Conor McGregor makes Forbes' list of highest-paid athletes in 2017

The UFC lightweight champion comes in at No. 24, making the largest leap from 2016

Like any great entertainer, UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor knows how to put rear ends into seats. And his success in doing so throughout 2016 has left him handsomely paid. 

McGregor (21-3), the only fighter in UFC history to hold world titles in separate divisions simultaneously, made the cut Wednesday in the Top 25 of Forbes 2017 world's highest-paid athletes list. The 28-year old was tied for No. 24 with soccer star Gareth Bale of Real Madrid, on a list topped by Cristiano Ronaldo ($93M) and LeBron James ($86.2M). 

Fighting three times in 2016 and breaking UFC pay-per-view records along the way, McGregor netted $34 million total, including $27 million in fight purses and another $7 million in endorsements. 

McGregor joined Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry as the biggest movers on the list as both rose 61 spots from the previous years. In 2015, McGregor placed No. 85 after earning $18 million. He's expected to only climb higher in 2017 if he can secure a rumored boxing super fight against Floyd Mayweather, who topped Forbes' list in 2015. 

One of four combat sports athletes to make the top 100 in 2016, McGregor was the only representative from mixed martial arts this year. He was joined on the list by boxers Canelo Alvarez (No. 43, $28.5M), Anthony Joshua (No. 89, $22M) and Wladimir Klitschko (No. 98, $21.5M). 

Along with holding titles in multiple weight classes, McGregor's 2016 was unprecedented in terms of UFC standards because all three PPV cards he headlined now sit atop the list of most buys in company history.