Khabib Nurmagomedov got a higher base purse for his fight against UFC 318 headliner Dustin Poirier than for the most successful pay-per-view of all time.
When fans reminisce about Nurmagomedov’s legendary 29-0 career in MMA, it usually doesn’t take long before one particular fight comes up.
Nurmagomedov submitted Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018 to get the last laugh in one of the most heated and controversial rivalries ever. The action didn’t stop when the Irishman tapped, as a post-fight brawl broke out.
While the ugly ending somewhat overshadowed things, the event still went down as the most successful in UFC history. Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor broke UFC PPV records with a reported 2.4 million buys.
Interestingly, though, Nurmagomedov’s base purse for UFC 229 and the McGregor matchup was topped in his very next fight.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father revealed he was making over double his $2 million UFC 229 purse in Dustin Poirier fight
After paying the fine and serving the suspension that came as a result of Nurmagomedov’s attack on McGregor’s corner at UFC 229, he returned to defend the lightweight title for the second time in September 2019.
The opponent was Poirier, who held the interim belt after his five-round decision over Max Holloway, who will now serve as the Louisianan’s opponent in his retirement fight at UFC 318.
Following an emphatic performance against the sport’s biggest superstar, Nurmagomedov’s father revealed just how lucrative the Dagestani fighter’s first fight back was.
“We will make three to three and a half (times) more (than UFC 229),” Abdulmanap told Russian website TASS.
“We aren’t fighting for a small change – we know what we (are) worth. It is not enough for us, because we are the best now. We have beaten the best, and we are ready to fight the best.
“We are popular – we know that,” he continued. “When we enter the arena, you will see the reaction to us, and reaction to Poirier.”
Nurmagomedov once again showed his dominance on fight night, submitting ‘The Diamond’ with a brutal choke in round three of the UFC 242 main event.
Khabib Nurmagomedov lost a quarter of his UFC 229 purse
Boosting the gap between Nurmagomedov’s purses against McGregor and Poirier was the sizable fine he was slapped with for his actions in Las Vegas.
While the Irishman picked up a $50,000 penalty for his role, Nurmagomedov was fined $500,000 for the brawl at UFC 229 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. With that, the Dagestani sacrificed a quarter of his base purse when he vaulted the cage and launched a flying kick toward Dillon Danis in McGregor’s corner.
Nurmagomedov responded to the fine, which came alongside a nine-month suspension, in a post on X.
“Politics forever,” he wrote.