Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather have at least one thing in common – both are fond of bragging about their respective wealth.
The latter, an unbeaten multi-world champion boxer, has undoubtedly earned more than any boxer in history while the former, the current UFC mixed martial arts (MMA) world champion, became the first mixed martial artist to make the Forbes list of highest paid athletes last year.
Both men have reached the pinnacle of their profession but it is difficult to compare the two careers from a financial perspective. Partly because McGregor is still active while Mayweather has ostensibly retired, but also because of the contrast between their contractual circumstances.
Towards the latter end of his career Mayweather was effectively a free agent meaning he negotiated every single fight from a position of considerable strength. McGregor, by contrast, is exclusively contracted to the UFC, which gives him less independence and significantly less leverage from a financial perspective.
Forbes last year stated that Mayweather had earned in excess of US$700 million during his boxing career. It listed McGregor as having received $22m from purses and endorsements, although the Irishman fought twice more after the list's publication.
Mayweather did not make his pay-per-view (PPV) debut until the age of 28. So McGregor, who does not turn 29 until July, is well ahead of him in that respect. However, the boxer continued to compete at the very top level until well into his 30s and it is doubtful whether the mixed martial artist will enjoy such longevity.
Given how much he is currently earning McGregor probably will not need to. This could be a good thing for the Irishman who might enjoy similar levels of popularity to Mayweather but cannot compete when it comes to competitive success. While Mayweather retired undefeated after winning 49 fights out of 49 McGregor has already lost three times in professional MMA. The Dubliner’s 21-3 record is still extremely impressive but nowhere near as stellar as that of the man who, with some justification, calls himself the best boxer in the history of the sport
That perfect professional record gives Mayweather bragging rights but his fights were somewhat predictable because everyone knew who was going to win. McGregor’s matchups are tougher to call, which should make them more interesting to a viewership more likely to tune in if they do not feel the outcome is a foregone conclusion.
Mayweather is reliably reported to have generated approximately 19.5 million PPV buys and $1.3 billion in revenue throughout his career. According to estimates he is the seventh-highest earning athlete of all time, with the likes of football’s David Beckham and US basketball’s Shaquile O’Neal slightly behind him.
Athletic commissions in several US states require the UFC to publish its fighter payroll in the aftermath of an event. McGregor’s most recent disclosed purse was the $3m that he earned beating Nate Diaz in Las Vegas early in 2016. However, with a cut of the PPV profits factored, in he is believed to have earned closer to $15m that night.
McGregor’s latest fight took place in New York, where the athletic commission does not disclose purses. The PPV sales were 1.3 million, a 21 per cent decrease from the previous show he headlined, but that did not stop the newly crowned UFC lightweight champion from earning a career high $20m, according to reports.
Mayweather made $32m for his final fight, against Andre Berto in 2015. He had banked between $220m and $230m from the previous year’s bout against Manny Pacquiao.
McGregor clearly believes the only way he can earn the same money as the top boxers is to compete in boxing. Given his complete lack of competitive experience in the sport it is doubtful that he would be able to beat Mayweather – but a career-high purse would definitely be on the table.
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