Conor McGregor, the Irishman who created a revolutionary hype in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has surprisingly disappeared from Forbes' list of top-earning athletes for 2023. This came as a shock to many considering he had reigned as Forbes' highest paid athlete in 2021 with a whopping $181 million in earnings and was ranked 35th in 2022.

The 2023 list is dominated by soccer and NBA stars, with boxer Canelo Álvarez rounding out the top five. Basketball legend LeBron James is fourth, soccer star Kylian Mbappé is third and Lionel Messi is second. The uncrowned king, Cristiano Ronaldo, remains in first place.

McGregor's absence could be attributed to the fact that he hasn't competed in the Octagon since his fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021, most likely due to an ankle injury. Despite this, he remains the richest mixed martial artist of all time. His 2021 bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov generated a record 2.4 million buys and brought in $180 million for the UFC.

Additionally, McGregor's wealth appears to be skyrocketing despite his inactivity. In an interview with Megan Olivi, he claimed that his career earnings hovered around $650 million and that he was on the verge of reaching the billion-dollar milestone.

While McGregor doesn't appear on the Forbes list, his return is highly anticipated. He is set to fight Michael Chandler on June 29, 2024 in a highly anticipated bout. This comeback could put him back on Forbes' radar, proving that despite falling in the rankings, he is still a major force in the sport.