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      Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke set to be ruled out of hosting 2026 World Cup final leaving him with stadium dilemma

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      STAN KROENKE is set to be ruled out of hosting the 2026 World Cup Final – because the pitch at his £4.1billion stadium is too small.Arsenal owner Kroenke supervised the construction of the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which opened in 2020.
      Arsenal majority shareholder Stan Kroenke won’t be hosting the 2026 World Cup
      Stan Kroenke’s ground the SoFi Stadium doesn’t meet the required FIFA criteria
      Home to both the city’s NFL teams, the Rams and the Chargers, it was confirmed as a World Cup venue last year.
      With the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, which hosted the Final in 1994, not included in FIFA’s chosen grounds for 2026, the SoFi was thought to be in a head-to-head contest with New York’s MetLife Stadium to host the Final on July 19.
      But officials have been alerted to the fact that the artificial pitch laid to meet NFL demands is too narrow for official FIFA use.
      While a grass pitch will be installed for the World Cup, the area set aside for play is too tight to meet FIFA demands for photography positions and space for officials.
      Read More on Boxing
      Incredibly, the current playing surface is 63ft – almost 16 yards – too narrow for FIFA demands.
      It means a number of “field seat suites” – hospitality boxes at pitch level – will have to be ripped out to provide the required infrastructure, with the plating surface itself raised slightly.   
      SoFi Stadium has a basic capacity of just over 70,000 under its state-of-the-art roof, although it can be extended, with the necessary alterations likely to bring a significant loss of seats.
      With FIFA mandating that the stadium for the Final must have a capacity of 80,000, it seems almost impossible for it to get the honour of hosting the biggest game in world football.
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      That makes the MetLife Stadium, home of New York’s two NFL sides and with a capacity of 80,242, as very much the frontrunner.
      The only downside of playing the Final there is that it is an open stadium and with a likely 3pm kick-off local time – 8pm in the UK – FIFA does have concerns about mid-summer heat impacting on its showpiece match.
      This comes after Arsenal’s majority shareholder Kroenke and his son Josh became the club’s Co-Chairs. More

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      in Boxing

      Rap superstar Drake has bet more than $1BILLION on sport in the last year, including losing $1m on football match

