Conor McGregor has beaten out competition from the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lewis Hamilton to claim the number one spot on Forbes' highest-paid athlete list.
The Irish UFC star made a gigantic £106 million ($150 million) from his recent sale of whiskey brand Proper 12 to Proximo Spirits, as well as £15.5 million ($22 million) from his sporting endeavors.
McGregor has also upped his game in terms of product endorsements, adding DraftKings, the video game Dystopia: Contest of Heroes and the lifestyle brand Roots of Fight to his portfolio that has included campaigns with Burger King in the past, and a lucrative deal to wear Monster Energy's logo on his fight shorts.
It's only the third time that an athlete has made more than £49.5 million ($70 million) away from their sport while actively competing, with tennis star Roger Federer and golfing icon Tiger Woods the other two to break that limit.
© instagram.com/thenotoriousmmaCristiano Ronaldo and Conor McGregor
The top 10 features three other athletes who cracked $100 million since the onset of the pandemic, which has hampered a lot of sporting activity and cut brand sponsorship budgets.
Football superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo join McGregor in the hundred club, as does NFL quarterback Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys.
The list is rounded out by NBA star LeBron James, PSG footballer Neymar, tennis legend Roger Federer, F1 star Sir Lewis Hamilton, Super Bowl-winning Tom Brady and Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant.
The Irishman told fans on Sunday night that he was aiming to reach the number one spot during a Q&A, and has discussed the possibility of buying his childhood football teams Celtic and Manchester United.
McGregor is the first UFC fighter to top the list, and the first Irishman to do it.
Forbes' earnings figures for 'on-the-field' earnings include all prize money, salaries and bonuses earned between the first of May 2020, and the first of May 2021.
If an athlete competes even once within that time period, they constitute an active competitor and qualify for the list.
If an athlete continues to be paid beyond May for a regular season that is typically concluded by then, such as the NBA and the Premier League which have been delayed due to Covid-19 protocols, the full season's salary is counted.
For 'off-the-field' earnings, they speak to industry insiders to estimate cash returns from any of the athletes' businesses, and calculate sponsorship deals, appearance fees and licensing income for that 12 month period.