Not everything related to a Conor McGregor event results in cash.
It has been widely documented during the build-up of this Saturday’s UFC 264 pay-per-view that following his victory over “The Notorious” one in their rematch back at UFC 257 in January, Dustin Poirier decided to take the immediate trilogy bout with McGregor for his next Octagon appearance, rather than the spot that Michael Chandler ended up filling against Charles Oliviera in the vacant Lightweight title fight at UFC 262 in May.
For “The Diamond,” it has been stated that the decision is likely one that his bank account will end up thanking him for in the long run, as a victory over Conor this weekend essentially guarantees he will be fighting for gold in his next bout anyways, where as a third fight with Conor wouldn’t be a guarantee had he gone the other direction.
Outside of Poirier, however, it doesn’t appear that the windfall of cash that accompanies a Conor McGregor-headlined event will be enjoyed by all involved in Saturday night’s main event.
Marc Raimondi, an ESPN journalist in their MMA division, reported via social media from today’s Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing, the reported payouts that will be given to the referee and judges for McGregor-Poirier 3, as those assignments were also laid out on Wednesday morning.
Veteran MMA referee Herb Dean will be the third man in the Octagon when Poirier and McGregor meet for the third time this Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV., where he will serve as the official for the bout, earning a reported $1,900 in pay for the gig.
Additionally, it was revealed that the three men who will be scoring the five-round non-title fight at UFC 264 between Poirier and McGregor will be judges Sal D’Amato, Derek Cleary and Junichiro Kamijo, all of whom will earn a reported $1,600 for their assignment.
By comparison, Mike Ortega, the referee assigned at the same NSAC hearing this morning for the upcoming trilogy bout between boxing heavyweight stars Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, will be earning $10,000 for his job as the third man in the squared circle when Wilder-Fury 3 goes down on July 24.
As far as the judges are concerned, Tim Cheatham, Dave Moretti and Patricia Morse Jarman, the three officials who will be scoring the 12-round title showdown between Wilder and Fury on 7/24, will each earn a reported $8,000 pay out.
What do YOU think of the difference in pay for the judges and referees assigned for the UFC and boxing mega-events this month in Nevada? Sound off in the Comments section below, or chime in on our Twitter feed @WrestlingEdge.
From the NSAC meeting this morning:
Poirier vs. McGregor 3 officials
Referee: Herb Dean ($1900 pay)
Judges: Sal D’Amato, Derek Cleary, Junichiro Kamijo ($1600)#UFC264— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) July 7, 2021
