In perhaps one of the oddest interviews you can have in lead-up to UFC 196, Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor did a live split-screen interview for CNBC in which they talked about earnings and a bunch of other awkward things. Diaz left during the interview.
I wish I stopped watching halfway. But the link is here.
Perhaps the only takeaway is that McGregor states he will make over $10 million for this fight. Diaz didn’t give a dollar figure.
The interviewee asked the ridiculous question of how the UFC can be as big as NBA or NFL. Non-answers were given.
Also, Conor asked for a picture of the interviewee to see what she looked like.
Payout Perspective:
Clearly the main goal was to have the two fighters talk trash to each other. Of course, if you really wanted to know about how much each was earning you could probably do an interview with Dana White. This was just put on to get that wide spectrum of media to publicize the fight.
On another note, no one does this to NBA or NFL players. You think someone is going to ask Tom Brady what he’s going to buy with his new extension? It’s quite odd to have fighters, who probably cannot or will not disclose what they will be earning to disclose it to some reporter in the guise that we’re talking business.
Fight Fan says
I’ll believe it when I see the check
Jason Cruz says
@Fight Fan – we’ll never see it.
d says
Fight Fan, you have yet to see the check for any boxer’s ppv points, yet you would accept anything that they said.
The Greatest says
Put your money up you Mick.
Mayweather does, we see his checks all the time.
Conors making $2M-$3M tops.
c says
Chavez Jr. put a his check online too
E tops says
Riiiiiight. 10 million. HA HA HA. First of all, you need a lot of viewers to make that kind of money. This UFC event will draw about 2,5 million viewers from Ireland and the US. With these ratings he’s lucky to make 1 million. Secondly, I’m not too convinced he’s going to win at all. Nate’s tall, he’s got a lot more experience than MC and his grappling is deadly. If he and Nick didn’t love to get high so much all time, I would be almost 100% sure he was going to destroy MC. I have some reserves though because I don’t think they’re investing as much time and energy into their training as they used to. But I’m sure that a prepared, well trained Nate will DESTROY MC.
As for boxing, respectable media outlets accurately report the money boxers receive.
d says
E tops, none of that is accurate.
First off, the contracts are negotiated ahead of time for international tv, therefore the viewership is irrelevant in terms of the deal. Also, US viewers pay for his fights. If you think he is not getting 1m for this fight, you really need to read up on how these contracts operate. I wouldn’t be stunned at all if he were to make 10m. The fight will generate more than double that.
As for boxing, no respectable media outlets never accurately report ppv points. It is not public information. The only thing that is are the purses.
d says
How about some moderation here?
I say the slightest thing and I get censored, meanwhile, you have someone like “the greatest” who repeatedly makes racist comments on here like he did above.
Combo says
Awesome.
MMA keeps growing and hitting new milestones, like fighter pay.
The takeover continues.
jf says
@The Greatest GSP made 4 millions a fight. Conor is getting more upfront than GSP ever did, it’s quite plausible to think he will make at LEAST 5-6 millions.
d says
JF, his ppvs also have sold more on average and he has a big int’l tv contract through the UK/Ireland plus consistent big gates.
Wil says
why argue about it now? we will see soon. either way, he got beat up. gassed out from having put on so much weight so fast. And i always knew his ground game was his weakest facet. His skills are in striking and because of his amateur boxing background, a level of striking most mma fighters dont have.
d says
He was defeated standing, albeit partly because of the weight. If they were at 145 or 155, who knows? That being said, he doesn’t fight like a boxer in the cage, he fights like a kickboxer and has a heavy kickboxing background.
Fight Fan says
Yeah doesn’t matter now that he lost what his background was, Diaz showed what a real fighter does
Wil says
Mentioning boxing, I was referring to his ability to counter punch, often with pinpoint accuracy, and his overall punching power. Sure, he has other aspects of his game, however I myself believe he is above and beyond at striking due to his actual national level amateur boxing experience prior to his mma career.
d says
“Yeah doesn’t matter now that he lost what his background was, Diaz showed what a real fighter does”
They both showed what real fighters do…FIGHT! The same can’t be said about most boxing champs. Even Canelo turned conservative.