Conor McGregor has thanked Dana White for helping him to reach the top of the Forbes highest-paid athletes list in 2021.
The legendary two-weight UFC champion made history in May of 2021 when he was named the number one best paid athlete in the world coming out of the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, he was competing actively, but only $22million of his reported earnings came inside White’s octagon.
However, he continues to credit the UFC boss with bringing him to the top spot. This is despite his biggest earner being the sale of his Proper Twelve whiskey brand which he did independently of the MMA supremo.
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Conor McGregor heaps praise on Dana White as UFC boss lands Forbes cover
Conor McGregor knows all about Forbes Magazine; famously topping their highest paid athletes list in 2021 just weeks before what appears to have been his final fight against Dustin Poirier. It was always an ambition of his alongside winning two UFC titles, and he achieved it after the coronavirus pandemic.
Today, he posted a photo of himself holding the magazine, which bore his boss Dana White on the cover. He captioned the picture, which he put on his Instagram story: “Dana White congrats on the Forbes cover. A man that helped me top the Forbes Highest Paid Athlete list!”
Many would dispute just how involved White was, however, in that particular achievement. McGregor had just one fight within the eligibility period, and earned almost the entirety of his $180million fortune through deals outside of the octagon, which was the highest disparity on the list.
Conor McGregor visited Donald Trump in controversial meeting yesterday
The reason that Conor McGregor is in America is for a St Patrick’s Day visit to President Donald Trump at the White House. McGregor first took over the Press Briefing room before eventually heading to the Oval Office with his family.

There, he met with President Trump whom he told was an inspiration due to his work ethic. The visit was a controversial one given McGregor’s history outside of the cage, and saw Irish politicians distance themselves from his trip.
However, he has defended himself from the backlash and appears to have enjoyed his time with his family in the Oval Office.
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