Conor McGregor—Breaking Down the MMA Fighter's Net Worth
Conor McGregor, an MMA fighter, is the Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete in 2021. The estimates for his net worth vary but he earned $180 million last year.
July 9 2021, Published 12:35 p.m. ET
Conor McGregor is a renowned star in the MMA (mixed martial arts) world. He has banked plenty of multi-million-dollar paydays. He was named #1 on the Forbes list of Highest-Paid Athletes in 2021.
On July 10, McGregor is slated to face off for the third time against Dustin Poirier in the Octagon fighting ring. The rivals will fight in the T-Mobile Arena in front of 20,000 spectators. Regardless of whether or not McGregor wins, he will still take home a massive amount of money for his appearance.
Conor McGregor's whiskey brand
One of McGregor’s endeavors outside the world of MMA is his Irish Whiskey brand. He founded the whiskey company, Proper No. Twelve, in 2018 and sold his majority stake this spring. McGregor will continue as a company spokesperson.
McGregor’s business partner Ken Austin said that they always intended for Proximo Spirits to eventually take a majority stake. It already had a 49 percent stake in the company and has now upped its ownership stake with the recent deal. CBS Sports reported that the deal was worth up to $600 million, although other sources say $150 million for McGregor.
Meanwhile, Proximo Spirits is the U.S. operating subsidiary of Becle—the company that owns internally-developed tequila brand Jose Cuervo. It also has acquisitions like Three Olives, Stranahan’s, Bushmills, and Pendleton.
Conor McGregor’s fight winnings
McGregor isn't a stranger to huge winnings from his MMA fights. He has made millions in single fights, including $30 million for a first-round knockout of Donald Cerrone in a 2020 match, as AS English reported. A fight against Floyd Mayweather brought him $85 million in 2018.
In May, Forbes magazine named McGregor the highest-paid athlete in 2021. It reported that he earned $180 million over the last 12 months, which includes selling his whiskey brand for $150 million.
Endorsements added $158 million, which made McGregor only the third athlete to ever earn more than $70 million “off the field” while still an active competitor. He earns money working with Beats by Dre, Reebok, Monster Energy, Burger King, and other brands.
How much is Conor McGregor making to fight Dustin Poirier?
For his last bout with Dustin Poirier, McGregor disclosed earning $5 million. However, the pay-per-revenue figure isn't included in that and is estimated at about $15 million, which brings his total payday from the January fight to $20 million.
The Daily Mirror reported that McGregor is expected to earn another eight-figure amount for the fight with Poirier on July 10.
Poirier and McGregor are tied in battle as they head into their third matchup this weekend. McGregor defeated Poirier in 2014 with a knockout in one minute and 46 seconds. At UFC 257 in January, Poirier won in the second round. Even with the loss earlier in the year, McGregor made a disclosed $5 million, which was likely higher due to other fees.
The UFC doesn’t advertise the purse, or winnings, for a fight in advance, so estimates are based on prior fight winnings. The winner of the bout doesn’t necessarily earn more than the loser. In MMA, the most popular fighter brings in more money. That’s how McGregor earned $5 million after losing compared to Poirier’s $1 million as the winner.
