UFC pay model is a particularly hot topic in MMA considering one of the biggest stars of the sport opted for free agency in order to pursue a lucrative boxing deal.
On any given night, UFC reimuburses the athletes with upto 20% of what an event brings in. While this is spectacular for Endeavor shareholders it’s decidedly less impressive for the talent.
One outlier seems to be Conor McGregor.
He has been listed as one of the highest-paid athletes of all time, according to the list Sportico compiled.
Despite being the only mixed martial artist (MMA), he has taken the 33rd spot, with a net worth of $615 million. This places him ahead of some notable athletes like Evander Holyfield, Canelo Alvarez, and Drew Brees. McGregor’s wealth is a result of his earnings from his purses, his pay-per-view, and his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
Furthermore, McGregor’s brand, Proper No. 12, grossed $600 million when he sold his majority share in the company. As a result, he has joined the ranks of athletes who have generated huge wealth through various ventures.
The highest-paid athlete of all time is Michael Jordan, with $3.3 billion in earnings. Golf legends Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer come in second and third, respectively. Woods earned $2.5 billion throughout his career, while Palmer earned $1.7 billion.
Boxing has also produced a fair share of athletes on the Sportico list, with seven boxers featuring in the top 50. The highest-ranking boxer is Floyd Mayweather, coming in at number 8 with $1.41 billion in earnings. This shows the lucrative nature of the sport and its ability to generate significant revenue for its athletes.
The list also features other notable basketball stars such as LeBron James at number 6 ($1.53 billion), Kobe Bryant ($1.05 billion), and Shaq O’Neal ($1.05 billion) sharing the 13th spot. Two of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time, multi-time Super Bowl champions Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, also make the list ahead of McGregor, ranked at 22 ($690 million) and 25 ($675 million), respectively.
While it’s interesting to observe McGregor as a marketing phenomenon it’s crucial to realize that he hasn’t had the same effect on his peer’s earnings. UFC just reported about the highest grossing year – thanks to reducing how much they spend on athletes.