Conor McGregor, The Highest Paid Athlete of 2021, Surpasses Messi and Cristiano
Although his return to UFC cage handed him a loss to Dustin Poirier, 2021 was also a big money year for Irish fighter.
2021 is ending and when we think about who could have been the highest paid athlete of the year, it is difficult for names like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo not to cross our minds, it can also happen to LeBron James, however, none of the three occupies the rank of honor as the highest paid athlete.
UFC Irish fighter Conor McGregor tops both as the highest paid athlete of the year. McGregor earned an approximate $180 million dollars according to the prestigious Forbes magazine, thus beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Unlike Messi and Cristiano, who earned the vast majority of their 2021 earnings thanks to a hefty salary of $97 and $70 million respectively, Conor only earned a salary of $22 million. Besides that he only had two fights, which were a loss to Dustin Poirier.
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So you might be wondering how did McGregor make so many millions of dollars? The answer is not hard to guess: sponsors remain the strong suit for the Irish fighter.
McGregor has earnings of up to $158 million. Having agreements with companies such as DraftKings, the video game Dystopia, and the lifestyle brand Roots of Fight. His biggest deal came when he sold his majority stake in his Proper No. Twelve brand of whiskey. The deal earned the fighter more than $100 million, according to Forbes.
