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Conor McGregor Wasn't Always Rolling In It On The World's UFC Stage

Conor McGregor Wasn't Always Rolling In It On The World's UFC Stage

He was poor AF between 2008 - 2013.

Hamish Kilburn

Hamish Kilburn

When Conor McGregor is in the ring, you and your mates shut up and watch history in the making. Pint in hand, there's barely time to sip the froth as the Irishman goes into combat.

He's a hero among everyday people and an inspiration to many. McGregor is a shining example of how training hard and fighting for your life will create a warrior - a bloody rich one at that.

Even for his standards, the UFC Featherweight is earning a shed-load of cash at the moment. From his grand UFC fights, to his opinion on creepy clowns, he's everywhere and everyone wants a piece of the legend.

He recently predicted that UFC 205 will smash through the two million pay-per-view mark for the first time, reports the MMAjunkie.

If his forecast is accurate then McGregor could be on for a payday in excess of $20million (£16million). On that lump of cash, most of us would settle on a comfortable retirement. Maybe he could start to enjoy a pain-free life instead of a battered one? But that's not something McGregor's ready to consider just yet.

There's no doubt about it, he's the biggest-earning contender on the UFC's roster.

The athlete may be dominating the world stage now, but his early scrapping days are a far cry away from where he is today.

His coach, John Kavanagh, recently revealed just how little the Dubliner was earning in his first five years on the MMA scene. He tells the Sunday Independent:

"Well it wasn't easy. Conor was on the dole, earning €100 a fight and training at the height of winter in a cold gym. Now, I don't care how passionate you are, but there are always going to be periods thinking, 'Fuck this! What am I doing here?

"Conor's annual earnings for that five-year period was something like €1,500 a year. There was no money and I was running out of ideas. The UFC was a closed shop."

We work that out to $7,500 earned over five years, which is about £6,700 in today's state of affairs. How the living legend could afford to eat enough carbs to train, let alone fight, I will never know.

Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor

Image Credit: PA

In early 2013, McGregor was a two-weight Cage Warriors champion. He was on a seven-fight winning streak. His performance in the ring started to turn heads but there was still no firm interest from the UFC, reports Joe.co.uk.

In the same interview, Kavanagh let slip that he once begged the young lad to turn down a contract of £900-a-month. That's because the warrior would have to turn over 20-25 percent of his future earnings.

Listening to his coach, McGregor declined the offer that was on the table and it was a lucky escape.

Soon, the UFC took notice and wanted him to go up against Marcus Brimage in Sweden. This time, the offer was warmly accepted.

For that tense meet, he made $16,000 for the fight itself and earned $60,000 for 'knockout of the night'. The tables were turning and McGregor started to make the big time, while not straying from his routes.

The rest is history that's still in the making.

Featured image credit: PA

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Topics: Conor Mcgregor, Fighting, UFC