Conor McGregor Drops From No.1 to Behind LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, & Others on Forbes Highest Paid Athletes List

Conor McGregor is a big name in the entire MMA community who gave UFC the much-needed hype. His multi-million earnings and ventures are a testimony to him being the richest fighter in the UFC. But looks like, the pages have changed their course as the Irishman slipped to make his mark in the highest-paid rankings.

Forbes recently released the list of the highest-paid athletes for the year 2023. McGregor’s name was missing from the list which shocked many in the MMA community. ‘The Notorious’ was at the top rank in the Forbes highest-paid athletes list in 2021 with a total of $181 million including both salary and endorsements. He was then again, a part of the list and was ranked #35 in 2022. But it is very surprising to not see McGregor on the list given that he is the richest MMA fighter.

Despite being the wealthiest MMA fighter ever, Conor McGregor is not on this year’s Forbes highest-paid athlete list.

The only combat sports athlete who made the cut was Canelo Alvarez. The undisputed champion of the super-middleweight division stands at No.5 on the list,… pic.twitter.com/HbObJlonqq

— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) January 8, 2024

The list for the year 2023 shows the soccer and NBA stars in the majority. The sport of boxing made its entry to the list as it included Canelo Álvarez who stood at #5th spot. Above him were sports stars like the basketball sensation LeBron James at #4. The list also had French star Kylin Mbappé at #3, Lionel Messi at #2 and Cristiano Ronaldo topping the list at #1 spot.

McGregor has been inactive inside the octagon since his last bout against Dustin Poirier in 2021. Since then he has maintained his distance from the fights due to his ankle injury.

Conor McGregor: Net worth comparison

‘Mystic Mac’ is currently the richest MMA star in the UFC. His bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 attracted 2.4 million buys making UFC make a staggering $180 million revenue.

It is imperative to note that McGregor was given a top spot by Forbes in 2021 in the richest athletes list. His net worth at that time was around $200 million. Whereas it is surprising to note that even though McGregor’s wealth took a huge leap even after his inactivity he still couldn’t make it to the list.

During an interview with Megan Olivi, McGregor made a huge revelation about his earnings. He shared that his total career earnings so far stand at #650 and he will soon be crossing the billion-dollar mark.

 

 

The Irishman is now set to face his long-speculated opponent Michael Chandler inside the octagon. The bout is reportedly set to take place on 29 June 2024. As the excitement brews amongst the MMA fans, we couldn’t wait to see McGregor’s big comeback.