A 'heartbroken' Conor McGregor will be comforted with a sizeable payday after his loss against Dustin Poirier this past weekend.
McGregor suffered a shock knockout by the American in Sunday's second round at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi.
According to The Sun, Poirier earned £730 000 (R15m) for just turning up, while McGregor bagged £3.65m (R75.6m) in the Octagon in Abu Dhabi.
Given how long the match went - 452 seconds in total - it means that McGregor earned £8 075 (over R160 000) per second in his defeat.
Meanwhile, Poirier earned £1 615 (R33 185) per second in his triumph over McGregor.
Fighters will also earn a pay-per-view numbers portion and a UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, with reports saying McGregor's total earnings for the fight could be something in the region of £18 million.
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The fight, which saw around 2000 spectators in attendance, was held inside the new Etihad Arena in a bio-secure bubble on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates.
The 32-year-old McGregor had been an overwhelming favourite but fell to the power of Poirier after a fierce combination of punches.
The fight stopped at 2 minutes and 32 seconds in the second round as Poirier now sits with a UFC record of 27-6.
McGregor returned to the cage for the first time in 12 months, and took on Poirier for the second time after the pair's first contest in 2014 which saw McGregor win in 109 seconds.
"I have no excuse. It was a phenomenal performance from Dustin. It's a bitter pill to swallow," said McGregor following his loss to 'The Diamond'.
- Compiled by Sport24 staff
