In 2020 it was announced that mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor will fight Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, a former World Champion at a record eight different weights, and the current WBA Welterweight Super Champion, in an exhibition boxing match in the Middle East. At the time of writing the bout appears to be in danger, with agents claiming uncertainty as to whether or not it will go ahead. Perhaps the best-known Irish athlete of his generation, McGregor’s reputation, and status, has long generated controversy inside and outside his home country. The proposed Pacquiao fight nevertheless signals McGregor’s ability to move across sports and, indeed, across continents. McGregor dropped from fourth to twenty-first in the Forbes rich list of the world’s highest paid athletes in 2019, despite having earned an estimated $47 million dollars that year, with Northern Ireland-born golfer Rory McIlroy the only other Irish representative in the top 100, placed at number thirty-two. However, The Times noted in 2021 that he was the highest paid athlete in the world, earning £130 million, including salary and sponsorship, greatly exceeding the total paid to Lionel Messi, his closest contender in that category, who reportedly earned £94 million. Messi’s fee was followed by that of Argentinian footballer’s biggest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo (£87 million), the £78 million paid to National Football League player Dak Prescott, and LeBron James, the basketball star, who earned £70 million. Dublin-born McGregor is never far from controversy with his ability to attract global attention through his brash nature, quick knockouts, self-acclaimed early retirements, lavish lifestyle and public

中文翻译：

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“体育与爱尔兰移民：对其历史和发展的新视角”

2020 年宣布，综合格斗巨星康纳·麦格雷戈将在中东的一场拳击表演赛中与菲律宾拳击手曼尼·帕奎奥（Manny Pacquiao）对战，后者曾以创纪录的 8 种不同重量获得世界冠军，同时也是现任 WBA 次中量级超级冠军。在撰写本文时，比赛似乎处于危险之中，经纪人声称不确定比赛是否会继续进行。麦格雷戈也许是他那一代最著名的爱尔兰运动员，他的声誉和地位长期以来一直在他的祖国内外引起争议。然而，拟议中的帕奎奥之战标志着麦格雷戈跨越运动，甚至跨越大陆的能力。麦格雷戈在 2019 年福布斯全球收入最高运动员富豪榜中从第四位跌至第二位，尽管那一年的收入估计为 4700 万美元，但出生于北爱尔兰的高尔夫球手罗里·麦克罗伊是前 100 名中唯一的另一位爱尔兰代表，排名第 32 位。然而，《泰晤士报》在 2021 年指出，他是世界上收入最高的运动员，包括薪水和赞助在内的收入为 1.3 亿英镑，大大超过了他在该类别中最接近的竞争者莱昂内尔·梅西（Lionel Messi）的总收入，据报道，梅西的收入为 9400 万英镑. 紧随梅西之后的是阿根廷足球运动员最大的竞争对手克里斯蒂亚诺·罗纳尔多（8700 万英镑）、国家橄榄球联盟球员达克·普雷斯科特（Dak Prescott）和篮球明星勒布朗·詹姆斯（LeBron James）的 7800 万英镑（7800 万英镑），后者的收入为 7000 万英镑。出生于都柏林的麦格雷戈因其傲慢的天性、快速的淘汰赛吸引全球关注的能力而备受争议，