Conor McGregor insists he is well on his way to becoming MMA’s first billionaire ahead of UFC return
‘I’m approaching a billion now’: Conor McGregor insists he’s on track to become MMA’s first billionaire… as Irishman reveals TRUE net worth ahead of UFC return
- Conor McGregor is the richest fighter in mixed martial arts history
- The 34-year-old was named the world’s highest-paid athlete in 2021 by Forbes
- His fight with Floyd Mayweather was one of the highest-grossing fights in the sport
Conor McGregor has revealed his ambition to become MMA’s first billionaire, with the 34-year-old aiming to emulate the financial success of NBA legend Michael Jordan.
McGregor has long been one of the highest paid fighters in martial arts and was the first MMA fighter to be named on the famous Forbes list.
The 34-year-old revealed after his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather in 2017 that he earned around $100 million (£80.3 million) for his part in the crossover fight.
In the years since the “money fight,” as it came to be known, McGregor has diversified his income and topped the 2021 Forbes list of the highest paid athletes.
That year, he and his business partners sold their interest in Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey for reportedly $600 million (£481.9 million).
Conor McGregor has revealed his goal to become the first billionaire MMA fighter in history
McGregor reportedly earned $100 million for his 2017 crossover fight with Floyd Mayweather
As his UFC return draws ever closer, McGregor revealed that he wants to be among the highest-paid athletes of all time and has his sights set on Chicago Bulls legend Jordan for the top spot.
“It’s motivating, Michael Jordan is number one, obviously with the Jordan brand that got him there, he’s worth several billions, 3.3 I think he made it.” McGregor told Megan Olivi on the UFC’s YouTube channel.
“I’m approaching a billion now, I think I made about 650 million. I think [Forbes] guess that, I should probably do my own little check on that.
“But I estimate my chances, I see my chances of getting on that list. It’s good to see, as you say Forbes was a goal of mine to achieve that, I got that and we’re moving forward.”
After being out of the Octagon for nearly two years following a serious injury in his bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, McGregor has insisted he will be back in action this year.
The former lightweight champion has since topped Forbes’ list of the highest-paid athletes
The UFC’s drug-testing organization, USADA, revealed in a statement last month that the former world champion had submitted two-weight paperwork to rejoin the testing pool.
“We have recently been in direct contact with Conor McGregor, and as he confirmed to the media today, we expect to receive his paperwork once he retires and immediately rejoins USADA’s testing pool,” USADA wrote in a statement.
“Like other athletes retiring, under the UFC anti-doping policy, McGregor will be tested for at least six months and must provide at least two negative samples before being allowed to compete.”
The Irishman is expected to face lightweight contender Michael Chandler on his return to competition, with the pair serving as opposing judges in The Ultimate Fighter’s 31st season.