Wednesday marked the three-year anniversary of Conor McGregor's induction into the ranks of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and The Notorious made sure to remind his peers of the date prior to his rematch against Nate Diaz on July 9 at UFC 200.
Taking to his official Twitter account, McGregor made light of his assumed ability to hand his opponents larger paydays just by lining up opposite him in the Octagon—also noting he's yet to receive thanks for his gifts:
3 years ago today, I began my crusade to take all you bums from 5 figure paydays to multi seven figure paydays.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 6, 2016
And not even a thank you.
McGregor remains defiant even after suffering his first UFC defeat to Diaz last month, when he was submitted via rear-naked choke in the second round of their clash at UFC 196.
Nevertheless, the Irishman showed on Wednesday he's happy to look past the lows and concentrate more on the highs, all the while delivering one of his trademark blows to the rest of the promotion's fighters.
McGregor has seemingly no desire to hide his status as one of the biggest—if not the biggest—money draws in UFC history, helping the company reach a record $600 million in revenue in 2015, according to UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, via CNN Money (h/t Matt Connolly of Forbes).
It was on April 6, 2013, that the Dubliner announced himself to the wider mixed martial arts community with a first-round knockout of Marcus Brimage at UFC Sweden 2. It was after that win McGregor famously sent a message to UFC President Dana White, referring to what he felt was a deserved Knockout of the Night bonus: "Dana, 60 Gs, baby!"
However, McGregor's latest slight is of a much more personal nature, referring to all the millionaire fighters he's seemingly created—with Diaz, the only opponent to have defeated him in the UFC, among that number.
That display of confidence showed the world what a cocky and alluring figure it had on its hands, and the streak of arrogance—and the resulting riches—haven't stopped there. In December 2015, The Notorious appeared on The Jimmy Kimmel Show! in a glittering suit and proclaimed he "loves beating people up for money":
His rise through the UFC was rapid, stacking up seven featherweight wins in a little over two-and-a-half years, culminating with his 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo to clinch the featherweight title at UFC 194 last December.
McGregor was set to fight lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos before injury ruled him out, and Diaz stepped in as a more than capable replacement. And although titles remain a keen interest of his, Bleacher Report's Patrick Wyman has suggested fans care more for "money fights" or "superfights":
The poll on my latest article suggests that 90+ percent of fans prefer creative money-weight fights like Diaz-McGregor to title fights.
— Patrick Wyman (@Patrick_Wyman) March 18, 2016
Although he sticks close to his Dublin roots, McGregor also makes no secret of his love of the United States' West Coast and told MMA Junkie in February 2015 he's struggled to spend all his money:
If that was the case at the beginning of 2015, the most successful year of his career to date, the 27-year-old may undoubtedly be struggling to find things to spend his cash on these days.
McGregor also confirmed his celebrity status last year by performing the rite of passage that is the Cribs-style walk through his American abode, humbly referred to as "The McMansion":
The likes of Aldo and Chad Mendes may have already been making big money prior to McGregor's arrival in the UFC, but there's no longer any doubting that a bout opposite The Notorious inevitably means big revenue.
Diaz will take his turn at once again raking in the big bucks against the Irishman at UFC 200 on July 9, and a second victory could set the Stockton, California, fighter up for the remainder of his career.
