Conor McGregor most searched athlete on Google in 2017 ahead of LeBron James, Tom Brady, Ronda Rousey

UFC star Conor McGregor did not step inside an octagon for an official mixed martial arts fight and had only one boxing fight scheduled against Floyd Mayweather in 2017. But that did not restrict the Irishman's popularity around the globe to continue as he became the most Googled athlete in 2017.

According to a report published by Dana Rebecca, the 29-year-old took the number one spot ahead of basketball and Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, NFL superstar Tom Brady, former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and even Mayweather.

"Most of the top Googled athletes can point to their long winning careers, while other names on the list can be attributed to attention-grabbing stints in the spotlight, such as Conor McGregor, and Ronda Rousey," a statement on Dana Rebecca's website read.

"Then there's OJ Simpson, number six of the top most Googled athlete list, whose rank is most likely due to scandal," it added.

McGregor stepped inside the boxing ring to face Mayweather at the T-Mobile Arena in August 2017. The 15-time world champion, who came out of retirement, remained undefeated as he was successful in stopping the MMA kingpin in their crossover bout.

Despite having one boxing fight, McGregor has seen his popularity grow in the last calendar year where he surpassed basketball stars James, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, along with other athletes like Tiger Woods to become the most Googled athlete in 2017.

The top most Googled athletes of 2017 according to Dana Rebecca are given below:

1. Conor McGregor
2. LeBron James
3. Tom Brady
4. Stephen Curry
5. Kyrie Irving
6. OJ Simpson
7. Ronda Rousey
8. Tiger Woods
9. Kevin Durant
10. Floyd Mayweather