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Forbes 2026 list shuts out MMA fighters for second straight year as Ronaldo leads

Forbes' 2026 highest-paid athletes list features no MMA fighters in the top 50 for the second consecutive year. Cristiano Ronaldo leads with $300 million in earnings, while Canelo Alvarez ranks second at $170 million and Jake Paul places 23rd at $70 million.

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Forbes 2026 list shuts out MMA fighters for second straight year as Ronaldo leads
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For the second consecutive year, no MMA fighter appears in Forbes’ top 50 highest-paid athletes list for 2026, with the lowest-ranked entry — tennis world number one Jannik Sinner at No. 50 — reportedly earning $54.6 million over the past year. Cristiano Ronaldo tops the ranking for the fourth year running after earning an estimated $300 million, up from $275 million in 2025.

Only two combat sports athletes made the cut, both boxers. Canelo Alvarez climbed to second overall with $170 million in total earnings — $160 million from fight purses and $10 million from sponsorships — boosted largely by his blockbuster bout against Terence Crawford, which drew more than 41 million viewers on Netflix. Crawford, despite winning a one-sided decision in that fight, did not appear on the list.

Jake Paul placed 23rd with $70 million in earnings, comprising $60 million in fight purses and $10 million in sponsorships. Paul fought twice in 2025: a win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in December that also left him with a broken jaw. His paydays were nonetheless substantial, underpinned by his promotional company Most Valuable Promotions.

The MMA drought on the Forbes list stands in contrast to the sport’s recent history. Conor McGregor is the only UFC fighter to have consistently broken into the top 50, most notably in 2021 when he ranked first — largely on the back of his reported $150 million share from the sale of his Proper No. 12 whiskey brand rather than fight earnings alone. McGregor also appeared on the 2017 list following his crossover boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, though again the majority of his income that year came from boxing rather than MMA.

McGregor is scheduled to return to competition at UFC 329 on July 11, where he faces Max Holloway in a rematch. Whether that bout generates enough in purses and ancillary income to push him back into the top 50 for the 2027 edition remains to be seen, but he appears to be the UFC’s most realistic candidate to end the streak.

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