5 most marketable fighters in the UFC apart from Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor has undoubtedly been the most marketable UFC performer for several years now. He regularly trends toward the top of Forbes' highest paid athletes list and figures to do so for some time.
Conor McGregor was the world's highest-paid athlete over the last year ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to the annual Forbes list.
McGregor's rise to superstardom was meteoric and it quite possibly may never be replicated. His successes both in and out of the octagon are now well-documented, but that's not to say he's left a simple blueprint to follow.
McGregor's talent inside the cage, his charisma on the microphone, his look and faithful following of die-hard Irish fans were just some of the factors it took to propel 'The Notorious' beyond any glass ceiling.
Each UFC fighter should aspire to approach McGregor's financial success, regardless of how people may feel about his controversies.
That stated, there does finally appear to be a crop of fighters successfully building their own brands. Here's a look at five of the brightest.
#5. Sean O'Malley
Sean O'Malley is in many ways the leader of the new generation of UFC fighters. He has cultivated a strong fan base and has a number of projects outside the octagon that create income and keep his name in people's mouths.
He is also incredibly entertaining when competing and has managed to create a big- fight feel for his bouts despite fighting mostly lesser-known opponents.
Each fighter on this list has found a way to make each of their fights feel special and O'Malley is no exception. The slow increase in the level of O'Malley's competition has even heightened intrigue in the future of his career.
O'Malley has over a million Instagram followers and his own Youtube channel, podcast and merchandise. Should he continue delivering winning results in his fights, he has the potential to make a significant amount of money.
“Sean O’Malley has star written all over him.” 🌟
@dc_mma believes @SugaSeanMMA has “it” and @arielhelwani agrees UFC “has something special on their hands.” https://t.co/Qf9vZRKkq7
The only factor keeping O'Malley from ranking higher on this list is that he's not as far into his UFC career as the others to follow.