Referee John McCarthy says Conor McGregor was guaranteed $10 million for UFC 200

The whole Conor McGregor vs Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) thing should have its own news channel.

Having sparked such an enormous discussion around the mixed martial arts (MMA) community, the Irishman's notoriety has grown tenfold, which is crazy considering how popular he already was. That's what happens when you challenge the biggest MMA promotion in the world head on for missed press conferences and pay-per-view (PPV) billings.

But at the end of the day, whether McGregor was right in skipping his UFC 200 duties or not, the Featherweight champion will be losing a boatload of cash after being ripped from the biggest PPV card of 2016.

While many members of the MMA community have voiced their opinions on the situation, world-renowned MMA referee "Big" John McCarthy offers a little insight into the monetary side of things.

"I talked to Lorenzo Fertitta at UFC 197 standing in the back and we started talking," said McCarthy on a recent episode of his podcast with Sean Wheelock, Let's Get It On MMA (which can be listened to here). "And he said, 'I never thought that when I had a guy guaranteed $10 million I would have a problem.' If you don't think $10 million is a lot of money to make for a fight, you are crazy. That is life changing money."

Even in the eyes of losing money most of us won't see over a lifetime, McGregor challenged UFC and UFC called his bluff. He gambled like no other fighter has ever gambled before. Unfortunately, the Irishman was unable to win the pot.

"That hand in poker, he lost," added McCarthy. "That $10 million might not be $10 million the next time he fights because it's not UFC 200."

While it has yet to be seen if McGregor can come close to making $10 million guaranteed on a card outside of UFC 200, it's safe to say the 27-year-old will make more than enough money over the next couple of years.