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

    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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    BETTING SPECIAL – JAKE PAUL vs TOMMY FURY ODDS, BETTING OFFERS AND FREE BETS
    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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    ‘Homes under the hammered’ – PDC share joke with Dion Dublin after boozy pub session ahead of World Darts Championship

    THE PDC poked fun at Dion Dublin’s drinking session as the TV host and former footballer headed to the darts. The World Championships are in full swing and producing some absolutely stunning matches.
    Dublin was enjoying a boozy pub session with mates before the dartsCredit: Twitter / @DionDublinDube

    Darts fan Dublin is among those enjoying the action at the Alexandra Palace and was seen on camera enjoying the opening game of the afternoon.
    Before that, the Homes Under the Hammer presenter took to Twitter as he showed off all of his downed pints.
    Dublin can be seen holding six empty cups of beer alongside mates as he prepared for a laid-back afternoon at the Ally-Pally.
    The former Manchester United flashed a smile at the camera and directed a message at the PDC account as he tweeted: “6 down let’s go!”
    READ MORE IN DARTS
    The official darts account then brilliantly quipped: “Homes under the hammered”.
    Dublin was announced as a shock presenter of the daytime BBC show in 2015.
    Since then he has become popular with viewers and known for his “stairs leading up to the bedrooms” catchphrase.
    He also featured as a co-commentator for some of the BBC’s World Cup coverage.
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    The drama Dublin watched out in Qatar is almost being surpassed by the last few days of action at the PDC World Championships.
    The 53-year-old was in attendance this afternoon as Dirk van Duijvenbode played out an all-time Ally Pally classic with Ross Smith.
    The Dutchman won a deciding sudden death leg after he and Smith could not be separated over six gripping sets.
    The pair also combined for a record-breaking 31 180s which smashed the previous amount for a best-of-seven game.
    Van Duijvenbode will now face tournament favourite and countryman Michael van Gerwen in the last 16.
    Van Gerwen was embroiled in a brilliant match of his own yesterday as he saw off the impressive Mensur Suljovic. More

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    Mike Tyson was desperate to fight Michael Jordan at dinner party, revealed boxing star’s former manager

    MIKE TYSON once threatened to beat up Michael Jordan over their romantic history with the same woman, the boxer’s former manager has claimed.The former Baddest Man on the Planet, 56,  made his boxing comeback against Roy Jones Jr in 2020.
    Mike Tyson (right) was arguably at his peak when sidling up to Michael Jordan (left)
    But before that comeback, Rory Holloway has revealed what happened when Tyson and he attended a birthday dinner for Chicago Bears star Richard Dent in 1988.
    Plenty of famous faces were at the December bash, including Jordan, boxing promoter Don King and Bears coach Mike Ditka.
    Tyson was in his pomp with an undefeated record and unified title to his name –  it was a point in his life when he was also known for decadent and lavish partying.
    But it was Jordan’s history with Robin Givens, Tyson’s ex-wife who the NBA legend had previously dated, that brought about the tension.
    Holloway wrote in his book chronicling the boxer’s career, via BoxingScene: “Mike Tyson’s sitting there with his drink of choice, a Long Island Tea, and when he drinks his real feelings come out.
    “I’m telling the server to water his drinks down because I see where this is going.
    Jordan, it’s obvious he just wants to get up and run. He wants no part of this.
    “Mike stares across the table at Michael Jordan. He says, ‘Hey man, you think I’m stupid? I know you f***** with my b****’.
    “Jordan looks like he just seen a ghost. ‘I know you messed with her,’ Mike says, ‘You can tell me’.
    “Jordan, it’s obvious he just wants to get up and run. He wants no part of this. Mike turns to Ditka. ‘Man, you think somebody scared of you, all that racist s*** you been talking?’.
    “He says to Dent, ‘Y’all scared of this damn white man, Richard? He ain’t nobody. You gonna let him talk that way?’.
    MOST READ IN BOXING

    “It was a circus, for real, that night. Don King trying to change the subject. Me and John trying to hold Mike down.
    “Mike telling everyone he’s going to bust Jordan’s ass. Jordan’s dressed sharp as always and he can’t get out of there fast enough.”
    Differing reports of the night have been bandied around over the years and Jordan, recently subject to the hit ESPN series focusing on his departure from Chicago, is said to have declined to ever comment on his run-in with the boxing champ.
    Footage recently emerged of Iron Mike let his temper boil over after coming face to face with his former promoter Don King.
    Tyson accused the promoter of stealing millions of dollars he had earned from boxing and decided to sue him for $100million.
    The case was settled for $14m but there was no love lost between the two.
    ESPN’s documentary ‘The Last Dance’ charts the untold story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls More

