Conor McGregor slips off the list as no MMA fighters make top 100 highest-paid athletes
02/13/2025 06:00 AM
Whether it's our fascination with the yearly income of the mega-rich or our desire to see our favorite stars reigning supreme, the Top 100 highest-paid athletes list remains an alluring story to dive into.
Unfortunately for the wider MMA world, for the second time in past two years, no Mixed Martial Arts fighter has cracked the Top 100 highest-paid athletes of the year.
The last time that we saw an MMA fighter on the Top 100 list was Conor McGregor back in 2022; however, there were several top combat athletes who did make this year's list – can you name them?
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No MMA fighters make Top 100 highest-paid athletes list for 2024
This week, Sports Business outlet 'Sportico' released their official Top 100 list of the highest-paid athletes from 2024 with no MMA fighters featuring – not even its 'Notorious' premier superstars.
That shouldn't necessarily come as a surprise, the Irishman failed to compete in 2024 after McGregor withdrew from his UFC 303 main event against Michael Chandler in the Summer.
For the second year running, the top dog was soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo who reportedly earned a grand total of $260M, split $215M for salary/winnings and a further $45M in endorsements.
Second place went to Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry, who earned $53.8M in salary/winnings and an additional $100M in endorsements.
Six boxers crack the Top 100 highest-paid athletes list
In third place we see the first of six boxers making their mark on the Top 100 list; the top earner last year in the world of combat sports was Tyson 'The Gypsy King' Fury.
After dropping two decisions to Ukrainian hero Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, Tyson Fury announced his shock retirement from boxing – a move that has divided the wider sporting community.
'The Cat' himself came in at No. 7 with a sweet $122M combined purse. In the months since, Oleksandr Usyk has been called out by UFC champion Alex Pereira for a sensational cross-sport showdown.
Soccer, Basketball, and Golf dominate much of the Top 100 field, with the next combat sports star being Mexico's own Canelo Alvarez, who scored two UD wins over Edgar Berlanga and Jaime Munguia in 2024.
Canelo Alvarez had been slated to fight Jake Paul next before Turki Alalshikh's last-minute intervention and following his own super-fight against Mike Tyson, 'The Problem Child' would feature as the 52nd highest-paid athlete; taking home $38M in winnings and $10M in endorsements.
| Athlete | Sport | Salary/Winnings | Endorsements | Total |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | $215M | $45M | $260M |
| Steph Curry | Basketball | $53.8M | $100M | $153.8M |
| Tyson Fury | Boxing | $140M | $7M | $147M |
| Lionel Messi | Soccer | $60M | $75M | $135M |
| LeBron James | Basketball | $48.2M | $85M | $133.2M |
| Neymar | Soccer | $108M | $25M | $133M |
| Oleksandr Usyk | Boxing | $120M | $2M | $122M |
| Karim Benzema | Soccer | $108M | $8M | $116M |
| Kylian Mbappe | Soccer | $85M | $25M | $110M |
| Jon Rahm | Golf | $85.8M | $20M | $105.8M |
Anthony Joshua and Naoya Inoue were the only other two boxers who cracked the Top 100 – earning $60M and $42M a piece.
Unfortunately, no female athletes managed to crack the Top 100.
Tennis star Coco Gauff was the last woman to feature; in 2023, she earned around $30 million thanks primarily to her US Open triumph.
