The $3 Million Bet
Conor McGregor was so confident about how and when he’d defeat short-notice opponent Chad Mendes at UFC 189 that he tried to make an eye-wateringly expensive bet with Dana White about it.
“You want to know how confident this kid is?” White told Jim Rome just days before the fight. “I can’t even believe I’m going to say this, but, he told Lorenzo and I the other day ‘I’ll bet you $3 million I knock him out in the second round.’
“I like to bet, I don’t know if I’m that willing to take that bet. When I tell you how extremely confident this guy is in himself, it’s fascinating. He is a very unique, fascinating person to listen to. Fun to listen to, and fun to watch.”
As it turned out, White can count himself very lucky that he didn’t accept that bet, as sure enough, that weekend McGregor would survive an early struggle against Mendes’ wrestling, only to then rise late in the second round and TKO him with punches just three seconds left on the clock.
