UFC champion Ilia Topuria is confident he will have a more lucrative 2025 than Cristiano Ronaldo.
Topuria is fast becoming a huge star in the UFC, having caused a monumental upset by beating Alexander Volkanovski to clinch the featherweight title back in February.
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The Georgian-Spanish athlete has been making leaps into the mainstream eye, having associated with favourite football club Real Madrid, having paraded his title around the Santiago Bernabeu.
And the 27-year-old believes he can become the highest earning sportsperson for 2025, eclipsing the financial success of football icon Ronaldo.
He said: “Look, I can tell you I have no doubt that in 2025, I will be the highest-paid athlete in the world.
"I’ll be there at Cristiano Ronaldo's level. I have no doubt. I mean, I’d be surprised if I didn’t do it. If I did, I have no doubt, really.”
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'CR7' is currently plying his trade in Saudi Arabia as talisman of club Al Nassr, on a lucrative contract which is worth around $213 million (£173m) a year including image rights and commercial deals.
Ronaldo earned the title of the highest earning sportsperson in 2023 according to Forbes, ranking in first position with a total earning of $136 million in 2023.
Lionel Messi came second in the rankings taking home a mega $130 million during his time in the US at Inter Miami, while PSG forward Kylian Mbappe was third with $120 million in estimated earnings.
The last and only MMA fighter to have reached the top ten is UFC superstar Conor McGregor, having pocketed a mega $180 million in 2020.
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It will be a tall order for Topuria to reach, anywhere near that given he doesn't have the commercial star power, and external businesses as the Irishman.
Especially considering he earned just $350,000 against Volkanovski this year, in arguably the biggest fight of his career to date.
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A rematch could well be beckoning for the newly crowned champion, who has yet to make a defence of his crown.
Max Holloway is also expected to be in the queue to face Topuria, and Volkanovski believes he will be the one to capture the belt.
“Credit to the guy, he got me,” Volkanovski said. “No excuses. He capitalized on what I was doing. But now he’s calling out Conor McGregor?
"But I know I can go out there and make that fight look easy. I also believe Max can go out there and make that fight look easy.
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"I think Max wins that fight. Topuria is very dangerous, a great fighter. But I don’t think he’s as good as he thinks he is."