Manager Ali Abdelaziz wants what is best for fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov. “Best” is about $50 to $100 million for his next fight. The figure might seem outrageous to those who don’t follow mixed martial arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championship too closely. Nurmagomedov defeated Connor McGregor decisively in their recent bout. McGregor was riding high a wave of popularity from being the top fighter in MMA. McGregor also reaped an incredible windfall as well. After the Nurmagomedov, a new top star in the MMA world arose. Why shouldn’t he receive the pay deserving of a sports superstar’s status?
That is not to suggest Nurmagomedov wasn’t paid well for the McGregor fight. He received a deal for $2 million and a percentage of the pay per view gross. PPV sales pulled in millions of dollars all over the world. Neither Nurmagomedov nor McGregor walked away disappointed with the promised payoff.
Unfortunately for Nurmagomedov, his pay was “impounded” by the Nevada Athletic Commission due to his now-infamous post-fight brawl. Nurmagomedov received half the money so far. Look for him to pay out an incredible sum in fines to dissuade such behavior in the future.
The legendary match between Nurmagomedov and McGregor ended up overshadowed by post-match antics. Nurmagomedov jumped over the cage to brawl with McGregor’s teammate. Nurmagomedov’s newly won lightweight championship was almost taken from him after the fight. The final decision was not to strip him. Despite the unprofessional behavior, Nurmagomedov sells PPV buys. The UFC doesn’t want to wreck the booking of his next title bout.
According to mmafighting.com, fines and other sanctions won’t hurt Nurmagomedov’s finances any time soon. He stands to remain a big name in MMA for years to come.
Nurmagomedov’s win and potential big future paydays don’t mean McGregor plans on fading away. The PPV featuring “The Return of Connor McGregor” should do well. Unless McGregor goes on a losing streak, he’ll maintain a decent spot with the UFC for a while.
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