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Tyson Fury World’s Highest-Paid Fighter Above Conor McGregor And Anthony Joshua

Tyson Fury World’s Highest-Paid Fighter Above Conor McGregor And Anthony Joshua

Heavyweight earned a whopping £46 million in past 12 months making him the best-paid combat athlete on the planet.

Alex Reid

Alex Reid

Tyson Fury has been listed as the highest-paid fighter on the planet, the £46 million he's earned in the last 12 months putting him above the likes of Conor McGregor and Anthony Joshua.

The heavyweight has fought three times in that span, which has undoubtedly boosted his position. The Mirror report that a whopping £40 million of his total comes in fight purses, with the remainder from other sources.

It makes Fury the 11th highest-earning athlete on the planet, with UFC star McGregor 16th in the Forbes ranking and UK rival AJ in 19th spot.

McGregor and Joshua, plus Mexican boxing icon Canelo Alvarez, have undoubtedly seen their earnings hit by their relative inactivity compared to Fury.

Both Alvarez and AJ have had to halt plans for 2020 fights due to the global pandemic, while Fury boxed in February - spectacularly knocking out Deontay Wilder in a career-best display.

Fury signed a deal with US media giant ESPN worth a reported £80 million in 2019 and had a lucrative stint in the WWE. He wrestled Braun Strowman at the company's Crown Jewel event held in Saudi Arabia.

It's astonishing how the 31-year-old's global popularity has skyrocketed given his position a few years ago.

Even after his upset victory of Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 put Fury top of the heavyweight pile, he wasn't seen as a box office draw. Ticket sales for the scheduled rematch - which never took place - were reported to be slow.

But when Fury returned to the sport following a UK boxing ban and various personal troubles, it was clear he'd grown as an attraction, as fans flocked to see him in a pair of comeback fights in 2018.

That December's controversial draw with Wilder, however, which saw Fury haul his 6ft 9in frame up from the canvas twice, took his worldwide appeal to new levels.

His 12th-round comeback and the good grace with which he accepted the decision in a fight many thought he'd won - combined with his larger-than-life personality - earned him new fans in the USA.

February's KO of Wilder, which saw an entrance as jaw-dropping as Fury's in-ring display, sealed his position in the minds of many as the best heavyweight boxer on the planet.

Now he seems to be ruling combat sports as its highest-earning athlete. However if Joshua, McGregor and Alvarez fought three times in 12 months, they would likely topple Fury's earnings - especially given how much the likes of AJ make in endorsements on top of that.

Let's just hope that somehow we see Fury and Joshua clash in a boxing ring in the coming year for a fight that would surely earn both men career-high paydays. Put it on in Eddie Hearn's back garden for all we care - we'll purchase it.

All imagery: PA Images

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Topics: Conor Mcgregor, Tyson Fury, Boxing News, Boxing, Fight News, Anthony Josuha, UFC