Conor McGregor will get at least $5 million on January 18th when he faces Donald Cerrone in the main event of UFC 246.
It is “at least” $5 million as McGregor made the claim last week that he’d be making $80 million for the non-title fight at welterweight. Something Dana White would not confirm or deny.
“Listen, Conor is a massive superstar in this sport and he’s a phenomenon. The kid has been making big money since the day he stepped in,” White told The Mac Life. “From day one, since he fought he started to go (up). Nothing has changed. Obviously, he needs a win and it’s a big deal for him to get back here and win this fight.”
“When you talk about people who say they have ‘insight’ into the business and say all these things, they are all full of s**t,” White declared of those speculating on the traditionally private UFC deals with fighters. “None of them know what they are talking about. And literally none of them know anything about this business. Not one.
“We knew what the Conor fight would do,” White said of McGregor’s drawing power.
“We are the ones who set the ticket prices and all the things that go along with the business. Conor’s coming in here and pulling a $10.6 million gate and the fight is off the charts. As far as ESPN, and what’s going on there with PPV and everything else, everything is as usual.”
Transcribed by MMA Mania