Conor McGregor has been announced as the highest-paid athlete of the past year on Forbes’ annual list.
The Irishman earned $180 million, mainly as a result of the sale of his controlling stake in his whisky brand Proper No. Twelve for a reported $600 million.
He earned an estimated $22 million for his fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 in January, which McGregor lost.
According to Forbes, he has become only the third athlete to earn more than $70 million off the field in a single year whilst still actively competing.
It is the first time ‘Notorious’ has topped the list. Indeed, his name wasn’t in the top ten last year (he came in 16th with $48m earnings) with tennis star Roger Federer taking the top spot.
Federer has slipped down to seventh this year – mainly due to his inactivity on the court due to a knee injury – with McGregor ahead of footballing duo Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
And footage has resurfaced from 2016 showing McGregor predicting that he would one day catch Ronaldo on the list.
McGregor tells him: “You’re number one on the Forbes list, I was like number 35. I’ll get up!”
“Maybe next year I’ll get you!”, he adds, before Ronaldo replies: “I’ll get you!”
And McGregor’s words certainly rung true today, as he was announced as the highest-paid athlete for the year – overtaking the Portuguese icon in the process.
Ronaldo himself earned $120 million this year, compared to $105 million that he earned according to the 2020 Forbes rankings.
His current contract with Juventus runs until 2022, with reports that he could return to boyhood club Sporting Lisbon when that deal expires.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
