How much Conor McGregor made per second in his UFC comeback that lasted one minute
Despite being left 'destroyed' by his loss to Max Holloway, Conor McGregor might find solace in the amount he earned after spending just over a minute in the Octagon.
The Irish fighter's return to the UFC after a five-year hiatus didn't go as planned, as it was called off after just 69 seconds due to him suffering a leg injury.
Much to the disappointment of fans, his clash with the 34-year-old American ended extremely prematurely - but McGregor has still reportedly walked away with eight figures.
The headline fight at UFC 329 in Las Vegas wasn't as action-packed as people had hoped, as landing poorly after a kick cost McGregor the bout.
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The referee called the fight in the first round after noticing that the controversial MMA star, 37, wasn't steady on his legs...or, as Holloway put it, 'weak in the knees'.
McGregor landed awkwardly on his right knee, which comes half a decade after he snapped his left leg while taking on Dustin Poirier in 2021 at UFC 264.
Some fans seem to think that the father-of-four entered the Octagon injured, even though McGregor had described himself as 'solid' and compared himself to 'The Terminator' in the lead-up to his encounter with Holloway.
The Irishman took to X in wake of his loss to share a post explaining he was just as bewildered by the outcome as fans were - while clarifying that he was fighting fit.
"My head gasket is gone," McGregor wrote. "Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight.
"This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell."
However, former NFL team doctor David J Chao suggested he was 'heroic' for even trying to continue to battle on against Holloway due to the injury he suspects McGregor may have suffered.
The expert reckons that McGregor might have done some damage to his ACL or MCL in his right leg.
UFC boss Dana White also spoke out about McGregor's lacklustre return to the Octagon, as well as discussing the number of viewers that UFC 329 brought in.
Although the pay-per-view model was scrapped by the UFC following a deal with Paramount and CBS, sports stars can still earn a decent chunk of change for their fights.
McGregor previously shared some details about the deal he struck for his fight with Holloway, saying he 'met in the middle' with the UFC.
"We got a juicy one," he teased. "Was it what my worth is? Probably not. Was it what they wanted to offer? Definitely not. Definitely not. We met in the middle. I'm a fair operator.
"I love the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and I'd love to continue. Let's see how it goes."
The former featherweight and lightweight champion walked away with around $30 million, according to reports, although the UFC haven't shared any official figures.
Still, if this amount is accurate, it means that McGregor earned $435,000 for every second he spent in the Octagon.
It is believed that he secured at least $15 million from the UFC, while promotions, sponsorships and other money-making enterprises make up the other half of the sum.
Holloway is estimated to have earned $3 million for his short stint in the Octagon.
UFC 329 turned out to be a night of short-lived fights, with Paddy Pimblett taking down Benoit Saint-Denis in 52 seconds.
Referee Marc Goddard had to call time after Pimblett had Saint-Denis pinned and the Frenchman passed out.
Pimblett told press after the fight: "I'm like a spider. When I've got hold of you, you don't get out and it's as simple as that."
It was his first fight after losing to Justin Gaethje for the intermin lightweight title.
He went on: "Everyone counted me out. Everyone said I was finished because I lost to Gaethje but what now? Am I finished? Who wants it next?
"I'll beat Ilia [Topuria] up, I'll rematch Justin [Gaethje], I'll fight Conor [McGregor] or Max [Holloway] next. Give me everyone and I'll punch their head in."
Topics: Money, UFC, Conor McGregor, Sport
Olivia Burke