MVPIndex: Conor McGregor among Top 5 ‘Most Valued Athletes on Social Media’ alongside Russell Wilson, Odell Beckham Jr

Conor McGregor is once again climbing the charts.

After becoming the first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) “double champ” in 2016 with a knockout of Eddie Alvarez to claim the Lightweight title at UFC 205, “Notorious” added yet another accolade to his gaudy resume — he was ranked the No. 5 “Most Valued Athlete In Social Media,” according to MVPIndex and 120 Sports. The Irishman also became the fastest social media climber in 2016, moving up 33 spots to nab a Top 5 ranking, which is a huge leap from 2015 in which he was ranked No. 38.

Below are the Top 10 “Most Valued Athletes on Social Media” for 2016:

1. Russell Wilson (NFL)
2. Odell Beckham Jr. (NFL)
3. J.J. Watt (NFL)
4. Rory McIlroy (PGA TOUR)
5. Conor McGregor (UFC)
6. LeBron James (NBA)
7. Tiger Woods (PGA TOUR)
8. Richard Sherman (NFL)
9. Tom Brady (NFL)
10. Rob Gronkowski (NFL)

McGregor is ahead of established major mainstream sports stars such as Lebron James and Tom Brady, which means he is doing something right. It’s more than likely the reason companies such as Pegasus World Cup International are paying “Notorious” big bucks to promote their products / events on social media.

Nevertheless, 120/MVPindex explains how the rankings are determined:

To determine the most valued athletes on social media this year, Chicago-based digital sports network 120 Sports collaborated with industry-leading social measurement and valuation platform MVPindex to rank athletes using a proprietary algorithm that evaluates all of their social activity throughout the past year. The ranking combines three separate scores: Reach (fans, followers, impressions), Engagement (likes, comments, shares, retweets, favorites) and Conversation (positive/negative mentions).

The 155-pound champion doesn’t Tweet everyday, but when he does, he makes waves and rattles cages. Case in point, the fiery Irishman caused an uproar after he teased early retirement on Twitter following his removal from UFC 200 last summer.

I have decided to retire young.
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya’s later.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016

When it comes to Instagram, McGregor isn’t shy about showing off his lavish lifestyle, which he can afford thanks to the massive paydays he earns as a result of behind the biggest draw in mixed martial arts (MMA). Currently on hiatus from MMA, McGregor could have an even bigger impact on social media in 2017, especially if his much-talked about and hyped boxing match between pound-for-pound king, Floyd Mayweather, actually sees the light of day.

For the record, Ronda Rousey — who was unable to make a successful return to the Octagon against Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 last month — is the only other UFC fighter who made the list, coming in at No. 18 because of posts like this. Check out the complete “Most Valued Athletes on Social Media” for 2016 list right here.

Conor McGregor is once again climbing the charts.

After becoming the first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) “double champ” in 2016 with a knockout of Eddie Alvarez to claim the Lightweight title at UFC 205, “Notorious” added yet another accolade to his gaudy resume — he was ranked the No. 5 “Most Valued Athlete In Social Media,” according to MVPIndex and 120 Sports. The Irishman also became the fastest social media climber in 2016, moving up 33 spots to nab a Top 5 ranking, which is a huge leap from 2015 in which he was ranked No. 38.

Below are the Top 10 “Most Valued Athletes on Social Media” for 2016:

1. Russell Wilson (NFL)
2. Odell Beckham Jr. (NFL)
3. J.J. Watt (NFL)
4. Rory McIlroy (PGA TOUR)
5. Conor McGregor (UFC)
6. LeBron James (NBA)
7. Tiger Woods (PGA TOUR)
8. Richard Sherman (NFL)
9. Tom Brady (NFL)
10. Rob Gronkowski (NFL)

McGregor is ahead of established major mainstream sports stars such as Lebron James and Tom Brady, which means he is doing something right. It’s more than likely the reason companies such as Pegasus World Cup International are paying “Notorious” big bucks to promote their products / events on social media.

Nevertheless, 120/MVPindex explains how the rankings are determined:

To determine the most valued athletes on social media this year, Chicago-based digital sports network 120 Sports collaborated with industry-leading social measurement and valuation platform MVPindex to rank athletes using a proprietary algorithm that evaluates all of their social activity throughout the past year. The ranking combines three separate scores: Reach (fans, followers, impressions), Engagement (likes, comments, shares, retweets, favorites) and Conversation (positive/negative mentions).

The 155-pound champion doesn’t Tweet everyday, but when he does, he makes waves and rattles cages. Case in point, the fiery Irishman caused an uproar after he teased early retirement on Twitter following his removal from UFC 200 last summer.

When it comes to Instagram, McGregor isn’t shy about showing off his lavish lifestyle, which he can afford thanks to the massive paydays he earns as a result of behind the biggest draw in mixed martial arts (MMA). Currently on hiatus from MMA, McGregor could have an even bigger impact on social media in 2017, especially if his much-talked about and hyped boxing match between pound-for-pound king, Floyd Mayweather, actually sees the light of day.

For the record, Ronda Rousey — who was unable to make a successful return to the Octagon against Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 last month — is the only other UFC fighter who made the list, coming in at No. 18 because of posts like this. Check out the complete “Most Valued Athletes on Social Media” for 2016 list right here.