The margin is narrowing.
Away from the thrilling war that closed out UFC 202, one of the most noteworthy elements of the monster card was the disclosed payouts for the headliners.
Conor McGregor was guaranteed a minimum of $3 million, which is in keeping with his progressively increasing paydays, but opponent Nate Diaz’s disclosed purse of $2 million definitely stood out more strikingly.
REVEALED: Conor McGregor's disclosed payout for UFC 196 will make history https://t.co/0OeyoupVwv
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 5, 2016
Before March’s UFC 196, no fighter in UFC history had earned a disclosed payout of seven figures. McGregor changed that when the Nevada State Athletic Commission confirmed that he’d be taking home at least $1 million for his initial clash with his Stockton rival.
Fast forward four months and Brock Lesnar more than doubled that when it was announced that his disclosed purse for his comeback fight at UFC 200 would be $2.5 million.
Brock Lesnar's disclosed fight purse for tonight is significantly larger than anyone else's https://t.co/HFU3O7m1jZ
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 9, 2016
McGregor and Lesnar making millions is no surprise as they’re arguably the biggest superstars to ever walk through the Octagon doors but when Diaz’s UFC 202 purse was revealed, it was definitely worth taking notice.
Diaz is admittedly a huge draw and a massively popular fighter among his cult following but he is not someone that you’d have ever associated with multi-million dollar bouts.
As recently as last December, Diaz was on a meagre $20,000 to show/$20,000 to win contract. That was nine months ago!
The allure of appearing opposite McGregor improved his deal to a flat $500,000 disclosed purse for UFC 196.
Since UFC 196 Diaz’s profile has not only exploded, as is expected when one overturns the brightest star in mixed martial arts, but the company has also been taken over by WME-IMG in a deal worth $4 billion.
In the wake of the sale, most athletes on the UFC roster wondered how that staggering figure would impact their payslips because if the UFC was valued in the billions then the athletes who make the company what it is must be a lot more valuable than their previous paydays had suggested.
In five short months we’ve gone from the colossi of the sport taking home hundreds of thousands to Diaz, a fighter who had for so long been considered a journeyman, raking in millions.
And Conor McGregor must get the lion’s share of credit for the huge role he’s played in forcing the hand that pinches the UFC purse strings to loosen its vice-like grip.
McGregor has raised the minimum standards expected by fighters in high-profile bouts and that, combined with WME-IMG’s ownership, only means good things for future and existing stars of the UFC.
Let’s put this into context. Anderson Silva’s last title fight saw him earn a disclosed payout of $600,000. Jon Jones’ most recent fight saw him take home a minimum of $500,000. And the last time we saw Georges St-Pierre in the Octagon, his disclosed purse was $400,000. They are the three greatest fighters in the history of the sport and they were content with those figures.
Nate Diaz made at least $2 million in a non-title fight on Saturday night (he will make several times that when all is said and done) and that shows what is possible for up-and-coming fighters and also gives hope to veterans who have sputtered along on basic contracts that that life-changing payday could be just around the corner.
The current record for a disclosed payout is now with McGregor at $3 million.
Expect that to be challenged if and when GSP comes back. Expect the seven-figure mark to be breached quite often from here on out.
The margin seems to be narrowing between the biggest names in the sport and the rest. All it can take is one upset and a workhorse can become a millionaire.
Rewards for fighters are improving and the risk that is taken every time the Octagon door slams shut is finally being recompensed.
And that, for everybody, is terrific news.
