Forbes list stuns fans: Canelo Alvarez out-earns Jake Paul by $100M and MMA stars are out of sight!

Canelo Alvarez climbs 21 places higher than Jake Paul in Forbes’ 2026 highest-paid athletes list

Forbes released its annual ranking of the world’s highest-paid athletes on May 22, compiled through conversations with industry executives, insiders, and agents. The ranking covers earnings from both competition and endorsements between May 1, 2025, and May 2, 2026.

Alvarez fought twice during that period. He took the #2 spot by earning a total of $170 million – $160 million from boxing and another $10 million from other sources.

Paul also fought twice but made much less. His earnings came to $70 million – split between $60 million from boxing and $10 million outside the ring – putting him at #23 on the list.

Cristiano Ronaldo sits one place above Alvarez at #1, but there’s a huge gap between them financially. The former Real Madrid star reportedly brought in $300 million.

According to Forbes, that matches the highest total they’ve ever recorded since they began these rankings in 1990. Floyd Mayweather hit the same number in 2015 before inflation adjustments.

No other boxers or MMA fighters were included in this year’s top fifty besides Alvarez and Paul. Here is the top 10 on the list: