Over the years, innumerable MMA fighters have made a fortune by competing in the UFC. Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Israel Adesanya and a number of such fighters have raked in the moolah by exhibiting their skills in the octagon. One such superstar is the former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Also known as ‘The Eagle,’ Khabib arrived on the big stage from the mountains of Dagestan a few years ago and ended up making the 155lbs category his own.
In fact, Nurmagomedov has appeared in some of the biggest pay-per-view events in the competition’s history. However, the ‘Bear wrestling’ champion was taken aback when he learned how little a former UFC double champion actually made from his fights.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was shocked after hearing former UFC double champ’s salary
The former dual-weight UFC champion was none other than Henry Cejudo, who recently made a return to UFC after almost three years. In one of his YouTube videos, Cejudo revealed Nurmagomedov’s reaction after learning about his earnings. Cejudo said:
“When I told Khabib how much I’m getting paid, how much I am asking for…he was so dumbfounded,” Cejudo reveals. “He was like really…Man, that’s not right, I understand you…People are on different contracts man. You know, Khabib’s making ten million a fight and we’re nowhere near that,”
Cejudo suffered a loss against bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling on his return at UFC 288. Per reports, ‘Triple C’ was guaranteed a basic salary of $500,000 for this fight.
Meanwhile, ‘The Eagle’ during his career has earned millions. His highest payday, according to reports, was after his last win in 2020, which exceeded the $6 million mark.
As a result, it is not officially stated that Nurmagomedov earned $10 million for his UFC fight, as Cejudo claimed. He might have mentioned it in the flow. It is worth noting, however, that the UFC never reveals the actual amount of a fighter’s salary. They also pay various fighters according to their experience, wins, and popularity. As a result, it might be more or less.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s last fight
Khabib Nurmagomedov is arguably one of the best MMA fighters on the planet. He holds a professional fighting record of 29-0 under his name. He has defeated some of the killer fighters in the lightweight division, including Conor McGregor, Edson Barboza, Dustin Poirier, and more.
‘The Eagle’ fought his last battle at UFC 254 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In this fight, he fought the former UFC lightweight interim champion Justin Gaethje.
Apparently, this was the second fight, where he lost a single round in his entire career. However, in the end, Nurmagomedov caught Gaethje in a choke and stopped the fight in the second round. Later, he hung up his gloves forever.
Although Nurmagomedov retired with grace from professional fighting, his early retirement will always be a point for his naysayers to bring him down.
What are your thoughts on Nurmagomedov’s retirement? What do you guys think about Cejudo’s words?
