VIDEO | See How Money and Fame Have Changed Conor McGregor’s Persona

Having reportedly made something in the area of $15 million for his August rematch with Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor is far and away the highest paid fighter in UFC history. The Irish star makes no secret of his massive financial success, as he whips around Las Vegas in luxury vehicles, decks himself out in absurdly expensive custom suits, and uses his unprecedented paydays as a way to diminish the success of his opponents and rivals.

McGregor, of course, has not always had the bursting bank account that he enjoys today. A quick look at the history books reveals that the Irish superstar collected a welfare check just weeks before making his UFC debut. Then, of course, there was the time that he couldn’t afford to pay a DJ £250 for a walkout song. Given the dire financial straights with which he entered the UFC, its understandable why he was so thrilled to win  $60,000 post-fight bonus for the knockout he scored over Marcus Brimage in his UFC debut.

The video at the top of this post illustrates McGregor’s transformation from starry eyed up-and-comer to ultra-rich superstar, using a clip from his very first UFC post-fight press conference and a clip of a recent press conference for UFC 205. Safe to say, the Irishman’s demeanour has changed quite a bit over the years.

The self-made millionaire’s next challenge will occur next Saturday, in the main event of UFC 205, when he takes on lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. If McGregor is successful against Alvarez, he’ll become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two titles in two weight classes simultaneously. Regardless of the outcome of the bout, he’s bound to smash all previous records for fighter pay – records he has set himself.

UFC 205 will also feature a welterweight title fight between Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson and strawweight title fight between Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The main card will also include a middleweight bout between Chris Weidman and Yoel Romero, a welterweight battle between Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Kelvin Gastelum, and a bantamweight scrap between Miesha Tate and Raquel Pennington.

Do you think Conor McGregor will make history in UFC 205’s main event? Sound off, PENN Nation!