"Money is the root of all evil" - UFC icons explain why Conor McGregor’s "$130 million" Floyd Mayweather payday marked the beginning of the end

Conor McGregor's sudden decline in his MMA career following his boxing match against Floyd Mayweather has been a perplexing issue. However, according to two UFC icons, the substantial financial reward from that fight may have contributed to his downfall.

'The Notorious' faced Mayweather in a professional boxing match on Aug. 26, 2017, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the fight, McGregor managed to last ten rounds against the boxing legend but ultimately lost via TKO in the tenth round. Reports indicate that McGregor earned approximately $130 million from the bout, while Mayweather took home around $280 million.

In a recent discussion on the Good Guy / Bad Guy show, Daniel Cormier brought up the topic of McGregor's career trajectory, saying:

"Since you're a kid, they tell you that, 'Money is the root of all evil.'... I know now that they told me that because we had none of it. So, I was like, 'If you tell them it's evil, they don't realize that how much it benefits you.'... But Chael [Sonnen], Conor McGregor made a reported $130 million in that fight. Floyd [Mayweather] made a reported $280 million in that fight. Chael, can we look back to that and can we point to that as the time or the moment that we officially lost Conor McGregor?"

In response, Chael Sonnen said:

"Yes, I believe that we could."

Check out Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen's comments below (6:01):

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When Floyd Mayweather poked fun at Conor McGregor's injury

After his boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor returned to compete in the UFC. Contrary to expectations, the Irishman recorded a 1-3 record in his matches following the Mayweather clash. Notably, in his last fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, McGregor suffered a leg injury that seemingly affected the outcome of the bout.

While this was an unfortunate event for McGregor, Mayweather seized the opportunity to mock him. The boxing legend expressed his comments through an Instagram post, writing:

"Y’all got it twisted! I like how his shoes fit. Now, do the stanky leg 😂"