Conor McGregor finally cracks Forbes’ 100 richest athletes list, not Ireland’s top earner

Rory McIlroy was still the highest earning athlete from the island of Ireland in 2015, according to Forbes.

The golfer banked a staggering $42.6 million last year ($7.6m winnings + $35m endorsements) which was enough to see him take the 17th spot on the list. McIlroy actually dropped five spots from the previous year, having earned $5.7m more in 2014. A very lucrative year for Conor McGregor saw him crack into the top 100 for the first time. The UFC featherweight champion came in joint 85th level with Eden Hazard and Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz, earning a cool $22m apiece. The bulk of McGregor's earnings - $18m - came from his winnings and salary, while $4m was from endorsements. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/688635371563958273?lang=en Cristiano Ronaldo took top spot with a gargantuan $88m ($56m salary + $32 m endorsements) beating out Lionel Messi ($81.4m) and LeBron James ($77.2m) who completed the top three. Floyd Mayweather came in at 16th spot with $44m, an impressive feat considering he retired last year. To check out the full list of 100 athletes, click here.