Irish folk hero: Conor McGregor goes from Rags to Riches

Conor McGregor picked up a welfare check for €180 (roughly $235). The featherweight from Dublin, Ireland, needed some money to get by before he took his flight to Sweden for his UFC debut.

By the time he returned home, McGregor was $60,000 richer.

McGregor won't want for cash again anytime soon after putting on an impressive performance at UFC on Fuel 9 at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm. By earning a $60,000 knockout of the night bonus for his swift finish of Marcus Brimage, the charismatic McGregor showed there is steak to his sizzle and marked himself as the potential Irish star the UFC has long sought.

"Just last week I was collecting the social welfare," McGregor said at Saturday's post-fight news conference. "I was in there saying to them, 'I don't know what's going to happen. I'm signed to the UFC. I don't know. Blah, blah, blah.' Now I suppose I'm just going to have to tell them [expletive] off."

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McGregor, who turns 25 in July, has fought on the Irish MMA scene since 2008 and brought a well-earned reputation for an exciting fighting style into his UFC debut. He's collected 12 knockouts in his 13 pro wins, has never gone beyond the second round, win or lose, in his 15 fights, and has held both the featherweight and lightweight championships in the Cage Warriors promotion.

He demonstrated why in Saturday's fight against Brimage, another featherweight who likes to bring the leather. Brimage came out swinging and tagged McGregor early. But McGregor showed poise under pressure, cleared the cobwebs, and took control of the fight. He expertly worked his angles and turned the tide, raining a beating down on Brimage before the fight was called off at just 1:07 of the first round.

UFC president Dana White was among those most impressed by McGregor's performance. Not only was McGregor awarded the $60,000 knockout bonus, but he immediately booked the fighter for the UFC event on Aug. 17 in the Irish-heavy city of Boston.

"Let me put it this way: I'm blown away," White enthused. "First of all, it's his first fight ever in the UFC. He walked out tonight and got into the Octagon like it was his 100th fight in the UFC. … From the minute it all started, he was nice and relaxed. He moved around. Even after he gets the knockout, it's like he's been here before and done it 100 times. Kid is totally relaxed. He's a beast. I'm impressed."