Floyd "Money" Mayweather is highest-paid sportsman of 2015

Floyd Mayweather has topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes for 2015 with a record $300m (£194m). The welterweight boxer had already earned $420m entering 2015 but it was his fight with Manny Pacquiao in May that boosted income for the self-styled Money Man.

According to Forbes, Mayweather was
paid $100m on the night, but that was boosted by pay-per-view figures (4.4m), gate money ($73m) and sponsorships ($13m). Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo was third with earnings of $79.6m, taking in more than $50m a year in salary and bonuses, ahead of his great Barcelona rival Lionel Messi with $73.8m.

Roger Federer is fifth with earnings of $67m, including $58m from sponsors, exhibitions and appearance fees. Another tennis player, Maria Sharapova, is the top-ranked women at No26 with earnings of $29.7m.

Despite his declining form, Tiger Woods hangs in at nine on $50.6m, with Rory McIlroy at 12 with $48.3m.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is 14th ($39.1m), Lewis Hamilton 15th ($39m) and Gareth Bale 18th ($35m). Wayne Rooney is down in 34th with $26.9m and Radamel Falcao 38th with $25.9m.

The top ten;
1 Floyd Mayweather (Boxing) $300m

2 Manny Pacquiao (Boxing) $160m

3 Cristiano Ronaldo (Football) $79.6m

4 Lionel Messi (Football) $73.8m

5 Roger Federer (Tennis) $67m

6 LeBron James (Basketball) $64.8m

7 Kevin Durant (Basketball) $54.1m

8 Phil Mickelson (Golf) $50.8.

9 Tiger Woods (Golf) $50.6m

10 Kobe Bryant (Basketball) $49.5m

Culled: Guardian Sport