Irish Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) icon Conor McGregor has now been pronounced as the world’s highest-paid athlete in 2020 for the first time on Wednesday.

McGregor has managed to beat the other lushly paid football athletes like Crisiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr and basketball star Lebron James.  He has never been featured in the list of Forbes Highest Paid Athletes prior to 2020.

The reason behind McGregor’s entry in the list despite the pandemic strike on the sports industry was mainly because the recent sale of a majority stake in his whiskey company, Proper No. Twelve.

It was reported at the end of April that Conor McGregor, along with Proper No. Twelve co-founders Audie Attar and Ken Austin have sold their majority stakes in the Irish whiskey brand to renowned American brewery company based out of New Jersey, Proximo Spirits.

It was reported at the end of April that Conor McGregor, along with Proper No. Twelve co-founders Audie Attar and Ken Austin have sold their majority stakes in the Irish whiskey brand to renowned American brewery company based out of New Jersey, Proximo Spirits.

The deal was reported to amass $600 million which was then divided among the three partners. As per the World’s Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes list announced by Forbes, McGregor finished at the top with estimated earnings of $180 million this year. 

Out of which just $22 million came from the one fight he fought in 2020 in which he ended victorious over Donald Cerrone in January.

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