McGregor moves way up Forbes 100 highest paid athletes list

Conor McGregor made his UFC debut vs. Marcus Brimage at UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi on April 6, 2013. He won via strikes in 67 seconds. And he won a $60,000 Knockout of the Night performance bonus.

The week before, he had been on welfare.

I’m just happy I won $60 g’s, said McGregor. I’m just thinking on what I’m going to spend it on. I’ll buy myself a car anyway. A nice car, maybe some suits or something. Custom made suits, I don’t know.

Just last week I was collecting the social welfare, you know what I mean? I was in there saying to them like, ‘I don’t know what going to happen. I’m signed to the UFC. I don’t know what….blah, blah, blah.’ But now I supposed I’m gonna have to tell them to f*** off!

Three years later, and he made it onto Forbes’ list of the top 100 highest paid athletes in the world, at #85. The latest Forbes rankings are out, and this time McGregor is ranked #24. And if the planned boxing match with Floyd Mayweather goes through as expected, McGregor will make perhaps 60-70 million, which would push him into the top 10 next year

Rank • Name • Pay • Salary/Winnings • Endorsements • Sport

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo $93 M $58 M $35 M Soccer
#2 LeBron James $86.2 M $31.2 M $55 M Basketball
#3 Lionel Messi $80 M $53 M $27 M Soccer
#4 Roger Federer $64 M $6 M $58 M Tennis
#5 Kevin Durant $60.6 M $26.6 M $34 M Basketball
#6 Andrew Luck $50 M $47 M $3 M Football
#6 Rory McIlroy $50 M $16 M $34 M Golf
#8 Stephen Curry $47.3 M $12.3 M $35 M Basketball
#9 James Harden $46.6 M $26.6 M $20 M Basketball
#10 Lewis Hamilton $46 M $38 M $8 M Auto Racing

#11 Drew Brees $45.3 M $31.3 M $14 M Football
#12 Phil Mickelson $43.5 M $3.5 M $40 M Golf
#13 Russell Westbrook $38.6 M $26.6 M $12 M Basketball
#14 Sebastian Vettel $38.5 M $38 M $500 K Auto Racing
#15 Damian Lillard $38.4 M $24.4 M $14 M Basketball
#16 Novak Djokovic $37.6 M $9.6 M $28 M Tennis
#17 Tiger Woods $37.1 M $107 K $37 M Golf
#18 Neymar $37 M $15 M $22 M Soccer
#19 Dwyane Wade $36.2 M $23.2 M $13 M Basketball
#20 Fernando Alonso $36 M $34 M $2 M Auto racing

#21 Jordan Spieth $34.5 M $5.5 M $29 M Golf
#22 Derrick Rose $34.3 M $21.3 M $13 M Basketball
#23 Usain Bolt $34.2 M $2.2 M $32 M Track
#24 Gareth Bale $34 M $23 M $11 M Soccer
#24 Conor McGregor $34 M $27 M $7 M Mixed Martial Arts
#26 Kei Nishikori $33.9 M $3.9 M $30 M Tennis
#27 Fletcher Cox $33.4 M $33.3 M $75 K Football
#28 Clayton Kershaw $33.3 M $32.5 M $800 K Baseball
#29 Carmelo Anthony $32.6 M $24.6 M $8 M Basketball
#30 Zlatan Ibrahimovic $32 M $27 M $5 M Soccer

#31 Antonio Brown $31.9 M $29.4 M $2.5 M Football
#32 Demar DeRozan $31.6 M $26.6 M $5 M Basketball
#33 Rafael Nadal $31.5 M $5.5 M $26 M Tennis
#34 Eric Berry $31.1 M $30.8 M $300 K Football
#35 Chris Paul $30.9 M $22.9 M $8 M Basketball
#36 David Price $30.6 M $30 M $550 K Baseball
#37 Miguel Cabrera $30.3 M $28.3 M $2 M Baseball
#38 Kyrie Irving $29.9 M $17.9 M $12 M Basketball
#39 Stephon Gilmore $29.3 M $29.1 M $200 K Football
#40 Andy Murray $28.8 M $14.8 M $14 M Tennis

