In this article, we rank the top ten highest-paid UFC fighters in the world and, we reveal how much they earn.
In mixed martial arts(MA), there is a shocking amount of money. With millions of viewers tuning in to see the best fights, UFC has become one of the most watched sports on the planet.
With fighters like Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov commanding big contracts for pay-per-view matches, the finest UFC competitors may earn tremendous amounts of money.
How much money does a UFC Fighter earn?
Every fighter enters into a contract with the UFC, and each participant is compensated with a set sum each time they enter the Octagon. Depending on the scope of the fight, there are generally three categories of UFC pay-out and they are;
Low-tier UFC fighters who earn between $10,000 – $30,000 per fight. Second, are the Middle tier UFC fighters that earn between$80,000 – $250,000 per fight. Lastly are the Top tier UFC fighters that earn between $500,000 – $3,000,000 per fight.
You almost certainly need to have headlined PPV events throughout your career to appear on the list of highest-paid UFC fighters.
These are the top ten highest-paid UFC fighters on the planet.
Conor McGregor, $200 million
Since he has by far managed to negotiate the greatest payment ever, Conor McGregor is the highest-paid UFC fighter in the entire globe.
McGregor is the only boxer who has earned seven figures throughout the last five fights, earning him the largest paycheck the promotion has ever paid out.
He has maintained his top position despite competing in the Octagon twice since 2016. According to Forbes, McGregor earned a staggering $3 million for his battle with Khabib Murmagomedov.
According to McGregor, the illustrious fight he engaged in with Donald Cerrone had brought in about $15 million at the beginning of 2020.
Conor McGregor will have accumulated a net worth of $200 million by 2023. That is a staggering amount, and he has several revenue streams that occasionally help him out financially.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, $40 million
Khabib Numagomedov is a well-known champion in the UFC. The former LWT champion is 29-0 overall and 13-0 in the UFC, where he has never lost.
The $8,68 million sum has propelled Khabib to third position on this list, and the fights against Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor account for the lion’s share of his career earnings.
The $8,68 million amount is a result of his career earnings, which were primarily derived from his fights with Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.
Against McGregor, Khabib earned a total of $2,540,000, and against Poinier, he earned an astounding $6,000,000.
After defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, Khabib earned more than $5,000,000. And right after the project was completed, he made his retirement announcement.
Khabib’s estimated net worth for the year 2023 is $40 million.
Georges St. Pierre, $30 million
For MMA aficionados, Georges St. Pierre requires no further clarification. You may have recognized the name of this legendary boxer. He is without a doubt one of the greatest UFC fighters ever.
It was unexpected but his debut, that performance in the ring impressed everyone. Following the thrilling match against Michael Bisping in 2017, he received a staggering seven-figure payout. It was his comeback after a break, and he succeeded in turning things around.
In a shift of events, someone grabbed his welterweight championship, but he made sure to quickly become the middleweight champion following his victory over The Count. Following that, Georges made history by being the fourth fighter in the history of the Ultimate Fight Championship to win the multi-division championship. He was able to pick up a sizable $2,580,000 cheque on that particular day.
Georges St Pierre’s estimated net worth as of 2023 is a whopping $30 million.
Brock Lesnar, $28 million
In the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Brock Lesnar, a former professional wrestler, and retired mixed martial artist, is regarded as one of the best heavyweights.
Using his skills and physic to dominate opponents in the Octagon, Lesnar made his UFC debut in 2008 and quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with.
After winning the UFC heavyweight title in 2008, he successfully defended twice it until dropping it to Cain Velasquez in 2010.
Lesnar, who left the sport in 2020, is still among the most well-known and highest-paid UFC fighters in the world, with estimated earnings of $28 million and a reported net worth of $28 million.
Anderson Silva, $18 million
Anderson Silva is the fifth highest-paid fighter in UFC history despite losing five of his past six contests. Nevertheless, considering his background, that is hardly shocking.
When Silva made his UFC debut, he earned $66,000. Three fights later, he earned a six-figure sum and is regarded as the best middleweight fighter of all time.
Because of his standing in the MMA world, Silva was able to earn high purses for fights; his highest payout was $820,000 for his victory over Derek Brunson at UFC 208.
Silva was released from his contract with the UFC in November 2020, and the Brazilian has since started a professional boxing career.
Alistar Overeem, $15 million
For each competition he took part in, Alistair Overeem continued to earn six figures, as he had done for his first match.
Overeem earned at least $800,000 for each of his most recent matches. He defeated Walt Harris and Augusto Sakai in 2022, both times winning by knockout.
In the course of his career, he has triumphed against opponents like Andrei Arlovski, Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, and Sergei Pavlovich.
For Overeem, being the second-highest-paid UFC fighter ever is due to their career as a professional UFC fighter. UFC accounts for $9.57 million of Overeem’s $15 million net worth.
Jon Jones, $14 million
American professional MMA fighter Jon Jones is presently a member of the UFC. His payment makes it quite evident that he is the most recent UFC Heavyweight Champion.
At UFC 214 vs Daniel Cormier, when he triumphed and kept his LHW championship, the Light Heavyweight champion earned his highest earnings to date.
Because of the legendary nature of the triumph, this moment gave every UFC fan a rush of emotion. He received an incredible $580,000. The only bad thing is that on that the CSAC later annulled the results, which was unfortunate.
He has a reasonable net worth of $14 million in 2023, which is a good turn.
Ronda Rousey, $13 million
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is an American mixed martial artist who is now retired.
After making her UFC debut in 2013, she immediately became a dominant force in the women’s bantamweight category and won her first UFC title that same year.
Rousey has a professional record of 12 wins and 2 losses throughout her career and is well known for both her excellent grappling abilities and her aggressive fighting approach.
With estimated earnings of $14 million and a stated net worth of $13 million, Rousey is one of the top 10 highest-paid UFC athletes in the world.
Nate Diaz, $11 million
For his outstanding striking and submission abilities in the UFC lightweight category, Nate Diaz, an American mixed martial artist, is well known. Diaz began his martial arts training at a young age and eventually switched to MMA. He debuted in the UFC in 2007, and thanks to his entertaining fighting style and charismatic demeanour, he rapidly became a fan favourite.
Diaz has an overall professional record of 20 wins and 13 defeats, and he is well known for his outstanding toughness and endurance inside the Octagon. The two great fights he had with Conor McGregor, which turned into two of the highest-earning pay-per-view events in UFC history, are likely what made him most famous.
With estimated earnings of $11 million and a reputed net worth of $8 million, Diaz is now one of the highest-paid UFC fighters in the world.
Junior dos Santos, $10 million
In six of his 21 appearances in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Junior dos Santos, a former heavyweight division champion, earned six figures in compensation.
‘Cigano,’ once rated as the 10th greatest fighter in the world, made about $830,000 following his Heavyweight Championship loss to Stipe Miocic at UFC 211. He left the UFC in March 2021, but since making his professional debut in 2008, the Brazilian veteran has made a tidy sum of money.
UFC fans can see him compete on All Elite Wrestling alongside wrestlers like Chris Jericho and Scorpio Sky as he tries his hand at professional wrestling.
Conclusion
It is not a major surprise to see increased funding for the sport given the recent success of UFC, and the average UFC salary is increasing fast. So far, this sums up our list of the top ten most-paid UFC fighters.