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      RAP superstar Drake enjoys the thrill of high stake bets on sports events and casinos, and has risked nearly £1BILLION in the last year.Drake joined crypto casino, Stake, under the name DeepPockets6 in December 2021.
      Drake has risked close to £1BILLION on sports and casino betsCredit: Getty
      Drake’s latest high stakes bet is on Jake Paul to knock out rival Tommy Fury on SundayCredit: Skill Challenge Entertainment
      And the 36-year-old isn’t shy about posting his gambling activity to his social media sites.
      The figures often send heads spinning.
      In fact, Casino.org say Drake wagered cryptocurrency worth over £800million in just two months after joining Stake on various sports and casino bets.
      Jake Paul is next on Drake’s tip list, with the artist slapping down over £300,000 on the American to KNOCK OUT rival Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
      READ MORE IN SPORT
      If the bet comes in, Drake is set to take home an incredible £1.2m.
      Drake’s sports bets range from combat sports, to Formula One, to football and even American football.
      And unfortunately, he is not often lucky with the notorious ‘Drake curse’ becoming legendary folklore online.
      SunSport takes a look at some of Drake’s BIGGEST sports bets.
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      Drake’s UFC bets
      In March 2022, Drake slapped £230,000 on Jorge Masvidal to defeat UFC rival Colby Covington.
      A win would’ve seen Drake pocket over £862,000.
      However, Masvidal lost via decision.
      Two months later, Drake lost £357,000 after tipping Justin Gaethje to beat Charles Oliveira.
      The payout would’ve been north of £800,000 again.
      July, however, was a better month for Drake.
      Drake bet £113,000 on fellow Stake ambassador, Israel Adesanya, to beat Jared Cannonier.
      Adesanya won via decision and Drake saw a return of £750,000.
      And just ten days later, Drake bet on Liverpudlians Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann.
      Drake wagered £1.84m on McCann to see off Hannah Goldy and Pimblett to beat Jordan Leavitt.
      The bet came in and Drake saw a return of over £3m.
      As a thank you, Drake sent both McCann and Pimblett a Rolex.
      However, the next month it was back to losing on UFC.
      In August, Drake lost tow consecutive bets totalling £359,000 on Kamaru Usman and Jose Aldo.
      And in November, £1.67m was put on the line for Adesanya to beat Alex Pereira in a UFC 281 title fight.
      But in what could’ve been a £2.42m payout resulted in a £1.7m loss.
      Drake lost £1.7m on Israel Adesanya to beat Alex PereiraCredit: Reuters
      Drake’s dabbling in football
      Drake keeps a watchful eye on football and hasn’t been scared to bet big bux.
      In October last year, £502,000 was bet on both Arsenal and Barcelona to win their respective matches.
      Arsenal came through on their part of the bet, winning 1-0 away at Leeds.
      Barca, however, lost 3-1 to rivals Real Madrid.
      To rub salt into the wounds, Barca’s kit featured the OVO owl ogo in a sponsorship courtesy of Spotify.
      Drake was honoured after becoming the first artist to hit 50bn Spotify streams.
      He also joined billions from around the world in watching last November-December’s World Cup.
      Drake bet £837,000 on Argentina to win the World Cup in the final against France – but lost on a technicality.
      The global sensation would’ve seen a return north of £2.26m had Argentina beaten France in regular time.
      Kylian Mbappe’s late equaliser forced the game into extra-time.
      Argentina went on to win the 3-3 final on penalties, despite Mbappe scoring a hat-trick.
      Drake lost money on Barca, who were donning his OVO logo against Real MadridCredit: Getty
      Better luck with US sports
      In February 2022, Drake took home over £449,000 on the LA Rams to win the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals and Odell Beckham Jr to score an anytime touchdown.
      Though he lost a separate prop bet on ODJ worth £328,000.
      He did manage to recover £196,000 on his Californian namesake, Drake London, to be the 1st drafted Wide Receiver.
      Drake’s good fortunes with NFL bets continued into the recent season.
      Despite losing £174,000 on the Miami Dolphins in September last year, Drake cashed out a whopping £1.67m on a £240,000 bet in November.
      He tipped the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs to be victorious in their Week Four matchups.
      For the Super Bowl earlier this month, Drake won BIG.
      The Certified Lover Boy won over £1.25m after the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona.
      Drake has seen good returns in basketball, baseball and hockey.
      In April, Drake took home a combined total of £610,000 on NBA bets thanks to the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks.
      In baseball the same month, Drake won over £96,000 thanks to the Toronto Blue Jays beating the Boston Red Sox.
      Drake’s baseball luck continued in May in a Game 7 parlay.
      The Dallas Mavericks, Calgary Flames and the New York Rangers saw Drake turn his £258,000 stake with 8.64 total odds into an impressive £1.97m.
      In June, Drake lost £376,000 after predicting the New York Rangers to win the NHL Eastern Conference Finals, as well as the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Championship series.
      Unfortunately, the slip was ruined before it got started and Drake missed out on a cool £1.33m.
      Drake won big after the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl win this monthCredit: Rex
      Drake’s need for speed
      Drake is also an F1 fan.
      He tipped Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to win the 2022 Spain Grand Prix with the Monegasques starting the race on pole position.
      Drake placed £251,000 on Leclerc to win – but the Ferrari ace retired on lap 27 with a turbo and MGH-U failure.
      Read More on The Sun
      Max Verstappen, who went on to win the world title in 2022 defending his 2021 crown, went on to win the race and captured the lead in the driver standings.
      Drake missed out on £627,000.
      Drake bet on Charles Leclerc to win the 2022 Spain Grand Prix only for the Ferrari driver to retire on lap 27 despite starting on poleCredit: Getty More

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      Man Utd legend David Beckham and Tom Brady enjoy ‘daddy-daughter dates’ at pizza restaurant in Miami

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend David Beckham and one of NFL’s greats, Tom Brady, enjoyed a “daddy-daughter” date at a pizza restaurant in Miami. Becks, 47, and Brady, 45, got together at Miami Slice, an artisan NY-style pizza slice bar.
      David Beckham and daughter Harper, 11, with Tom Brady and Vivian, 10Credit: Instagram / @davidbeckham
      Beckham and Brady went to a plush pizza restaurant for a daddy-daughter dateCredit: Instagram / @davidbeckham
      The two sports legends’ get-together has been hailed as the ‘GOAT pizza party’Credit: Instagram / @davidbeckham
      The two sports legends spend a lot of time in the Sunshine State with Beckham being the co-owner of MLS team, Inter Miami.
      While Brady performed a retirement U-turn to continue playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
      But following the end to the Buccaneers’ season, with a 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the wild card round of the NFL playoffs, retirement speculation has sparked up again.
      Brady, however, seems more focussed on spending time with his children John, Vivian and Benjamin following his divorce from Gisele Bundchen.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      And so he took Vivian to meet Beckham and daughter Harper in a “daddy-daughter” date on Thursday at a plush Miami pizza restaurant.
      Becks described the pizza as the best he’s ever had.
      While the restaurant owner, Dave Grutman, hailed Beckham and Brady’s presence as a “GOAT pizza party”.
      Following the Buccaneers’ NFL disappointment, Brady was spikey when asked about retirement.
      Most read in Football
      Brady insisted he hasn’t made his mind up in an X-rated interview.
      The seven-time Super Bowl winner said: “If I knew what I was going to f**king do, I would’ve already f**king done it, OK.
      “I’m taking it a day at a time.” More

