The gap between what UFC’s biggest star earns and what its most dominant champion earns just got put on full, uncomfortable display.
The Numbers
At UFC 330 on August 15, 2026, Islam Makhachev successfully defended his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry, grinding out a unanimous decision over 25 minutes. In doing so, he extended his win streak to 17 fights, which is the longest in UFC history, surpassing Anderson Silva’s long-standing record.
For that performance, Makhachev reportedly earned an estimated $4.14 million, the largest payday of his career. Garry, who lost, reportedly took home around $2.06 million.
A month earlier, at UFC 329 on July 11, 2026, Conor McGregor returned to the Octagon after a five-year absence to face Max Holloway in a welterweight rematch. The fight lasted 69 seconds before a knee injury forced a stoppage. McGregor still walked away with a reported $32 million, roughly $15 million guaranteed, with the rest coming from pay-per-view points and bonuses. Holloway reportedly earned around $5 million.
Do the math, and McGregor made close to 7.7 times what Makhachev did for barely over a minute of action, compared to Makhachev’s full five-round war at UFC 330.
Why the Gap Exists Between Conor McGregor and Islam Makhachev
It isn’t about skill or dominance. Islam Makhachev is arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter on the roster and just made history. But UFC pay isn’t built around in-cage performance. It’s built around box office pull. Conor McGregor is still the biggest needle-mover the sport has ever produced, and his return alone reportedly helped UFC 329 set an all-time live gate record.
Fighters with McGregor’s drawing power negotiate pay-per-view revenue shares that dwarf standard champion purses, regardless of how long they spend in the cage.
Islam Makhachev, despite his in-cage résumé, doesn’t carry the same mainstream crossover appeal, so his pay, while still elite by UFC standards, is negotiated on a completely different scale.
A Pattern, Not an Outlier
This isn’t new. McGregor’s past disclosed and reported purses include:
- $50 million vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (UFC 229)
- $32–33 million vs. Dustin Poirier III (UFC 264)
- $20–22 million vs. Dustin Poirier II (UFC 257)
Meanwhile, champions who’ve defended their belts multiple times, including Makhachev himself in previous outings, have often earned base purses in the low-to-mid six figures before bonuses and pay-per-view points pushed the number higher. At UFC 311, for instance, Makhachev’s disclosed show money was reportedly just $250,000, less than what several undercard fighters took home that night.
The Bottom Line
It’s a blunt reminder of how MMA economics actually work: star power and pay-per-view drawing ability outweigh performance, dominance, and even history-making achievements inside the Octagon. Islam Makhachev can break records and go the full 25 minutes. Conor McGregor can get hurt in under two and still out-earn him nearly eightfold.
Note: The UFC does not officially disclose fighter purses. All figures above are industry estimates based on reporting from outlets.
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