KHA CHING
Khabib Nurmagomedov to bank £5.2m payday at UFC 242… TRIPLE what he got for beating Conor McGregor
KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV is willing to go to prison to keep his campaign of violence against Conor McGregor going - and he will go to jail a very rich man because of the Irish UFC sensation.
The one-sided October victory over MMA’s most bankable attraction - combined with the bitter build-up and post-fight brawl - helped treble his wages for Saturday’s bout with lightweight rival Dustin Poirier.
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With the UFC’s strict sponsorship deals in place and Khabib’s Sunni Muslim religion ruling out any lucrative personal endorsement deals with alcohol or gambling firms, there is little wiggle room for the 155lbs champ to boost his income.
But his father and trainer Abdulmanap has revealed the infamy the McGregor rivalry created has made his modest son one of the planet’s highest paid fighters.
For a maximum of 25 minutes work on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, the 30-year-old will collect around £5.2million, a huge jump from the approximate £1.75m he made last time out.
Khabib’s father said: "We'll make three to three-and-a-half times more than the last time (against McGregor).
"We aren't fighting for small change any more, we know what we're worth. Two million dollars is not enough for us to fight now, because we are the best now.
“We've beaten the best, and we are ready to fight the best.
"We are popular, we know that. When we'll enter the arena, you'll see the reaction to us and reaction to Poirier."
FAME SHY
Khabib - who stripped naked to make weight for his upcoming fight and could face Georges St-Pierre - hates the fame and attention his incredible skill and power have earned him.
But his headline act in the desert showdown has allowed him one special treat.
His father, a former member of the Dagestan army, has never been granted a visa to see his son fight in any of his nine US fights.
But he will be in his corner for the weekend’s clash with the interim champion, adding another weapon to Khabib’s already tremendous arsenal.
The fighter said: “I think it’s going to be a very good show for everybody who’s going to fight in Abu Dhabi. For me, my father can come to Abu Dhabi.
“He’s going to be my corner for the first time in the UFC because he doesn’t have a visa and he can’t come to the US.
“But, in Abu Dhabi, a lot of friends can come. For Russian people, you don’t need a visa to come to Abu Dhabi.
"My father is going to come and I’m very excited about this. I can’t wait.”
The news of Khabib’s mega payday will be hard for female fighter Paige VanZant to swallow.
The beautiful striker recently hit out at the organisation over her rates, especially when she can earn more with online endorsements than in the cage.
After making less than £500,000 from her seven-year, 12-fight MMA career, the 25-year-old with over 2m Instagram followers said: “With endorsements, I make way more money sitting at home posting pictures on Instagram than I do fighting.
“If I were to stop everything I do outside of fighting and just fight, I would be at a loss financially by a long shot.
“If I’m gonna keep breaking my arm, if I’m gonna keep bleeding and sacrificing for this sport, I think that all fighters and all female fighters need to be recognised.”
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After reaching mainstream success with appearances on American reality TV shows Dancing with the Stars and cooking show Chopped, VanZant added: “I’ve just been extremely accomplished outside of the UFC, as well as inside of the UFC.
“Five wins in the UFC, four finishes, I’ve been main event twice, and I think someone with those accolades should be paid more.”
But no-nonsense UFC kingpin Dana White did not sound too sympathetic when informed of her comments, he said: “Yeah, good for her, that’s awesome. If a fighter can make more money doing other things, good for her.”
*Watch , Saturday 7 September.
UFC 242 - Khabib vs Poirier - Live stream, UK start time, TV channel and fight card
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