How much was Conor McGregor earning from social welfare before signing for the UFC?
Conor McGregor has one of the greatest 'rags to riches' stories in the world of mixed martial arts. 'The Notorious' is not only the biggest name in MMA currently, but he also topped the 2021 Forbes list of the world's highest-paid athletes. However, Conor McGregor hails from a much humbler background. Born and brought up in a working class family in Dublin, Ireland, Conor McGregor uses to collect his social welfare check of 188 every week before he signed with the UFC. Before catching the flight to Stockholm, Sweden for his now-famous UFC debut against Marcus Brimage on April 6, 2013, Conor McGregor stood in a queue at the welfare payments kiosk on Tower Road in the suburb of Clondalkin. In a 2020 ESPN interview, Conor McGregor's close friend and longtime coach John Kavanagh revealed that they almost missed the flight to Sweden because they made that stop. "Dee [Devlin, McGregor's fiance] drove me and him to the airport. We had to stop off to collect social welfare on the way. He'd take pictures with people and chat with people, and I'm like, 'We're going to miss this flight for your UFC debut.' And I don't have money to pay for another flight. Conor doesn't have money to pay for another flight," said John Kavanagh. However, that was the last time Conor McGregor had to make a stop for a social welfare check. For his debut against Marcus Brimage, which he won with an explosive first-round knockout, Conor McGregor made $60,000 as a Knockout of the Night bonus on top of the $8,000 fight purse and $8,000 win bonus. From collecting $200-something as social welfare to getting a $100 million pay-day for his boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor has come a long way to become the sensation he is today. Conor McGregor set to have another massive payday at UFC 264  It is widely known that whether Conor McGregor wins or loses, he will certainly take home a big paycheck for any fight he participates in. He also ensures a hefty payday for his opponents. For the second fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 in January earlier this year, Conor McGregor reportedly made north of $3 million, while 'The Diamond' bagged a sum of $830,000. The actual amount Conor McGregor took home after adding the pay-per-view share and other additional bonuses is likely to be in the region of $20-30 million. The Irishman is expected to make a similar payday for the trilogy fight at UFC 264. The event will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 10, 2021. Edited by Ritwik Kumar