Is losing always a bad thing?
Well, like most things in life, it depends on who you ask. While Conor McGregor and his fans were definitely disappointed by the outcome of the legendary ‘Money Fight’, McGregor will have a nice cheque of about $100 million to ease the pain.
Without a doubt, the professional Irish mixed martial artist and boxer might have been too sore to celebrate the pay day at first, but like the old saying goes, time heals all wounds.
29-year-old McGregor, who was defeated by 40-year-old Mayweather via TKO, is said to spend $1 million a year on his outfits and is a fan of collecting luxury cars.
Even if he splurges on all his favourite clothing brands and gets himself a new closet, he will still have quite some change left. Losing, in McGregor’s case, has never been more profitable.
But how exactly did McGregor get this career defining gig? Let us take a little ride in the time machine back to McGregor’s time in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
While he was rising the UFC ranks, McGregor became popular for hurling insults at Floyd Mayweather Jr. It was McGregor’s consistent and explicit invitations for a boxing match, that made Mayweather open to the idea of a fight even though he had retired in 2015 and McGregor had never boxed professionally.
It was an unprecedented match-up. The best kick-boxer coming up against one of the boxing greats in what was bound to be a money spinner.
Millions became fascinated by the idea of it, along with the thought of Mayweather potentially losing the one match in his professional boxing career to someone from another sport.
And for a tinny weeny bit, McGregor made quite the impression on millions, enough to have them believe he would be the one man who was able to defeat Mayweather in the ring.
All this, coupled with the star attraction of the fight, ensured both men would end up richer by nine-figures at the end of fight night – win or lose.
Valiant in his challenge, McGregor was eventually overpowered by the experience that allowed Mayweather go 49 previous bouts unbeaten. The Irishman was outmatched in the end but with an estimated $100 million made, McGregor has turned out as the richest loser of the year.
Not bad at all.