UFC legend Conor McGregor is one of the few fighters to be ranked in the top 50 highest-paid athletes of all-time.
A recent study from Sportico shows that former two-weight world champion McGregor sits at No. 33 in the sporting rich list after reportedly earning $530million during his career, which is pushed up to $615 million based on inflation. 'Notorious' is the only MMA fighter to appear on the list, with boxers such as Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao also featuring.
McGregor went from being guaranteed just £6,000 for his UFC debut which took place a decade ago to being involved in the second highest-selling boxing fight of all-time. The Irishman was also the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2021's Forbes list, largely thanks to his earnings outside of the octagon.
'Notorious' sold his majority stake in his Proper 12 whiskey brand to Proximo Spirits two years ago for a massive £120million, also pocketing £20million for his January 2021 fight against Dustin Poirier. His 2017 fight in the boxing ring against Mayweather is still the highest payday of his career, reportedly taking home more than $100 million for the illustrious 'money fight'.
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McGregor also signed sponsorship deals with companies such as Beats by Dre, Monster Energy, EA, Burger King and Reebok during his combat sports career. Having not fought in almost two years, McGregor dropped down to 35th last year's Forbes list due to his lack of inactivity in the cage.
He earned £26.5million for his trilogy fight against Poirier at UFC 264 and £8million through endorsements and investments in 2021. McGregor's huge net worth has also led to him showing interest in buying football clubs such as Chelsea and Liverpool, though he's been told that he wouldn't have the finances to afford either of the top teams.
McGregor will earn another eight-figure payday for his upcoming fight against Michael Chandler, which takes place later this year after they coach against each other on The Ultimate Fighter. McGregor and Chandler were seemingly on good terms but have recently had a falling out with a "lot of s***" going down between them on the reality show.
'Notorious' broke his silence on the fight last month in an exclusive interview with Mirror Fighting as he said of the clash: "I'm looking forward to it. I feel good, I feel energetic, I feel ready. I'm throwing up my high kicks faster than I'm throwing out my jab. So I'm very excited to get back."