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

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

    ARSENAL and Los Angeles 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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    ‘Become legendary’ – Lewis Hamilton hangs out with NBA icon LeBron James after demanding Monaco GP talks with FIA

    LEWIS HAMILTON put his latest Formula One misery aside by hanging out with basketball icon LeBron James.The Mercedes driver, 37, was left fuming after the Monaco Grand Prix and demanded talks with the FIA to clear up the shambles at the start of Sunday’s race.
    Lebron James and Lewis Hamilton caught up on Monday following the Monaco GPCredit: Instagram / @kingjames
    The pair both took to Instagram with similar snaps overlooking the MedCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton
    But his mood improved on Monday as he caught up with Los Angeles Lakers legend James, one of the world’s top-paid athletes.
    It appeared Hamilton stuck around in Monte Carlo following the weekend action, with LeBron over from the States to watch the Champions League final in Paris on Saturday.
    They both posted pictures together on Instagram on Monday evening with the pair standing side by side and James’ arm around his pal’s shoulder.
    The fashionista Brit rocked a black-and-white floral pattern outfit while the NBA star opted for a black jumper with red stripes and black trousers in the Principality.
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    Hamilton referenced LeBron’s nickname and wrote: “King of kings, great seeing you brother.”
    Four-time NBA champ and MVP James, also 37, added: “BECOME LEGENDARY!! Good seeing you brother!!”
    Their posts have already been liked by a combined 2.5million fans.
    Although some joked that Hamilton must have been standing on a box considering the lack of height difference between the 5ft 8ins seven-time F1 champ and the 6ft 9ins James in the pics.
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    Despite the clouds over the Mediterranean, it appeared a bright and warm day in Monaco on Monday – a stark contrast from 24 hours earlier.
    The race directors sent the drivers out for a delayed formation lap in the rain before red flagging the start and ordering the cars back to the paddock as the weather worsened.
    And proceedings finally got underway an hour late – despite the rain virtually stopping way before that.
    Seven-time world champion Hamilton – and other drivers – could not understand why they were forced to wait so long and wants answers from the bungling Formula One organisers at the next drivers’ briefing.
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    The Brit, who finished eighth, said: “You think they didn’t do a good job? I was not saying it was a mistake.
    “I don’t know the reason for them not sending us out at the get-go — but we are Formula 1 drivers so (the weather) is not a good enough reason.
    “That is what I was saying. I was like ‘let’s go’ when it was just drizzling a little bit at the beginning.
    “We will talk about it in the drivers’ briefing but we should have started the race.”
    Hamilton finished eighth in the wet of Monte Carlo and was unhappy with FIA race directorsCredit: Splash More

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

    ARSENAL and Los Angeles 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 74-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-bound 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.
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    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 fairly unpopular 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 marginalised”. 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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    Top ten highest-paid athletes of 2022 released by Forbes with Lionel Messi still top despite struggles at PSG

    LIONEL MESSI is the highest-paid sports star in the world for 2022 – and now earns as much as Cristiano Ronaldo off the pitch.The legendary Argentine has endured a tough first season at Paris Saint-Germain following his shock Barcelona exit.
    Neymar and Lionel Messi both feature in the top four for highest-paid athletes in 2022Credit: AFP

