Though it was a successful financial year by most any account,
Conor
McGregor is no longer the highest-paid athlete in professional
sports.
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According to Forbes,
the former UFC two-division champion ranks 35th among the 50
highest-paid athletes for 2022. The Irish star reportedly garnered
$43 million in total: $33 million from a UFC 264 bout against
Dustin Poirer in July 2021 and another $10 million in endorsements
and sponsorships.
That is a significant drop-off from the previous year, when
McGregor
ranked No. 1 among athletes with $180 million in earnings. That
figure was due in large part to selling a majority stake of Proper
No. Twelve whiskey for $150 million. He also reportedly banked $22
million for his first meeting with Poirier at UFC 257.
Topping on the 2022 list are soccer star Lionel Messi ($130
million) and NBA standout LeBron James ($121.2 million). Messi
ranked second the previous year.
McGregor is the only mixed martial artist to make the top 50, but
there were a few other combat sports notables on the list. Boxing
star Canelo Alvarez checked in at No. 8 with $90 million, while
recently retired heavyweight champ Tyson Fury
ranked 18th at $62 million. Social-media-personality-turned-boxer
Jake
Paul also made the list at No. 46 with $38 million in earnings.
Paul has gained attention in the MMA world for his criticism of UFC
fighter pay as well as victories over former MMA champs Tyron
Woodley and Ben
Askren.