta. Despite it being a title fight, Nurmagomedov did not break the million mark. However, for the McGregor bout, Khabib reportedly earned $6,640,000.
After McGregor, Khabib fought twice. First against Dustin Poirier, and then Justin Gaethje. For the Poirier bout, Khabib Nurmagomedov earned $6,877,500, this time with a base pay of $6 million. This was a massive jump from his $500,000 base pay for the Iaquinta fight.
And in his final UFC fight against Justin Gaethje, Nurmagomedov earned $6,877, 500 again. Therefore, after his bout with Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov started earning more each fight than he had earned in all his fights before.
So while it is wrong to say McGregor made Khabib Nurmagomedov a millionaire, it is no coincidence that the former champion started earning millions only after he faced his Irish rival. However, Khabib has often confirmed that, for him, money was not everything.
What do you make of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s UFC earnings? Do you think Conor McGregor made him a millionaire?
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