ESPN released their World Fame 100 list today, and three UFC fighters make the grade. The list, which calculates which athletes are the most famous throughout the world based on endorsements, social media, and internet search data, was topped by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, with Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James coming in second.
As for the mixed martial artists, Ronda Rousey leads the way at #16 (up from #23 last year), with Conor McGregor following closely at #25 (#37 last year). The surprise name on the list may be aging star Anderson Silva, who comes in quite high at #39 (he was unranked last year). But his $8 million in endorsement money and huge social media following shows that The Spider is still a huge draw.
It should be considered good news for the sport as a whole that all three of these fighters that made the list all are ranked higher this year than last. Onward and upward.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
