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Khabib Nurmagomedov successfully defended his lightweight championship for the third time at UFC 254. 'The Eagle' submitted his opponent in the second round of the fight that helped him earn the biggest payout of his fighting career.
UFC 254 took place in October last year at the 'Fight Island' in Abu Dhabi. Despite the financial burden due to the COVID-19 crisis, Nurmagomedov pocketed a whopping $6,090,000 at the event, according to The Sports Daily.
The Dagestani fighter earned $6 million just to show up for the fight. He raked in an additional $50,000 after he won the performance of the night accolade. Nurmagomedov also bagged $40,000 more as the fight-week incentive.
On the other hand, Gaethje took home a modest $440,000 from the event. 'The Highlight' was paid $400,000 to show up, and he also secured $40,000 more as incentive.
While UFC 254 marked Khabib Nurmagomedov's biggest payday, Gaethje accumulated more money in his previous fight against Tony Ferguson. The 32-year-old had put on a performance for the ages as he outpointed Ferguson via TKO in the final round at UFC 249.
Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement following his win over Gaethje. UFC president Dana White has tried changing The Eagle's mind since, but to no avail. A few weeks ago, White took to his social media account to confirm that Nurmagomedov had indeed retired from the sport.
What are the career earnings of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje?
In an eight-year long UFC career, Khabib Nurmagomedov established himself as one of the most successful competitors in the promotion. His perfect 29-0 record forged a legacy that will likely stay unrivaled. That said, Nurmagomedov's string of dominant performances also made him a huge draw at the box office.
Throughout his UFC career, the Dagestani fighter earned $14,770,000, according to The Sports Daily. He earned his biggest payday from the aforementioned Gaethje fight. Khabib Nurmagomedov bagged the same amount of money against Dustin Poirier as well, whom he fought in 2018 at UFC 242.
Meanwhile, Gaethje's career earnings are reportedly estimated at $2,874,500, including his stints in the UFC and World Series of Fighting (WSOF). As mentioned earlier, The Highlight's biggest payday was opposite Tony Ferguson, where he made $480,000.