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      in Motorsport

      F1 star Lewis Hamilton cheers on his NFL team Denver Broncos for first time since becoming co-owner

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      LEWIS HAMILTON cheered on his NFL side Denver Broncos on Monday night, the first time he has done so since becoming co-owner of the team.The 37-year-old Formula 1 superstar became an investor in the three-time Super Bowl champions back in August.
      Hamilton went to watch the Broncos at the SoFi StadiumCredit: INSTAGRAM / LEWIS HAMILTON
      The Brit recently became a minority owner in the BroncosCredit: INSTAGRAM / LEWIS HAMILTON

      He watched on as the Broncos lost a close match against the ChargersCredit: INSTAGRAM / LEWIS HAMILTON
      Hamilton posted a message to the Broncos fanbase on social media ahead of the gameCredit: INSTAGRAM / LEWIS HAMILTON
      The F1 legend was pumped to be in attendance for the clashCredit: INSTAGRAM / LEWIS HAMILTON
      And he attended his first game as an NFL owner in California as the Broncos took on the Los Angeles Chargers.
      Hamilton posted a snap from the SoFi Stadium onto his Instagram story.
      And he added the caption: “Watching my team for the first time. So excited to be he here. Let’s go @broncos.”
      Broncos’ official Twitter account also shared a clip of Hamilton talking to the camera, with the seven-time world champion saying: “Hey, what’s up Broncos Country, Lewis Hamilton here. Here to support the team. Go Broncos.”
      READ MORE IN F1
      However, the Brit, who is worth around £250million, will have to wait a bit longer to see a first Broncos win as they lost 19-16 to the Chargers in LA.
      Hamilton joined the Broncos’ ownership as part of the Walton-Penner family takeover.
      And he took his seat alongside a number of his co-owners, including Rob Walton, Greg Penner and Carrie Walton Penner.
      The Broncos were officially sold to a group of Walmart heirs for a record-breaking price of £4.1billion on August 9, with Hamilton coming in as a minority owner.
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      Meanwhile, Hamilton will return to the F1 track this weekend when he heads to the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
      The Mercedes driver is looking to avoid a winless season for the first time since he debuted in the sport back in 2007.
      Hamilton has won at least one Grand Prix every year for the past 15 campaigns, but is yet to secure one in 2022.
      He has managed six podium finishes, but the Silver Arrows have failed to compete for both the drivers’ and constructors championships.
      Read More on The Sun
      Max Verstappen clinched his second successive title last time out in Japan.
      Hamilton is down in sixth, 27 points behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell. More

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      in Soccer

      Fans all say same thing as Chelsea legend TWICE deletes tweet slamming Man Utd hardman Roy Keane for NFL fan selfie snub

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      FANS online accused Chelsea legend John Terry of “bottling it” after he deleted a tweet criticising Roy Keane.The Manchester United icon got social media talking at the weekend, when he attended the NFL clash between Green Bay Packers and New York Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
      Roy Keane snubbed a fan’s request for a mid-game selfie

      An irritated looking Keane, 51, set Twitter abuzz when he was spotted by telly cameras snubbing a fan asking for a selfie.
      NFL host Laura Woods pointed out the amusing clip during the coverage, and tweeted after the game, accompanied by laughing emojis: “My favourite part of Sunday.
      “Don’t ask Roy for a selfie at a game.”
      Most social media users saw the funny side of the incident, although Terry was not impressed.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      He wrote in response to Woods’ tweet: “It takes 2 seconds to have a picture taken with the fans. I think this is poor!”
      Woods replied: “Ahhh John to be fair I think he says wait until half time so it probably looks worse than it is, still made laugh though.”
      Terry, 41, promptly deleted his tweet following Woods’ response – before bafflingly posting it again.
      The flip-flopping former England star then appeared to change his mind again – deleting the post for a second time.
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      Terry’s deleted tweets didn’t go unnoticed, however, with fans having a bit of fun with them – claiming he didn’t want a beef with Keane.
      One wrote: “Terry has bottled it there, he never did fancy it against a proper hardman.”
      A second wrote: “Got scared didn’t he.”
      Another added: “He can’t mess with Roy.”
      And a fourth posted: “He’s just jealous Keane was a better captain than him.”
      John Terry and Roy Keane clashed as Prem captains in their heydaysCredit: PA:Empics Sport More

