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First and the only MMA fighter to make it to Forbes' highest-paid athletes' list, Conor McGregor is still among the highest-paid celebrities. His rival and retired Boxing great, Floyd Mayweather, has been excluded which by default means that The Notorious one has surpassed 'Money'.
The former two-division UFC Champion is ranked at No.53 among the Celebrity 100 and occupies a much higher spot at No.16 among highest-paid athletes as of the calendar year 2020.
Conor McGregor's reported earnings in the year stood at $48 million according to Forbes. The Notorious One made his debut in the highest-paid celebrities list in 2016 at No.85 and has been a part of it since.
Conor McGregor's crossover fight against Floyd Mayweather in 2017 was the biggest payday of his career that saw the Irishman take home a whopping $99 million. This also got him the No.4 spot in the Forbes' highest-paid athletes' list of 2018.
Floyd Mayweather, who topped the list that year with a reported $285 million in earnings, was dropped from the subsequent lists following his retirement from professional boxing with a perfect 50-0 record.
Other Combat sport athletes who adorn the 2020 list are heavyweight Boxers Tyson Fury (No.11), Anthony Joshua (No.19), Deontay Wilder (No.20), and Floyd Mayweather's former rival Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (No.30). 20-time Tennis Grand Slam winner, Roger Federer, has topped the list with reported earnings worth $106 million.
Following his TKO loss against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, Conor McGregor expressed his desire to fight multiple times in 2021 and has his eyes set on another high-profile crossover fight against Manny Pacquiao. This assures a further improvement in the Irishman's standing in the list.
Conor McGregor's life is an inspiring rags-to-riches story
Conor McGregor may be the richest MMA fighter at the moment but he had humble beginnings. The former two-division UFC Champion was born to a working class couple in Dublin, Ireland. Before competing in professional MMA, McGregor worked as a plumbing apprentice and was supported by his partner and longtime girlfriend Dee Devlin.
McGregor made his UFC debut in 2013 against Marcus Brimage and quickly became one of the most talked-about fighters in the MMA community with his brash and outspoken personality.
But the real reason behind McGregor's claim to fame was his ability to back up his out-of-cage antics with a formidable fighting skillset. It made him a huge star as Conor McGregor became the first fighter in the UFC history to earn a $3 million purse for his UFC 196 fight against Nate Diaz.
Conor McGregor's role in making UFC a global phenomenon is undeniable and it is evident from the numbers as four out of five highest-grossing PPV events in UFC history were headlined by The Notorious one.
McGregor is currently recovering from the damage he suffered in the rematch against Poirier and is expected to make a comeback in May 2021.
