With an estimated current net worth of $44 million (£34 million), even the super-confident Conor McGregor himself might not have imagined the success he has achieved when he was starting out. A true rags-to-riches story, read on to discover how the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s golden wonder went from working shifts as a plumber to becoming the millionaire champion he is today.

McGregor was born 14 July 1988 in Crumlin, Dublin. From a young age he took up sports as a hobby, developing a passion for football and boxing from the age of 12.

He admits he frequently got himself into trouble from a young age, often fighting on the streets with local boys, though he kept his focus whenever he trained in the ring.

On finishing school, McGregor trained for a plumbing apprenticeship, after which he worked as a plumber in Dublin. However, this didn’t stop him from dreaming big and fighting hard. It was at this point in his life that he discovered mixed martial arts (MMA).

In 2007, against his father’s wishes, McGregor abandoned his plumbing job to pursue his dreams of fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He made his MMA debut as a lightweight, defeating Gary Morris on 17 February, and went on to fight professionally from then on.

Broke and on benefits, but training with former professional MMA fighter, coach and journalist John Kavanagh, there were moments when McGregor almost quit. At this point he earned roughly $120 (£90) a fight and $1,800 (£1,300) a year. Luckily for him and his fans, his mother pushed him to continue training. From then, a star was well and truly born.

Under Kavanagh, the young fighter went on a winning streak, winning eight consecutive fights in a row in 2012. During these fights, he won both the CWFC Featherweight and Lightweight championships, making him the first European fighter to hold both titles simultaneously.

Having broken an incredible record, McGregor signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC in 2013. 

The moment McGregor had been waiting for finally came in 2013, when the UFC invited him to Sweden to compete against American fighter Marcus Brimage. McGregor snapped up the offer, stopping Brimage in the first round with a glorious knockout. That night he pocketed $16,000 (£12,000), earning an additional $60,000 (£45,500) for ‘Knockout of the Night’.

Since his debut, McGregor has gone head to head against big names, including Brazilian fighter Diego Brandao, who he defeated in the first round of their fight at Dublin’s O2 Arena back in 2014. Following this, McGregor was given a new contract with the UFC and a $50,000 (£40,000) ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus. 

Since renewing his contract with the UFC, McGregor has headlined UFC 202 against Nate Diaz, which was worth $50,000 (£40,000), and UFC 205, with a knockout win against Eddie Alvarez, which won him a further $50,000 (£40,000). 

In the second half of 2016, McGregor took home a total of $2.7 million (£2.5 million), but his biggest paycheck to date is yet to be cashed. This will be his earnings from his recent loss in his heavily-hyped boxing match-up against world heavyweight champion boxer Floyd Mayweather. McGregor is estimated to be looking at a smooth $30 million (£23 million). If so, this will escalate his net worth up to an approximate $64 million (£43 million).

On top of his fight earnings, McGregor makes a healthy income through sponsorship cash. He earns around $40,000 (£30,000) per fight from Reebok alone. He is also sponsored by Monster Energy and Bud Light, estimated to be worth $7 million (£5.5 million). An endorsement deal was also agreed with rapper Dr Dre's company Beats by Dre in May, though the financial details aren't known.

With his new-found success and soaring bank balance, the UFC fighter has developed a taste for flashy and expensive goods, a trait he is very open about on social media. Anyone who has been following his progress over the past couple of years is well aware of his enthusiasm for sports cars. He also bought a yacht, which he named 'The 188' as a reference to the amount of benefits he used to claim, only to then appear to be trying to sell it the next day.

McGregor has quite the impressive car collection. He owns three limited edition Lamborghinis, but it’s his custom Rolls Royce Ghost, with a value of $370,000 (£280,000), that he prizes the most.

Other flashy cars in his collection include a $130,000 (£100,000) BMW i8, a $60,000 (£45,000) Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, a $70,000 (£50,000) Cadillac Escalade and a bunch of Range Rovers. That's one big garage he needs...

 

He's also developed a love for sharp tailored suits. Rarely will you spot him cruising about town wearing anything but one of his signature numbers, which are estimated at $80,000 (£60,000) a pop. 

McGregor has recently announced a fashion collaboration between himself and suit designer David August, designing suits aimed at young men. The clothing line, August McGregor, is set for launch in 2018. Suits and accessories will range from $500 (£400) up to $1,200 (£1,000).

McGregor is also brand ambassador for a number of luxury watch brands, including Patek Philippe and Hubolt, though his watches are privately collected and not worn for sponsorship reasons.

Just to give you an idea of how much McGregor likes to spend on his watches, his Rolex Sky-Dweller, which he nicknamed ‘Galaxy caramel’, can be purchased for $36,000 (£27,000), and that’s just one in a collection of many.

His increasing wealth has meant he can splash out on more lavish homes. This six-bed house overlooking Killiney Bay just outside Dublin was his pad this summer, and was formerly owned by Formula One racing driver Eddie Irvine, who sold it for $7 million (£5.4m). In the past, he's rented a $2.4 million (£1.8m) mansion in Kildare and a six-bedroom luxury mansion in Las Vegas, which he rechristened the Mac Mansion.

As well as his fancy sports cars, designer watches and tailored suits, McGregor enjoys splashing his cash on his partner Dee Devlin. They have been known to rack up quite a bill, having once reportedly spent $27,000 (£20,000) on a single shopping spree at the Dolce and Gabbana store in Los Angeles.

But McGregor isn’t all about splashing the cash on himself. After his big break in Sweden, the first thing the young fighter did when he arrived back in Ireland was to pay off his parents’ mortgage. He has also purchased a BMW 5-Series for each of his family members, which includes his father, mother and two sisters. At $46,000 (£35,000) a pop, McGregor is clearly the generous type when it comes to gifting to his nearest and dearest.

Not only is McGregor generous when it comes to his family, the star donated $60,000 (£45,000) to homeless charities Simon Community and Focus Ireland back in 2015, showing he hasn't forgotten his humble beginnings.

To give you an idea of just how much a McGregor outfit might cost, the custom-made Gucci mink coat, Gucci polo neck (which he later removed) and Gucci silk pants he wore at the World Press Tour in New York for his fight with Floyd Mayweather are worth a staggering total of $150,000 (£113,000).

Right now McGregor sits comfortably at 89th place in the Forbes richest celebrity list, weighing in as the 24th highest-paid athlete in the world. His ambition is to be the number one. And you wouldn't bet against him achieving it.