Sportico simply launched it’s large ‘Highest Paid Athletes In The World’ record for the previous yr, and whereas boxing has a number of names on the record there aren’t any MMA fighters to be discovered.
The record begins at No. 1 with high dawg soccer participant Cristiano Ronaldowho made $260 million and ends at 100 with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones (no relation to Jon) who made $37.5 million.
It must be no shock contemplating the UFC’s pay practices that no MMA fighter got here near sniffing that a lot cash in a yr. And no shock that some boxers did.
There have been six boxers that made sufficient to make Sportico’s record: Tyson Fury got here in at No. 3 with $147 million. His dancing accomplice Oleksandr Usyk got here in No. 7 with $122 million. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is subsequent at No. 20, making $73 million. Anthony Joshua landed at No. 30 with $60 million. Jake Paul is No. 52 with $48 million, and Naoya Inoue is No. 81 with $42 million.
Now earlier than you shrug off boxing’s respectable illustration because of Saudi Arabia splashing the game with money it positively didn’t make again, let’s notice that Canelo Alvarez, Jake Paul, and Naoya Inoue all made their cash in 2024 with out the involvement of Turki Alalshikh.
Alvarez and Inoue have since signed offers with the Saudis, however their earnings had been legit and a correct reflection of the cash athletes could make off large fights in fight sports activities when there isn’t a monopsony on the high hoovering in all the cash.
You need to go all the best way again to 2022 to seek out an MMA fighter. Sportico stories that Conor McGregor made $32 million off purses and $20 million off endorsements for $52 million complete, placing him at No. 22 on the record. 2021 was a fair higher yr for the Irish sports activities star. He was No. 1 with $208 million, $180 million of that off endorsements (primarily the sale of Correct 12 whiskey).
All that was sufficient to get him placement within the Prime 50 Highest Paid Athletes Of All Time record.
Since then McGregor hasn’t managed to get again into the cage. A damaged leg stored him out in 2023. A damaged toe stored him out in 2024. And for no matter cause, the UFC appears decided to maintain him out of the cage till the top of 2025. The one different MMA fighter able to sniffing the Sportico Prime 100 is Jon Jones, who might by no means battle once more as a result of the UFC refuses to pay him a fraction of what he’s value.
