LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: Conor McGregor of Ireland walks in the octagon before his lightweight bought against Dustin Poirier during UFC 264: Poirier v McGregor 3 at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Conor McGregor might not have fought much over the last year but still raked in millions
Sportico came out with their 2022 highest-paid athletes list and there was a surprise in who came out on top.
It wasn’t a footballer or baseball star but LeBron James. The NBA legend might have failed in guiding the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA title but he brought him an incredible $127million over the past 12 months, according to Sportico.
James’ salary was $36.9m while he brought home an incredible $90m. While there were other top names there, Conor McGregor, who could be the biggest MMA star of all-time, also ranked in this survey.
The Irishman came in 22nd on the list with $52million over the past 12 months. McGregor got $32m as his salary and got $20m from his endorsements.
In the past 12 months, McGregor only fought once, in his loss to Dustin Poirier. At the end of the first round, the Irishman broke his ankle and has been looking to get back to action.
The Irishman could return in the Welterweight division, and it is to be seen who he faces next.
McGregor has often featured in such lists and is the only MMA star in the top 100. It makes sense given how big of a draw he is for the sport, and even if he gets a loss, he still makes big money.
Lionel Messi came second on the list with $122m with $72m as his earnings and $50 from endorsements.
From boxing, Saul Canelo Alvarez came fifth with a total of $89m. Swiss ace, Roger Federer was eighth on the list and he made just $700,000 from his salary. However, Federer got $85m from his endorsement dealings.
Tiger Woods just made it to the top 10 while Lewis Hamilton was the highest placed F1 star. The seven-time World Champion came in 19th in the list with $42m as his salary and $12m from his endorsements.
The highest-placed female athlete on this list is Naomi Osaka. The tennis sensation came in 20th and earned $53.2m with $1.2m being her salary.
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