Former champion admits to feeling envious of Conor McGregor in his early UFC career: 'He was making a lot of money'

Conor McGregor is the most popular athlete in UFC history. Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images

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While recovering from surgery to repair the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee, suffered against Max Holloway , Conor McGregor has no date to return to the UFC. However, his contributions to MMA are much greater than his achievements inside the octagon, to the point of impacting even the biggest names in the history of the sport. In an interview on the podcast 'The Bayou With Tyrann Mathieu' last Tuesday (4), Daniel Cormier admitted to having been envious of the Notorious's financial success at the beginning of his career in the Ultimate.

Despite acknowledging the negative sentiment at the time, the former fighter also emphasized that McGregor played a crucial role in the process of securing payments for athletes. Thanks to the Irishman, many other names had the opportunity to profit from their negotiations.

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“When Conor McGregor came along, I was really envious because he was so popular and this guy was making so much money. But I didn’t realize that he just came along and changed the game. When Conor was champion, he was making $10-12 million. So now, as champion, you think, ‘I don’t need what Conor needed, but what about $3 million?’”, Cormier acknowledged.

Daniel Cormier reveals he was jealous when Conor McGregor started making millions.

"When Conor McGregor came, I was so jealous because he was so popular and this dude was making so much money. But I didn't realize he just came in and moved the line.
When Conor was champion, he... pic.twitter.com/xZzCB3JRUg

— FREAK.MMA (@FREAKMMA1) August 5, 2026

Conor McGregor is the most popular name in the history of sports.

Conor McGregor is one of the biggest names in the UFC. (Photo: Reproduction/Instagram)

The first fighter to win titles in two weight classes simultaneously in the UFC, "The Notorious" holds some of the company's most impressive records. In addition to having participated in the Ultimate's biggest pay-per-views, he broke the organization's box office record in his last fight, when he ended up injuring his right knee in the main event of UFC 329 against Max Holloway.

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