Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor – out of the ring, who is the best (and richest) businessman?

Oct 22 , 2019

(Left to right) Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor have all earned millions both in and outside the ring. Photo: Wires

Three of the most successful fighters ever, Conor McGregor, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, used their billions to enter the world of business – but which boxing or MMA champion has proved the smartest entrepreneur?

Years and years of training, fighting, taking beatings – the dust, the blood, the sweat, the pain. Losing, suffering, winning and winning more. That’s what these three mostly have in common: fighters Conor McGregor, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are champions, but even the strongest cannot duke it out forever.

And so, these three powerhouses have also turned to the world of business to top up their fortunes – with vastly different approaches and results.

Conor McGregor

Conor Anthony McGregor is a mixed martial artist (MMA) and boxer who became the UFC world champion. The 31-year-old Irishman is now No 12 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings – adjusted for weight – and No 3 in the lightweight category.

McGregor only began his professional boxing career in 2017, and in his debut match he was defeated by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Yet, the controversial fighter remains the biggest pay-per-view draw in MMA history. The UFC 229 match against Khabib Nurmagomedov drew the largest audience ever for an MMA event, with 2.4 million pay-per-view (PPV) buys on October 6, 2018. But it didn’t beat his earlier August 26, 2017 boxing match with Mayweather – which drew 4.3 million paid viewers, the second greatest in history.

So, McGregor knows his worth and value, how his name carries great interest and influence. And that pays off, partly in US$7 million worth of endorsement deals with Beats by Dre, Monster Energy, Reebok, Bud Light and Burger King.

Perfectly timed to capitalise on widespread viewership just before his match with Mayweather, McGregor announced a fashion brand partnership with custom clothier David August. Enter August McGregor, a fashion line of modern men’s suits aimed at millennials, who now garner the largest buying power in America.

Later in 2018, McGregor jointly launched Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey in Ireland and the US. The whiskey is named after his childhood hometown, the Crumlin neighbourhood in the Dublin 12 district. Despite a slow start, the brand will soon distribute to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and Canada.

Floyd Mayweather