    But he has continued to rake the cash in from his new club and his various sponsors.
    And that sees him return to the top of the Forbes rankings for 2022 after doing so in 2019.
    However, last year’s top dog, Conor McGregor, does not even make the top ten this time around – with the majority of his £148million earnings coming from selling his Proper No. Twelve whiskey brand.
    Other notable absentees this time around include F1 pair Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, Naomi Osaka, Tiger Woods, Tyson Fury and Kylian Mbappe.
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SPORT.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}BISH BASH DOSH .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Fury leading McGregor in sport rich list for 2022 with Canelo top fighter
    So who are the world’s top-earning athletes right now?
    10. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Basketball – £66m
    The ‘Greek Freak’, 27, has pretty much an even split of on-court and off-court earnings and is the youngest member of this exclusive club – in fact he is the only one still in his 20s.
    Giannis Antetokounmpo completes the top ten and is the youngest of the groupCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    The Milwaukee Bucks’ two-time MVP boasts the biggest contract in NBA history and has plenty of sponsors including WhatsApp and Google as well as an NFT platform and Disney+ biopic on the way.
    9. Tom Brady – NFL – £69m
    Brady’s short-lived retirement means the iconic quarterback will be back on the pitch for Tampa Bay Buccaneers later this year.
    Tom Brady already earns big before his mega-deal with Fox Sports startsCredit: Getty
    Not that the 44-year-old needs the extra cash, with £43m of his money coming from various ventures including NFTs, production companies and a clothing label – plus he has a £307m deal as a Fox Sports commentator when he does retire.
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    8. Canelo Alvarez – Boxing – £74m
    He may have just lost his second career fight with a shock defeat to Dmitry Bivol, but one look at his bank balance will soon boost the Mexican, 31, and top-paid boxer in the world.
    Canelo Alvarez is the only combat sportsperson in the top ten and has the highest percentage of on-field earningsCredit: Reuters
    A whopping 95 per cent of his earnings came from inside the ring thanks to two PPV fights earning as least £33m each – the Bivol fight was not included in the current list – supplemented by his taco restaurant and Hennessy deal.
    7. Roger Federer – Tennis – £74m
    For a 40-year-old man who won just nine tennis matches since February 2020 – none since last summer – and is currently in rehab from another knee surgery, Federer is doing alright for himself.
    Federer has not won a tennis match since July 2021 but is the No1 for sponsorshipsCredit: Getty
    The Swiss maestro is world sport’s No1 brand ambassador with £73.5m of his £74m coming from sponsors such as Uniqlo, Rolex and Swiss shoe brand On.
    6. Kevin Durant – Basketball – £76m
    The Brooklyn Nets hero, 33, brings in the majority of his cash from commercial deals and a business empire, with £23m alone for wearing Nike trainers.
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    A whole host of business ventures help Kevin Durant earn the big bucksCredit: AP
    Other sources of incoming include Coinbase, Weepmaps, Boardroom, Thirty Five Ventures, an NFT platform and a digital fitness startup.
    5. Steph Curry – Basketball – £76m
    No NBA player earned more this season on the court than Curry – and that £38m figure is only going up after he signed a whopping new contract to see him pocket nearly £50m by 2025-26.
    As one of the most marketable NBA players, Steph Curry has huge incoming on and off the courtCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Away from Golden State, the 34-year-old has an FTX endorsement which includes an equity stake and NFTs in three metaverses – although he pledged to donate the earnings – as well as a production company Unanimous Media.

    Neymar, 30, is on around £600,000 a week as his basic wage at PSG, delivering just 12 goals in all competitions this term and only a Ligue 1 winners medal to show.
    Neymar is one of the top-paid footballers in the world before considering his dealsCredit: AFP
    But Forbes have him down as earning another £500,000 per week on average from various bonuses and signing-on fees – plus £20m from endorsements such as Puma, Red Bull, Netflix and his recent launch of an electric car in Germany alongside Alica Schmidt.

    Time for the big hitters and no surprise to see Ronaldo’s name right among them with his mammoth Manchester United wages and various extra bonuses.
    Cristiano Ronaldo is forced to settle behind Lionel Messi once againCredit: Getty
    Just shy of half of the 37-year-old’s £94m came from off-field payments including mega bucks from Nike, Herbalife and Clear shampoo while the Portuguese icon rakes it in from the likes of ZujuGP as the most-followed person on Instagram.
    2. LeBron James – Basketball – £99m
    James’ basketball accolades speak for themselves with the LA Lakers great continuing to be paid huge wages in the NBA.
    LeBron James is the top-paid athlete in all of American sportsCredit: Getty
    But two-thirds of his 2022 comes from elsewhere including featuring in Space Jam, his The Shop talk show, selling his stake in a production company and various endorsements including with Crypto.com – together they made James, 37, the tenth athlete to pass the 12-month $100m landmark.
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    Top of the pile is Messi, 34, who bags an eye-watering £1.2m per WEEK simply by being a PSG player once bonus fees are added to his monster wages – although apparently that £61m is £18m less than his annual wage during his last year at Barcelona.
    The £16m deal with Socios, together with being on the payroll of adidas, Budweiser, PepsiCo and Hard Rock International means the Ballon d’Or winner made the same amount off the field (£45m) as Ronaldo for the first time since 2013.
    PSG money pagnet Messi is crowned king once again – just as he was in 2019Credit: Getty More