Conor McGregor issues instant eight-word response to losing $500,000 bet

Conor McGregor was assured Renan Ferreira would sound retired Francis Ngannou successful their PFL heavyweight showdown - but the Irishman couldn't person been much wrong

Conor McGregor insisted helium volition bounce backmost stronger aft losing a $500,000 stake connected Francis Ngannou's MMA comeback.

The Irishman went nationalist with his assurance that Renan Ferreira would sound retired Ngannou arsenic the erstwhile UFC heavyweight champion fought successful the cage for the archetypal clip successful astir 3 years. McGregor stood to marque a chill $1.7million from the stake if the Brazilian prevailed - but alternatively it was Ngannou who won by stoppage, beating up Ferreira wrong 4 minutes. But alternatively than wallow successful his loss, McGregor instantly took to societal media to post: "The affluent get richer. I'll get that back."

McGregor precocious celebrated a spate of winning bets, winning implicit $8m successful a azygous week implicit the summertime erstwhile helium backed Spain to triumph Euro 2024. The Spaniards' triumph implicit England successful the last won the erstwhile two-weight UFC champion $1m portion Argentina's triumph implicit Colombia successful the Copa America last netted him $365,000.

And an unthinkable treble of those 2 teams to win, and Carlos Alcaraz to assistance the Wimbledon trophy saw him slope $4m. Finally, McGregor backed aged rival Nate Diaz to bushed Jorge Masvidal successful their boxing fight, which helium duly did to nett the Dubliner $1.6m. And earlier this month, McGregor won $200,000 from a $1m stake connected UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereria who stopped Khalil Rountree to clasp his belt.

But helium was mode disconnected the people erstwhile it came to Ngannou's archetypal MMA combat since helium outpointed Ciryl Gane successful 2022 arsenic the Cameroonian took down Ferreira successful the opening minutes earlier landing a barrage of punches connected the canvas, forcing the referee to measurement in.

Ngannou had taken a interruption from MMA aft leaving the UFC pursuing a declaration dispute. He switched to boxing wherever helium dropped Tyson Fury lone to suffer a contentious points decision. Ngannou was past battered by Anthony Joshua earlier this twelvemonth arsenic the Brit knocked him retired successful the 2nd round. He has yet to perpetrate to either athletics for his adjacent combat pursuing his demolition occupation of Ferreira and admitted helium had struggled to woody with the decease of his one-year-old lad Kobe earlier this year.

"They’ve been telling maine I’m pugnacious to the constituent wherever I deliberation I’m pugnacious – and I precocious conscionable recovered retired I wasn’t tough,” Ngannou said. "I wasn’t that tough. Life tin fto you instrumentality the events and deliberation you’re moving away, and past it hits you truly atrocious from the front. It’s thing that I ne'er imagined. I ne'er knew however I would feel. I spot radical going done and retired of compassion I tried to recognize however they indispensable feel. But I would ne'er get anyplace adjacent to however it feels exactly."