This Boxer Cashed in $280 Million on a Single, 30-Minute Fight

By Aaron Webber Published Aug 25, 9:30AM EDT

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This Boxer Cashed in $280 Million on a Single, 30-Minute Fight — © 2021 Getty Images / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

Boxing is a hard sport that has little payout until athletes reach the top levels. Not just in the boxing world, but one of the highest-paid athletes of all time is boxing icon Floyd Mayweather Jr. Here are the 11 most lucrative boxing payouts of all time.

#11 Evander Holyfield

Evander Holyfield.

Payout: $35 Million
Year: 1997
Inflation Adjustment: $68.6 Million

Evander Holyfield took on the infamous Mike Tyson in a two-fight series from 1996–1997. Holyfield, nicknamed “The Real Deal,” beat Tyson in both fights. Tyson didn’t leave Holyfield unscathed, though. Tyson famously bit off a large chunk of Holyfield’s ear in the third round. It got him disqualified, and Holyfield won by default. Tyson took home $30 Million from that fight.

#10 Canelo Alvarez

Canelo Alvarez.

Payout: $45 Million
Year: 2019
Inflation Adjustment: $55.3 Million

Canelo Alvarez fought against Sergey “The Krusher” Kovalev at the MGM Garden in Paradise, Nevada. This fight was part of the WBO Light Heavyweight Championship. This was Alvarez’s first fight after signing a $365 million deal with DAZN.

#9 Canelo Alvarez

A fight with Canelo Alvarez.

Payout: $45 Million
Year: 2022
Inflation Adjustment: $48.3 Million

This fight was part of a trilogy bout with Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin. This fight wasn’t particularly exciting, as Alvarez allegedly used this fight as a tune-up after losing to Dmitry Bivol.

#8 Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury.

Payout: $50 Million
Year: 2023
Inflation Adjustment: $51.6 Million

This fight between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou happened in Saudi Arabia. It was Ngannou’s first professional fight, and due to a last-minute decision, he beat Fury. Despite losing, Fury still walked away with $50 million.

#7 Oscar De La Hoya

Oscar De La Hoya.

Payout: $52 Million
Year: 2007
Inflation Adjustment: $78.8 Million

Oscar “Golden Boy” De La Hoya fought Floyd Mayweather in a 2007 bout. It was one of the highest revenue-earning fights in boxing history. Floyd Mayweather pulled through at the last second. Even though Mayweather won, he only took home $25 Million compared to De La Hoya’s $52 Million.

#6 Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua.

Payout: $60 Million
Year: 2019
Inflation Adjustment: $73.8 Million

This career-high boxing re-match for Anthony Joshua happened in Saudi Arabia against Andy Ruiz. The fight lasted until after the time for the last round ran out.

#5 Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Payout: $80 Million
Year: 2013
Inflation Adjustment: $108 Million

In September 2013, Canelo Alvarez faced Floyd “Money” Mayweather. It wasn’t a close fight at all, with Mayweather winning by majority decision. The tagline for this event was, “The One.”

#4 Connor McGregor

London Photo Call for Prime Video's "Road House"

Connor McGregor.

Payout: $100 Million
Year: 2017
Inflation Adjustment: $128 Million

The historic 2017 fight was Connor McGregor’s boxing debut. Previous to boxing, McGregor was a UFC Octagon Star. Although McGregor predictably didn’t defeat Mayweather, he still earned a whopping $100 million from the fight, compared to Mayweather’s $30 Million.

#3 Manny Pacquiao

Philippines Presidential Candidate Pacquiao Campaigns In Manila

Manny Pacquiao.

Payout: $150 Million
Year: 2015
Inflation Adjustment: $199 Million

Filipino Manny Pacquiao vs. American Floyd Mayweather in 2015 was known as “The Fight of The Century.” This highly anticipated fight ended with Mayweather pulling through with a win by decision. And although he lost, “Pacman” earned $150 Million from the fight.

#2 Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Payout: $275 Million
Year: 2015
Inflation Adjustment: $364 Million

Because Mayweather won the “The Fight of The Century” against Manny Pacquiao, he took home almost $100 million more. This fight was years in the making and was one of the most viewed of all time.

#1 Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Payout: $280 Million
Year: 2017
Inflation Adjustment: $359 Million

On August 26, 2017, Floyd Mayweather Jr., achieved the largest paycheck against Connor McGregor known as “The Money Fight”. It was preceded by a worldwide press tour and generated a lot of traction and anticipation. At the time, Mayweather was the reigning two-division UFC Champion.

McGregor was a retired Lightweight UFC Champion. It was the most-viewed boxing match of all time, with 4.3 million pay-per-view buys, and the most-pirated streaming in boxing history.

Mayweather has earned approximately $1.1 billion. His current net worth is $450 million.

About the Author Aaron Webber →

Aaron Webber is a veteran of the marketing, advertising, and publishing worlds. With over 15 years as a professional writer and editor, he has led branding and marketing initiatives for hundreds of companies ranging from local Chicago restaurants to international microchip manufacturers and banks. Aaron has launched new brands, managed corporate rebranding campaigns, and managed teams of writers in the education and branding agency industries. His experience extends to radio spots, mailers, websites, keynote presentations, TED talks, financial prospecti, launch decks, social media, and much more.

He is now a full-time freelance writer, editor, and branding consultant. Most of his work is spent ghost-writing for corporate executives, long-form articles, and advising smaller agencies on client projects.

Aaron’s work has been featured on INC.com and The Huffington Post. He has written for Fortune 100 companies and world-class brands. His extensive experience in C-suite ghostwriting has launched the personal branding initiatives of dozens of executives. He is a published fiction writer with publishing credits in science fiction, horror, and historical fiction.

Aaron graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in macroeconomics, and is the owner and primary contributor of The Lost Explorers Club on www.lostexplorersclub.com. He spends his free time teaching breathwork and hosting healing ceremonies in his home.