Attorney: Conor McGregor's disclosed purse tripled prior to UFC 202

Conor McGregor received a record-setting $3 million show purse for a rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202.

So why did the attorney representing the UFC featherweight champion say he was initially supposed to receive one-third of that?

“The initial agreement was for $1 million,” Jennifer Goldstein told the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Monday during McGregor’s (20-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) disciplinary hearing for throwing water bottles at Diaz (19-11 MMA, 14-9 UFC) during a press conference for the Aug. 20 pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

During the NSAC hearing, Goldstein asked the commission to consider the initial purse in weighing the monetary punishment assessed to McGregor for his role in the incident.

But she also wound up raising a question: Why did McGregor’s show purse suddenly triple?

In Nevada, UFC fighters’ disclosed compensation is public record. It does not reveal other ways they get paid, such as discretionary bonuses, promotional fees or pay-per-view bonuses.

Both fighters were poised to make millions in PPV proceeds, given the box-office smash they delivered in Diaz’s March upset and the highly anticipated rematch.

But if Diaz’s purse was set at $2 million, it would have appeared that, at least initially, he was making more money than the money-obsessed McGregor to show up and fight.

Former UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta this past December said he believes McGregor, the No. 1 ranked featherweight in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA featherweight rankings, will become the sport’s first fighter to earn $100 million.

Could the Irish champ have shuffled some paper for appearances’ sake?

For now, there’s only speculation. McGregor manager Audie Attar declined to comment, as did multiple UFC officials when contacted by MMAjunkie.

While the bigger number certainly made an impression on fans and fellow fighters, it ultimately left the NSAC a bigger piece of the pie when the commission deliberated on McGregor’s fine. NSAC Chairman Anthony Marnell was unmoved by Goldstein’s disclosure, asking her for the official number he took home on fight night.

“That’s all I care about,” he said. “That’s all that matters.”

Goldstein seemed to indicate that whatever the commission decided, it wouldn’t get the same swipe at McGregor’s purse in the future.

“I think the complication with that lies when you have fighters that are compensated in different ways, and what we are going find, I think, perhaps, is that when more money in the show becomes subject to discipline, then that money’s going to be reallocated to bonus, appearance, name and likeness releases, etc,” she said. “What I’d like for the commission to consider is the ramifications that would have on fighter compensation going forward.”

Commissioner Pat Lundvall downplayed the issue, saying the commission had already weighed that possibility in the case of Jon Jones (22-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) and Daniel Cormier (17-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who were disciplined for brawling at a press conference prior to a rematch at UFC 182.

Ultimately, the NSAC eventually voted to fine McGregor 5 percent of the $3 million purse, which amounts to $150,000. By contrast, Jones and Cormier  were respectively fined $50,000 and $9,000, or 10 percent of their show purses.

McGregor won his rematch with Diaz by majority decision, reversing a submission loss in March. He’s now set to vie for the UFC lightweight title against champ Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205.

Goldstein worried that McGregor might be suspended for throwing a water bottle, preventing him from competing at the Nov. 12 event at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

But like Jones and Cormier, he was instead fined and ordered to perform community service. Unlike the light heavyweights, he was also tapped for a public service announcement against bullying, a suggestion floated earlier by Goldstein.

And the kicker? McGregor will fund $75,000 of it. So much for shuffling.

For complete coverage of UFC 200, check out the UFC Events section of the card.