Conor McGregor was unable to join his fellow Irish fighter Katie Taylor on the SportsPro list of most marketable fighters after a difficult year out of action.
The legendary former two-weight world champion is one of the richest athletes in the world, and has a massive following in the tens of millions across social media. But he hasn't fought since July of last year at UFC 264 and amid a number of controversies outside of the cage, his stock has dropped with casual fans.
In the meantime, Taylor's win over Amanda Serrano in front of a packed out Madison Square Garden in April for the undisputed lightweight title solidified her as one of the biggest stars in all of sport. As such, she has been honoured with the No.47 spot on the marketing agency's list, coming in just ahead of Rory McIlroy, Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford.
No other fighters made the list, despite Anthony Joshua's monster earnings against Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury packing Wembley Stadium for his meeting with Dillian Whyte and Canelo Alvarez's multiple major events. A press release stated that the ranking system was devised to paint the most complete picture of athlete marketability in the sports industry.
The methodology for finding an athlete's ranking combines on-field performance and off-field factors such as personal brand development, audience reach and engagement, and social impact. Taylor was one of 22 women to make the list, with Serena Williams the highest-ranked at No.2.
“Who is the most marketable athlete on the planet today? We at SportsPro have asked ourselves that very question every year since 2010, and each year the process of answering it provides a fascinating snapshot of the business of athlete marketing," said Michael Long, Editorial Director at SportsPro. “Marketability can be defined in many ways.
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"But what’s clear from our in-depth assessment is that each of the athletes in this year’s diverse list delivers considerable value to their brand partners. Not only are they elite, highly visible performers in their respective sports, their individual reach and influence and, in many cases, willingness to speak out on social issues positions them as ideal ambassadors for companies seeking to communicate authentically to consumers.”
Taylor differs from a number of athletes on the list given her quiet and reserved lifestyle. She bases herself in a luxury Connecticut home which was tapped to appear on the rebooted version of MTV's classic TV show Cribs, but tends to shy away from the spotlight when she's away from busy fight weeks.
It's a stark difference to McGregor, who is a known party animal who enjoys the good life on his luxury yachts in the full glare of the public spotlight at all times. Tyson Fury is similarly active on social media, which Taylor avoids completely, while Alvarez enjoys a celebrity lifestyle at times although he, too, keeps to himself outside of when he is fighting.
