In 2021, Conor McGregor held the top spot of Forbes’ highest-paid athletes of the year to become the first MMA fighter to receive such a distinction. Instead of fight purses, it was bolstered mostly by the sale of his ownership stake of Proper Twelve whiskey, which reportedly earned him around $150 million.
But for 2022, things took a drastic turn for “The Notorious.” Based on Forbes’ new list, the new name at the top is football star Lionel Messi, whose net earnings are reported to be around the $130 million range. McGregor, on the other hand, is not even part of the top ten as he drops to number 35.