MMA superstar Conor McGregor is believed to have made more than US$7 million in endorsement deals alone. Photo: Reuters
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https://scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3033972/floyd-mayweather-manny-pacquiao-and-conor-mcgregor-out Celebrities
Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor – out of the ring, who is the best (and richest) businessman?
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?
(Left to right) Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor have all earned millions both in and outside the ring. Photo: Wires
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
Boxer Floyd Mayweather became the first boxer to generate US$1 billion. Photo: AP
Arguably one of the best defensive boxers in history, Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr competed from 1996 to 2007, 2009 to 2010, 2011 to 2015 and made a one-fight comeback in 2017 against McGregor. The 42-year-old American has held multiple world titles in five weight classes and the lineal championship in four weight classes.
He retired undefeated. As an amateur, Mayweather won a bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics, three US Golden Gloves championships and the US national amateur championship at featherweight.
Generating nearly US$2 billion in his career thus far, Mayweather is another lucrative PPV attraction. Forbes and Sports Illustrated consistently list him among the highest-paid athletes in the world. He owns the Mayweather Boxing Club, a boxing gym located in the Chinatown Plaza in Las Vegas, and in 2006 he became a boxing promoter when he launched his business Mayweather Promotions.
Manny Pacquiao
Filipino national hero Manny Pacquiao is a record-breaking boxer, resourceful entrepreneur and a senator in his home country. Photo: Reuters
Often called one of the greatest professional boxers of all time, Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao is presently serving as a senator in the Philippines.
He is the only eight-division world champion, winning 12 major world titles, as well as being the first boxer to win the lineal championship in five different weight classes. Pacquiao is the first boxer to win major world titles in four of the eight glamour divisions of boxing (welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, flyweight).
The 41-year-old Filipino has generated around US$20 million in PPV buys and US$1.2 billion in revenue from his 25 PPV fights. Forbes listed him in 2015 as the second-highest-paid athlete in the world. He is married to “supermum” Jinkee Pacquiao, who is something of a social media star in her own right.
Beyond politics, Pacquiao is a TV host, actor and musician. His many business ventures include:
Waterotor Energy Technologies – Ottawa-based clean technology company
Pacquiao H20 – bottled water company, also known as Pacman H20
One Championship – Singapore-based sports media company
GToken – crowdsourced mobile publisher and advertising platform
MP Princess Digital Printing Solutions – all in the title
JMP Mass Media Production – radio stations
Pacman Beach Resort, Roadhaus Hotel, Pacman Beach House – hotels
Pacman Sports Bar N Grill
Pacman Wild Card Gym
JMP Shalom Travel and Tours
Team Pacquiao Store and Jinkee’s Fashion World – clothing stores
Revolution Precrafted – real estate developer