Brock Lesnar smashes Conor McGregor's purse record after making £1.9million in UFC 200 return against Mark Hunt

• e-mail

Conor McGregor can no longer claim to be the best-paid fighter in the UFC after Brock Lesnar dwarfed his record high pay cheque on Saturday in Las Vegas.

The WWE superstar returned to the Octagon after four and a half years to defeat Mark Hunt by unanimous decision and was paid a record $2.5million (£1.9m), more than double McGregor's record payday of $1m (£750,000) for UFC 196 in March.

Lesnar, who held the UFC heavyweight championships between 2008 and 2010, made more than three times of his opponent Hunt who was the second highest paid athlete at the event with $700,000 (£531,087).

Brock Lesnar's hand is raised after his unanimous decision victory over Mark Hunt at UFC 200

The WWE superstar made a record $2.5million (£1.9m) despite fighting for the first time in four and a half years

Featherweight champion Conor McGregor held the previous record of $1m (£750,000)

UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier made just $500,000 (£379.348) after his fight with Jon Jones was cancelled just three days before the event - with his stand-in opponent earning more than him with $600,000 (£455.217).

According to Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole Cormier was due to make $1m for the fight had Jones not been forced out after being flagged for an anti-doping violation.

Amanda Nunes, who submitted Miesha Tate in the main event at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night to claim the women's bantamweight title made $100,000 (£75,000) in her disclosed purse, the same as unranked 20-year-old lightweight Sage Northcutt who opened the undercard.

Lesnar recorded his first UFC victory in six years by dominating the 'Super-Samoan' over three rounds

Hunt (right) was the second highest paid athlete on the card in Las Vegas making $700,000 (£531,087)

Daniel Cormier's pay packet halved to $500,000 for his replacement fight against Anderson Silva

The purses are the disclosed pay packets of the fighters and do not include win and performance bonuses that the UFC may give to individual fighters. 

Lesnar, 39, is still under a multi-million dollar contract with the WWE and it is unclear if he will return to the Octagon despite winning in his return.

McGregor, who was supposed to headline UFC 200 before a fallout with the UFC over media obligations, faces Nate Diaz in a welterweight rematch at UFC 202 in Las Vegas on August 20.

McGregor, whose record pay cheque was against Nate Diaz in March, will fight Diaz again in August