Former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor is now the highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes.
The magazine lists the fighter’s worth at $180 million for 2021, adding that most of his recently accumulated wealth comes from the sale of his stake in the Proper No. Twelve whiskey for $150 million. The remainder of the $158 million he made outside of his time in the Octagon came from an endorsement portfolio that includes DraftKings, lifestyle brand Roots of Fight, and the video game “Dystopia: Contest of Heroes.”
The $22 million McGregor made “on the field” reportedly came from his rematch against Dustin Poirier in January. McGregor lost the contest via second-round TKO, and the athletes are scheduled for a trilogy fight on July 10.
This is McGregor’s first time as the top-earning athlete on the list, but he also made an appearance in the top ten in 2018, when he claimed the number-four spot following his boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather that helped him earn $99 million. He is the only combat sports athlete to make the top-ten list this year.
The list reads as follows:
- Conor McGregor: $180 million
- Lionel Messi: $130 million
- Cristiano Ronaldo: $120 million
- Dak Prescott: $107.5 million
- LeBron James: $96.5 million
- Neymar: $95 million
- Roger Federer: $90 million
- Lewis Hamilton: $82 million
- Tom Brady: $76 million
- Kevin Durant: $75 million
