Where Conor McGregor ranks among highest paid athletes such as Ronaldo and Messi, as UFC star targets billionaire status enjoyed by Juventus and Barca footballers

Is there a more ambitious sports star than Conor McGregor?

The UFC lightweight has propelled mixed martial arts further into the mainstream with his fantastic showmanship, which he has backed up with stunning performances in the octagon, winning UFC titles in multiple weight categories. He truly is a living legend.

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McGregor's success has earned him superstar status and the level of wealth he's achieved is something he couldn't have possibly imagined when he was training in the Straight Blast Gym in Dublin as he made his way through the Cage Warrior ranks. After all, he was on the dole when he made his UFC debut in 2013, but didn't require help from the state any longer thanks to a tidy $50,000 bonus for beating Marcus Brimage.

And after recently all-but confirming he is coming out of retirement - again - the 32-year-old has also set his sights on raking in more cash.

He predicts he'll become a billionaire by the time he's 35 years old and with an estimated worth of £100m thanks to his Octagon success and various endorsement deals, you wouldn't put it past him.

Deals with Burger King, Beats by Dre, Monster Energy and Reebok keep his fortune ticking along, but his Proper 12 Irish Whiskey is the crown jewel, having brought in £750million in its first year.

However distant the billionaire club is, McGregor is a determined individual and if he does make it there, he would be the fourth Dubliner after businessmen Denis O'Brien, Dermot Desmond and John Dorrance III.

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His good friend, Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys is also among the list of billionaires as is his former UFC bosses, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, whose personal wealth skyrocketed when they sold their part in the company.

But how does his wealth compare to some of sports biggest stars? Forbes place him 16th on the list of top earners for 2020, which is an amazing feat considering he has fought once, against Donald Cerrone in January, and when they published their list in May, had his earnings for the year at £36.5m.

Still, he is well behind current sportsmen and women such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Tiger Woods.

If McGregor achieves his goal, he'll become the sixth sports star in history to achieve billionaire status, joining Ronaldo, Messi, Woods, Floyd Mayweather and basketball legend Michael Jordan in the exclusive club.

But it sounds like McGregor has longer term goals in mind. In addition to Cowboys chief Jones, Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke as well as principal Liverpool owner John W. Henry in the top 20, while there's also room for WWE chairman Vince McMahon.