Conor McGregor is world's highest-paid athlete

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Conor McGregor

Irish fighter Conor McGregor has raked in a reported $180 million over the past year to be crowned the world's highest-paid athlete.

The UFC superstar has only stepped into the octagon on a handful of occasions of late after toying with retirement in recent years, but he still banked a stunning $22 million from his January loss to Dustin Poirier.

However, the bulk of his riches came from outside the sport - namely from the sale of his Proper 12 Irish Whiskey brand - which has helped to boost him to number one on Forbes magazine's annual list of the World's Highest-Paid Athletes for the very first time.

McGregor had previously only cracked the top 10 in 2018, when he placed fourth with $99 million , thanks to his big bout with Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

The Irishman easily secured the top spot for 2021 - soccer stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are at two and three on the new countdown, with $130 million and $120 million, respectively.

American football quarterback Dak Prescott ($107.5 million) and basketball icon LeBron James ($96.5 million) round out the new top five, ahead of fellow top sportsmen Neymar, Roger Federer, Lewis Hamilton, Tom Brady, and Kevin Durant.