What’s common between Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul? One is a former undisputed super middleweight champion; the other is a YouTuber-turned-fighter. The answer: a recent loss. But it increasingly appears the two are united by one more factor: money. The latest Forbes list of the richest athletes in the world features Canelo’s and Paul’s names among the top 25.

Yet, in the process, the publication has also sparked a debate currently raging online. Given that both Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul are associated with boxing, several fans pointed out the apparent absence of an MMA figure.

“Jake Paul and Canelo are the only fighters on Forbes’ new 2026 highest-paid athletes list 👀,” read Happy Punch’s tweet. “No MMA fighters made it.”

The Forbes rankings featured the highest-paid athletes through the 35th position. Leading the pack once again was Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese soccer star’s total earnings were reported to be a whopping $300 million.

Canelo Alvarez followed in 2nd place with $170 million in earnings. Jake Paul later appeared in 23rd place with $70 million in earnings, while basketball star Luka Doncic landed in 33rd with $60 million in take-home earnings.

In Forbes’s complete rankings, Lionel Messi also represented soccer in 3rd place, while the top 10 additionally featured names such as LeBron James, Shohei Ohtani, Stephen Curry, and several others.

Still, among the 50-odd names, only two figures from the combat sports world made the cut—Canelo and Paul. In the Mexican star’s case, he returned after missing out in 2024 and 2025. For Jake, meanwhile, it marked a first-time inclusion.

The most likely reason behind the former champion’s and the former Disney star’s inclusion was their payouts from their most recent bouts. For Canelo, the Bud Crawford fight, and for Paul, the AJ bout. The duo also earns heavily through endorsements, sponsorships, and business deals.

To many fans, however, the list also highlighted a growing issue within combat sports: the massive pay gap between those who fight in the ring and those competing inside the cage.

Fans raise questions as MMA fighters miss out on Forbes rich list

Hitting where it hurts most, boxing troll Ray Jackson pointed to the contrast: “Canelo got $160M for the Bud fight. 😮‍💨 Yeah, that loss was worth it 😂.” To add further context, one should note that outside of that fight, Canelo already had a $200 million deal with Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season. With the September comeback fight against champion Christian Mbilli, he’s set to complete the third installment of that deal.

Another stated, “No MMA fighter will ever make it minus McGregor or Khabib, lmao.” Notably, McGregor did top the Forbes list back in 2021. Three years before that, he also placed 4th. But apart from him, there’s been little representation from the MMA world.

“Boxing eating good 😂👀,” wrote another fan while highlighting the gap. “Canelo at #2 with $170M and Jake Paul cracking #23 with $70M, the only two fighters on Forbes’ 2026 highest-paid athletes list. No MMA guys in sight. The sweet science still prints money like that.”

Echoing similar sentiments, another user stated, “(The) Forbes list basically confirmed: combat sports money still revolves around boxing.” Despite reports indicating payout improvements for UFC fighters after the Paramount deal, the difference between what elite MMA fighters receive and what top-level boxers make still reveals a significant divide.

Another reality was highlighted by fans who viewed Jake Paul’s success differently. “Jake really YouTubed his way into the top-paid athletes list. The man lost more fights than he won and still ate… 🤦♀️,” they said.

The absence of MMA fighters is bound to attract reactions whenever such lists surface.

But given how things currently stand, any assurance of one of the top UFC stars making the list again still seems remote, unless they eventually make a switch to boxing.