Fury becomes highest-paid combat athlete in the world.

WBC heavyweight boxing champion, Tyson Fury has added another accolade to his lofty collection. The Manchester-born boxer earned a staggering £46 million over the last year to be crowned the highest-paid combat athlete in the world.

The heavyweight world champion has fought three times in the last 12 months, the last of which was his stoppage of Deontay Wilder in their February rematch.

Fury earned £40 million from his fight purses with the remaining £6 million coming from sponsorship.
The Brit is ranked No.11 in Forbes’ latest rankings of the world’s highest-earning sportspeople, five places above Conor McGregor and eight ahead of Joshua.

Wilder is ranked No.20 and will have the chance to regain his world title when he takes on Fury for a third time later this year.

Former two-weight UFC world champion McGregor has fought just once since October 2018 as he stopped Donald Cerrone inside 40 seconds in January. The Irishman earned £26 million from that fight and a further £13 million from endorsements, a total which is £1 million more than Joshua’s.

The Brit lost and won back his heavyweight world titles last year when he was stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr in New York before outpointing the American in Saudi Arabia in December.

Joshua’s earnings of £38 million was made up of £29 million in purse fees and £9 million in sponsorship and endorsement

Forbes’ annual list of the highest-paid athletes in the world is topped by Roger Federer for the first time, with the Swiss tennis star earning £86 million, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (£85 million) and Lionel Messi (£84 million).