Conor McGregor set to overtake Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on Forbes rich list

What's the story?

Conor McGregor may have lost the biggest boxing fight ever to Floyd Mayweather but he will surely be a happy man despite the result. He challenged the legendary American boxer to a fight earlier and it took place this Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Mayweather taking the win in 10 rounds via technical knockout.

It was billed as the biggest and richest fight in history given the astronomical sums of money involved. McGregor's share of the fight purse is expected to be nearly $100 million (£77 million) while Mayweather is expected to take home thrice the amount.

This figure will put the Irishman ahead of football star Cristiano Ronaldo on the Forbes rich list and make him the highest-paid active athlete in the world. He will over take the likes of Ronaldo, LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Kevin Durant, Roger Federer, Rory McIlroy and Lewis Hamilton.

In case you didn't know

McGregor took on Mayweather in a 12-round bout in Vegas and gave a good account of himself, despite the fight being the first of his pro boxing career. He started out aggressively and gave the American a fair bit of trouble with his fast pace.

However, the gulf in class became apparent once the match wore on. As McGregor began to tire out, Mayweather seized on the opportunity and came up with a flurry of punches. He got quite a few in during Round 9 and sealed the deal in Round 10 as he connected with a series of right hooks and forced the referee to intervene and call an end to the fight.

The heart of the matter

McGregor will overtake Cristiano Ronaldo, who are good friends with each other and met for the first time at the Irishman's training facility. McGregor has also spoken about his admiration for the Portuguese superstar and the four-time Ballon d'Or winner.

The Forbes list is compiled using the money earned through salaries and endorsements, including sponsorships and appearance fees. With his earnings from the Mayweather fight set to be added to his account, the Notorious is expected to make a giant leap on the charts.

What's next?

A return to the UFC circuit is likely for McGregor and the opponent for his next fight is still undecided.

Author's take

It is no surprise to McGregor overtake these stellar names, given the fact that he was involved in the richest boxing contest ever.