Conor McGregor tops the list of highest-paid athletes in the world with Ronaldo, Federer, and many more fighting for the wooden spoon

Conor McGregor tops the list of highest-paid athletes in the world with Ronaldo, Federer, and many more fighting for the wooden spoon

Conor Mcgregor Cristiano Ronaldo Roger Federer

Recently Conor McGregor became the highest-paid athlete in the world for the year 2021. According to Forbes, he has earned a total of  180 million dollars back in 2021.

Interestingly he has beaten sportspersons like Ronaldo and Messi to take the top spot on the list. McGregor fought Dustin Poirier twice the previous year and thanks to his popularity he got 22 million after getting knocked down by the diamond at UFC 257. 

However, most of his earnings didn’t come from MMA. Rather he earned most of his money last year by selling the stakes of his whiskey brand proper no 12. Previously the fighter was on the list when he fought Money Mayweather. Conor got the fourth spot on the list then. However, it is amazing to see how much improvement he has shown to top this time. 

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Moreover, the whiskey brand isn’t the only off-cage earning that McGregor does. He has diversified his portfolio as it includes the Draftkings and a video game Dystopia. McGregor has often promoted and used every bit of his popularity to benefit these brands as well. 

While McGregor topped the list, Leo Messi was the man just behind him with an annual earning of $130 Million followed by Cristiano Ronaldo ( $120 Million). Dak Prescott was another name on the prestigious list as his annual income also crossed the $100 Million milestone. Dak’s earnings in the year 2021 were $107.5 Million. 

The Forbes list also had names like PSG football star Neymar, tennis player Roger Federer, LeBron James, and many more. So, beating such greats of their respective fields in terms of earning is certainly an achievement. 

When will Conor McGregor return?

Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor last fought in July 2021 against Dustin Poirier where his ankle broke while fighting. Since then the fighter has been doing rehab and is yet to return inside the octagon. 

After 3 losses in his last four fights, this is the break Conor certainly needed to break that losing momentum and come back stronger. McGregor recently revealed that he will return to sparring in the month of April on the guidance of his doctor and is hoping to take a fight in July. It would be interesting to see how things turn out and when will the Notorious make his comeback.

Also Read: Conor McGregor is the highest-earning athlete per minute in 2021; trumps Ronaldo, Messi, and Canelo