Conor McGregor has slammed Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis' 'winner take all' purse bet as "stupid", telling the duo to enjoy their winnings no matter the result.
Garcia and Davis appeared on a live stream with famed influencer Kai Cenat when they suggested they bet their substantial fight purses on the bout's outcome. Davis and Cenat made the initial suggestion before Garcia agreed and now the pair are working towards making the bet official.
However, McGregor is unhappy with the tired concept, noting that it almost never happens that the fighters actually make such a bet and follow through. Just this year, Tommy Fury and Jake Paul famously agreed to a double or nothing bet in which the Brit would double his purse if he beat Paul, but would give up his entire purse if he lost, but no contract was signed.
"Has any competing fighters bet their purse against each other and then followed through?" McGregor asked on Twitter. "We should stop doing this. Fighting is tough. It can go anyway. Luck plays a hell of a part. Don’t be saying you are betting your fight purse against each other. Because it never happens. And it’s stupid. Train hard. Fight hard. Earn your dough. And then enjoy it. God bless."
One fan noted that McGregor should offer the same bet to Michael Chandler in his comeback fight, but he rubbished the idea with a tongue-in-cheek comment about making more money than the entire UFC roster put together. The Irishman is incredibly well paid, and after the retirement of Floyd Mayweather in 2017 is the biggest star in combat sport.
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"I make substantially more than everyone on the roster combined so it’s not feasible," he replied when a fan told him to offer it to Chandler. "I could bet a portion however. But it’s ridiculous, and no. This game, and the longer you are in it, gets tougher and tougher. I’m keeping my hard earned money for my loved ones."
McGregor recently left Las Vegas, where Garcia and Davis will fight on Saturday night, after filming the new season of The Ultimate Fighter. He and Chandler went head-to-head on the reality show, building to an eventual fight later this year in what will be the Irishman's first bout since the summer of 2021.
Chandler is a former Bellator lightweight champion but has gone 2-3 in the UFC since signing at the start of 2021. He is, however, a difficult challenge for McGregor, who hasn't won a fight since January 2020 which was his first victory since the end of 2016 when he became two-weight world champion. The bout will take place at welterweight.