#40 Justin Verlander $28.8 M $28.2 M $600 K Baseball
#42 Mike Conley $28.6 M $26.6 M $2 M Basketball
#43 Canelo Alvarez $28.5 M $27 M $1.5 M Boxing
#44 Anthony Davis $28.1 M $22.1 M $6 M Basketball
#44 Blake Griffin $28.1 M $20.1 M $8 M Basketball
#44 Al Horford $28.1 M $26.6 M $1.5 M Basketball
#44 Von Miller $28.1 M $25.1 M $3 M Football
#48 Dustin Johnson $27.6 M $16.6 M $11 M Golf
#49 Albert Pujols $27.3 M $25.3 M $2 M Baseball
#50 Dwight Howard $27.2 M $23.2 M $4 M Basketball

#51 Ryan Howard $27 M $26.7 M $300 K Baseball
#51 Serena Williams $27 M $8 M $19 M Tennis
#53 Robinson Cano $26.6 M $24.1 M $2.5 M Baseball
#54 Kevin Love $26.4 M $21.4 M $5 M Basketball
#55 Chris Bosh $26.3 M $23.8 M $2.5 M Basketball
#56 Cam Newton $26 M $13 M $13 M Football
#56 Dirk Nowitzki $26 M $25 M $1 M Basketball
#58 Paul George $25.8 M $18.3 M $7.5 M Basketball
#58 Felix Hernandez $25.8 M $25.3 M $500 K Baseball
#60 Jason Pierre-Paul $25.7 M $25.5 M $200 K Football

#61 CC Sabathia $25.6 M $25 M $600 K Baseball
#62 David DeCastro $25.1 M $25 M $75 K Football
#63 Eli Manning $25 M $18 M $7 M Football
#64 Buster Posey $24.6 M $20.6 M $4 M Baseball
#65 Prince Fielder $24.2 M $24 M $200 K Baseball
#66 Josh Hamilton $24.1 M $24 M $100 K Baseball
#67 Zack Greinke $24.1 M $24 M $50 K Baseball
#68 Harrison Barnes $23.9 M $22.4 M $1.5 M Basketball
#69 Joe Mauer $23.8 M $23 M $800 K Baseball
#70 Wayne Rooney $23.6 M $17.6 M $6 M Soccer

#71 Bradley Beal $23.3 M $22.1 M $1.2 M Basketball
#71 Luis Suarez $23.3 M $17.3 M $6 M Soccer
#73 Matt Kalil $23.2 M $23.1 M $75 K Football
#74 Andre Drummond $23.1 M $22.1 M $1 M Basketball
#75 Masahiro Tanaka $23 M $22 M $1 M Baseball
#76 Chandler Jones $22.9 M $22.8 M $100 K Football
#76 Chandler Parsons $22.9 M $22.1 M $750 K Basketball
#78 Cole Hamels $22.7 M $22.5 M $200 K Baseball
#78 Hassan Whiteside $22.7 M $22.2 M $500 K Basketball
#80 Sergio Agüero $22.6 M $14.6 M $8 M Soccer

#81 Muhammad Wilkerson $22.4 M $22 M $400 K Football
#82 Nick Perry $22.3 M $22.2 M $100 K Football
#82 Hanley Ramirez $22.3 M $22 M $300 K Baseball
#82 Justin Upton $22.3 M $22.1 M $200 K Baseball
#85 Marc Gasol $22.2 M $21.2 M $1 M Basketball
#85 DeAndre Jordan $22.2 M $21.2 M $1 M Basketball
#87 LaMarcus Aldridge $22.1 M $20.6 M $1.5 M Basketball
#87 Jose Reyes $22.1 M $22 M $100 K Baseball
#89 Anthony Joshua $22 M $18.5 M $3.5 M Boxing
#89 Virat Kohli $22 M $3 M $19 M Cricket

#91 James Rodriguez $21.9 M $14.9 M $7 M Soccer
#91 Klay Thompson $21.9 M $16.9 M $5 M Basketball
#93 Jimmie Johnson $21.8 M $16.8 M $5 M Auto Racing
#94 Jacoby Ellsbury $21.7 M $21.1 M $600 K Baseball
#94 Adrian Gonzalez $21.7 M $21.3 M $400 K Baseball
#94 Matt Kemp $21.7 M $21.5 M $200 K Baseball
#94 Brook Lopez $21.7 M $21.2 M $500 K Basketball
#98 Nicolas Batum $21.41 M $20.9 M $600 K Basketball
#98 Wladimir Klitschko $21.5 M $17.5 M $4 M Boxing
#100 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. $21.4 M $13.4 M $8 M Auto Racing