For the second straight year, MMA has been shut out of the highest-paid athletes rankings, with no fighters from the sport appearing on the 2026 top 50 list.
The new list features just two boxers and zero MMA names. Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the No. 1 spot after reportedly earning $300 million over the past year, marking his fourth consecutive year atop the rankings.
Canelo Alvarez came in at No. 2 with reported earnings of $170 million, including $160 million in fight purses and $10 million from sponsorships and endorsements. Jake Paul was listed at No. 23 with $70 million in reported earnings, broken down as $60 million in fight purses and $10 million from sponsorships and endorsements.
Paul fought twice in 2025, defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. before losing by knockout to Anthony Joshua in December, suffering a broken jaw. Tennis star Jannik Sinner rounded out the list at No. 50 with reported earnings of $54.6 million over the past year.
No MMA fighter has made the top 50 highest-paid athletes list for the past two years, a notable shift given that former UFC champion Conor McGregor previously topped the rankings in 2021, largely due to earnings from the sale of his Proper No. 12 whiskey, reportedly netting him $150 million. McGregor also made the list after his 2017 boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, with most of his earnings coming from boxing rather than MMA.
McGregor is scheduled to fight Max Holloway in the main event at UFC 329 on July 11.
