An MMA fighter has finally broken into the Forbes list of the 100 highest-paid athletes. Conor McGregor, the brash UFC featherweight champion has done what no other MMA fighter has managed and checked in at No. 85 on the list with an estimated $22 million in Earnings.
That number was good enough to tie McGregor (19-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) with Belgian soccer star Eden Hazard and Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz.
Ronda Rousey (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has made several appearances on the Forbes list of highest-paid female athletes, but McGregor’s appearance on the overall list is a groundbreaking moment for the sport of MMA.
McGregor will build significantly on his bank account when he rematches Nate Diaz (19-10 MMA, 14-8 UFC) in the main event of UFC 202.
Diaz stepped up to face McGregor on short notice at UFC 196, stepping in for injured lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos. The bout took place at welterweight, but McGregor remained a solid favorite as the men made their way to the cage. Diaz survived a rocky first round to stun McGregor on the feet before taking the fight to the floor and finishing with a second-round rear-naked choke.
The rematch was originally scheduled for UFC 200, but a dispute between McGregor and UFC officials over promotional duties tanked the fight. After a brief mention of retirement on Twitter from McGregor, cooler heads eventually prevailed.
UFC 200 takes place Aug. 20 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card will air on pay-per-view.
For more on UFC 202, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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