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      in Soccer

      Watch as Tottenham’s £1billion stadium is transformed into NFL arena in incredible time-lapse video

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      TOTTENHAM’S £1billion stadium has transformed into an NFL arena.The NFL posted an epic video showing fans how it’s done ahead of this Sunday’s clash between the Vikings and the Saints.

      Spurs stadium was adapted last season when the Jets faced the FalconsCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      The NFL will play three games in London during the 2022 seasonCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      The incredible process sees the sides of the pitch raise up on mechanical devices to make more room.
      The pitch itself then splits into three sections and slides under ground.
      The remaining American football turf is then set and the goalposts are raised.
      The NFL logo is featured where the centre circle would be and the yard lines are painted on.
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      Finally, the Union Jack and American flag are sent up to the roof.
      Spurs fans may or may not be too chuffed to see their ground used for the next TWO Sundays as the transatlantic version of football comes to town.
      The Minnesota Vikings go up against the New Orleans Saints this weekend.
      Then on October 9, New York Giants play the Green Bay Packers.
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      The US league will play three games in London during the 2022 season.
      The final game – Denver Broncos vs Jacksonville Jaguars – is being played at Wembley on October 30. More

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      in Soccer

      Inside Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke’s £500m ranch, largest in USA and bigger than New York and LA combined

      by

      ARSENAL and LA Rams owner Stan Kroenke is worth an incredible £8.7BILLION and has a property portfolio to match.The American sports tycoon and his Walmart heiress wife purchased the United States’ largest ranch in 2016 and it’s so big you could fit the entire cities of New York and Los Angeles inside its borders.
      The W.T Waggoner Ranch is the largest in the USA
      The estate in Texas stretches over a staggering 535,000 acres
      Kroenke paid £500m for the land in 2016
      New York City AND Los Angeles would both fit inside its borders
      At a whopping 535,000 acres, the W.T Waggoner Ranch in Texas was bought by Kroenke and his wife Ann Walton for a cool £500million.
      The ranch includes thousands of cattle, hundreds of horses and oil wells, and 30,000 acres of farmland.
      The 75-year-old billionaire’s company Kroenke Sports and Entertainment owns Arsenal and cut 55 jobs during the pandemic due to financial issues at Emirates Stadium.
      He also owns Super Bowl winning NFL side LA Rams, NBA team Denver Nuggets, NHL franchise Colorado Avalanche and MLS side Colorado Rapids.
      And he has invested billions of dollars into the construction of the 70,000-seat SoFI Stadium in Inglewood, California.
      When he secured the ranch in 2016, Kroenke said: “This is an incredible opportunity and an even greater responsibility.
      MOST READ IN FOOTBALL

      Kroenke said he was honoured to protect the American landmark when he bought the ranch in 2016. “We are honoured to assume ownership of the Waggoner – a true Texas and American landmark – and are deeply committed to continuing the proud legacy of W.T. “Tom” Waggoner, his family and his descendants.
      “Our gratitude to them and to the many parties involved in this process is immense. We will continue to preserve and protect this uniquely American treasure.”
      Kroenke is a divisive figure at Arsenal and in 2019 Gunners fans issued a joint statement calling on him to reinvigorate the club.
      The statement said supporters had “never felt more marginalized”. The club then sacked Unai Emery and hired Mikel Arteta.
      Kroenke is married to Ann, whose father Bud was an early partner in Walmart, which was founded by his brother Sam.
      In 2012, Kroenke bought another historic property, the 124,000-acre Broken O Ranch in Montana.
      He also owns ranches in Wyoming, Arizona and British Columbia.
      New York City could fit inside the ranch’s border
      And Los Angeles could still fit alongside NYC within the boundaries
      The ranch comes with 30,000 acres of farmland
      Agricultural machinery is seen across the gigantic swathes of land
      Oil wells are also dotted across the property in Northern Texas
      Picturesque stone outhouses also feature on the land
      Kroenke’s estate stretches as far as the eye can see More

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      World’s best-paid young athletes revealed with Kylian Mbappe just fourth and Jake Paul breaking into top seven

