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UFC 196 salaries: Conor McGregor earns UFC's first million-dollar purse in defeat

Conor McGregor may have lost to Nate Diaz at UFC 196, but he still made history in other ways. McGregor became the first UFC fighter to pull in a seven-figure fight purse on Saturday night, earning $1,000,000 despite succumbing to a second-round rear-naked choke at the hands of Diaz, according to figures released to MMA Fighting by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Diaz, a late replacement for the injured UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, pocketed a $500,000 payday in victory, joining former UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm ($500,000) among the top earners of the card.