UFC boss lands Forbes cover, Conor McGregor thanks Dana White for once helping top list of highest-paid athletes

Ex-UFC double champ Conor McGregor has credited Dana White for his rise to the top of Forbes' 2021 list of the world's highest-paid athletes.

UFC boss lands Forbes cover, Conor McGregor thanks Dana White for once helping top list of highest-paid athletes

Conor McGregor heaps praise on Dana White as UFC boss lands Forbes cover (Source: X/Instagram-threads.net › @mma.pros.pick)

‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor thanked UFC CEO Dana White for his part in propelling him to Forbes’ 2021 highest-paid list. The Irishman was once the only one to do it from the UFC/MMA side of things. After achieving global level of success, UFC CEO White also made the list.

The two-weight UFC champ made history in May 2021 as the world’s highest-paid sports personality right off the COVID-19 scare. An active ballot contender, only $22 million of his estimated earnings came inside Dana White’s octagon at the time. The rest was in brand endorsements and the sale of his Proper 12. Yet, the Irish fighter now thanked the MMA supremo and his boss for giving him the stage.

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McGregor had the highest pay disparity on the list, with just two ballot appearance within the UFC period. The rest of the chunk of his $180m fortune is punctuated from brand deals outside of fighting or PPV sales/royalty payments. However, he isn’t leaving Dana White out of the equation. The UFC superstar posted an image holding the Forbes publication, with Dana White as its cover.

Captioning the photo on his Official IG Story: “Dana White congrats on the Forbes cover. A man that helped me top the Forbes Highest Paid Athlete list!” For his part, the UFC boss joined the SBJ ‘Most Influential People In Sports Business 2024’. He was instrumental in the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle $21,829,245 live gate income Noche UFC PPV event (UFC 306) at the MSG ‘Sphere.’

Conor McGregor teases Irish political bid with ‘full backing of Trump administration’ after recent visit

McGregor infamously topped the Forbes’ 2021 list of best-paid names weeks before his supposed final fight – a 2021 TKO leg break vs. Dustin Poirier. After that, the Irishman has been busy teasing free agency, downing pints during MMA promotional stitches at BKFC, and being up to everything else. With two contractual UFC fights left, there is no word of his return.

Away from UFC, Conor McGregor flames presidential chances
Away from UFC, Conor McGregor flames presidential chances (Source: X)

Conor McGregor is out the fight game but the fight hasn’t left him. Now, he remains focused elsewhere. His presidential bid for Ireland just got bolstered in a massive way after his recent US visit. McGregor made a rare appearance at the media wing with press secretary Karoline Leavitt, talking of immigration issues and how the incompetent Irish guard needs to solely focus on ‘Irish’ problems.

Despite optimism from McGregor, political leaders in Ireland has jibed down his claims. A fan account on X captioned one of his snaps as “MAKE IRELAND GREAT AGAIN!” To which, the fighter initiated a thread that he has the GOP republic backing in his stance. Away from a UFC return, McGregor is mulling a run for the top spot in November 2025.

Can Conor McGregor become president?

He needs the backing of 20 out of 234 Dáil members or 4 out of 31 local councils. Parliament is full of party-aligned MPs who aren’t going to back an independent. This is because an independent on the wrong side of law run-ins, controversies, and called ‘The Notorious’ for a reason. However, the councils could get him crossed.

Conor McGregor's declining popularity in Ireland
Conor McGregor (via X)

There is also some possibility that’s unlikely to happen. Gail McElroy, professor of political science at Trinity College, believes so for one reason. McGregor once flamed presidential aspirations by wanting to dissolve the Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives of the Oireachtas/AKA Irish Parliament)! The Garda also investigated him for smearing anti-social and riot thoughts via his social platforms.

Related: Dana White teases boxing fans with $20 million spectacle-type events after partnering with Turki Alalshikh