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      BEING a young sports star can be a lucrative business in 2022. Across a range of different sports, athletes are making extraordinary amounts of money even though they are still at a fairly early stage of their career.
      Kylian Mbappe signed a big money deal with PSG earlier this yearCredit: Reuters
      Whether they are at the top of their field in tennis, basketball or motorsports, athletes 26 years old and under are raking in the cash from a young age.
      Here are the best paid stars between May 2021 and May 2022 of sports stars aged 26 or under, according to Forbes.
      1. Josh Allen
      Allen signed a huge six year contract last year with the Buffalo BillsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The NFL ace Josh Allen might not be the most-well known name to those who don’t follow American sports.
      But the Buffalo Bills quarterback, who signed a six-year contract extension last year, was the highest-paid young athlete in the world in the past year.
      Allen makes $63million – or £55m – in on-field earnings after putting pen to paper on his new deal.
      READ MORE IN SPORT
      His breakout season came in 2020 when he led the Bills to their first division title and playoff victory since 1995, and he hasn’t looked back since.
      Off-field earnings for the 26-year-old amount to around £3.5m thanks to his sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike and Pepsi.
      2. Naomi Osaka
      Naomi Osaka has found particular success in Australia and the US OpenCredit: Getty
      Naomi Osaka continues to be one of the major names in women’s tennis and her value is reflected on paper too.
      The 24-year-old rakes in close to £52m in total earnings after years of battling at the top of the sport.
      Unlike Allen however, the vast majority of the Japanese star’s earnings come from her off-the-field endorsements.
      The tennis ace has more than 20 corporate partners, including Nike, Mastercard and Louis Vuitton which helps her to bring in £50.7m. In contrast, the actual tennis only brings in a little over £1m.
      Osaka came to prominence in 2018 when she beat Serena Williams in the US Open Final before winning the Australian Open twice and securing another victory at Flushing Meadows.
      3. Max Verstappen
      Max Verstappen has dominated the field in this season’s Formula 1 ChampionshipCredit: Getty
      Responsible for the most dramatic moment in Formula 1 history when he won the title last year, Max Verstappen has gone from strength to strength.
      The Dutchman looks set to win another F1 title this year – and that can only help his bank account.
      A mix of stars from different sports make up the list of the highest-paid athletes 26 or under
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      The 24-year-old makes £40m from his sport and another £1.7m in endorsements.
      The Red Bull driver was the youngest driver in the sport’s history when he made he debut at 17, before winning his first race at 18.
      4. Kylian Mbappe
      Few sports stars around are making more money than Kylian Mbappe, PSG’s jewel in the crownCredit: AFP
      It’s a good time to be a young football player called Kylian Mbappe.
      The PSG star stunned the footballing world earlier this year when he snubbed Real Madrid and instead signed an eye-watering deal to keep him in France.
      The 23-year-old now makes around £24.5m in on-field earnings and around £13m in endorsement deals, with agreements with EA Sports and Nike keeping Mbappe’s accountants busy.
      The Frenchman is hoping to lead his country to another World Cup in Qatar later this year, before landing PSG their first ever Champions League next year.
      5. Marshon Lattimore
      Marshon Lattimore signed a huge contract extension in 2021 as New Orleans Saints looked to cling on to one of their biggest assetsCredit: AP
      New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore arrived on the scene in 2017 and has found his wallet has continued to grow and grow.
      The NFL star’s growing importance to his team saw him land a huge 2021 contract extension worth around £85.5m.
      Last year he landed his fourth Pro Bowl selection in five NFL seasons, underlining his huge reputation.
      The overwhelming majority of his £36m earnings come from his efforts on the field of play.
      6. Devin Booker
      Pictured with Kendall Jenner earlier this month, Booker is continuing to carve a name for himself in the NBACredit: Getty
      The sole NBA player on this list is Devin Booker who is making some decent cash while at the Phoenix Suns.
      The 25-year-old was part of the team who helped the Suns reach their first NBA Finals since 1993 after they also won the Western Conference division.
      The shooting guard makes around £28m from basketball and takes home £7m from brand deals with the likes of Nike and Corona Beer.
      7. Jake Paul
      Like him or loathe him, Paul’s boxing career is largely thriving so farCredit: Getty
      The famous Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has just made this list as his well-known antics have helped the 25-year-old pull in the cash.
      The Problem Child has a bout against UFC star Anderson Silva next month as he continues to make his name as a serious boxer.
      His turn to sport has seen him bring in £26.2m from his fighting alone while he still made around £7m in cash out of the ring. More