A multibillion-dollar enterprise, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is the most prominent Mixed Martial Arts organization in the world. As the UFC has become increasingly popular over the decades, fighters’ salaries have grown just as fast.
It might come as no surprise to you that the top UFC fighters can earn impressively high salaries ranging in the millions. Every time the most recognizable UFC fighters step into the ring, they receive a colossal paycheck of five, six figures, or more.
Have you ever wondered who are the richest UFC fighters in the world? It’s no secret that some of UFC’s biggest names, such as Georges St. Pierre and Conor McGregor, brought home a whopping seven-figure salary for just one fight.
I’ve complied for you a list of the 25 richest UFC fighters of all time. The massive paychecks you’re about to see are eye popping, so brace yourself!
- 25. Dan Henderson – $8 Million
- 24. Rashad Evans – $8.5 Million
- 23. Michael Bisping – $9 Million
- 22. José Aldo – $9 Million
- 21. Donald Cerrone – $9 Million
- 20. Eddie Alvarez – $9 Million
- 19. Yoel Romero – $10 Million
- 18. Junior Dos Santos – $10 Million
- 17. Jon Jones – $10 Million
- 16. Chael Sonnen – $10 Million
- 15. Alistair Overeem – $10 Million
- 14. Frank Mir – $11 Million
- 13. Quinton Rampage Jackson – $12 Million
- 12. Ronda Rousey – $13 Million
- 11. Chuck Liddell – $14 Million
- 10. Randy Couture – $17 Million
- 9. Wanderlei Silva – $18 Million
- 8. Anderson Silva – $18 Million
- 7. Tito Ortiz – $20 Million
- 6. BJ Penn – $22 Million
- 5. Brock Lesnar – $28 Million
- 4. Khabib Nurmagomedov – $30 Million
- 3. Georges St. Pierre – $30 Million
- 2. Rorion Gracie – $50 Million
- 1. Conor McGregor – $120 Million
25. Dan Henderson – $8 Million
An American Mixed Martial Arts fighter, Henderson participated in the 1992 and 1996 summer Olympic Games for Greco-Roman wrestling. He earned a silver medal at the 1994 Pan American Championships, a bronze medal at the 1998 Championships, and a gold medal at the 2000 Championships.
Throughout his career, Henderson has won 32 out of 47 professional matches. Check out this highlight reel with some of his best knockouts:
He retired from fighting in 2016 after losing a bot to Michael Bisping. Dan Henderson’s net worth is an estimated $8 million.
24. Rashad Evans – $8.5 Million
A retired American MMA fighter, Evans’ career started in 2003, and he won the Ultimate Fighter 2 Heavyweight Championship and the Light Heavyweight Championship. Evans, who won 19 of 28 matches throughout his career, was recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019. His net worth is approximately $8.5 million.
23. Michael Bisping – $9 Million
Bisping is an English MMA fighter with training in martial arts, karate, kickboxing, and boxing. He ranked in the world’s top six middleweight by the UFC MMA site Sherdog in 2014, and he won The Ultimate Fighter 3 Light Heavyweight Championship. As the only British fighter to have won a UFC Championship, he is widely considered Britain’s most successful UFC fighter.
Inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019, Bisping won 30 out of 39 fights during his career. He also had a strong trash talk game, and would own and troll his opponents on social media.
After retiring from UFC fighting, he transitioned to acting, producing, and sports commentary. Bisping’s net worth is an estimated $9 million.
22. José Aldo – $9 Million
A Brazilian Mixed Martial Arts fighter also trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Aldo is a two-time UFC Featherweight Champion and the fourth (and final) Featherweight Champion in the World Extreme Cagefighting.
Aldo was involved in one of the most hyped fights in UFC history: his match against Conor McGregor. Unfortunately for him, he got absolutely destroyed in an extremely fast knockout (which McGregor was paid handsomly for).
Notably, Aldo has claimed the UFC Featherweight title longer than anyone else. As of 2020, he has won 28 out of 25 competitions, and his net worth is approximately $9 million.
21. Donald Cerrone – $9 Million
The third fighter on our list worth $9 million, Cerrone is an American MMA fighter and kickboxer. With 30 wins and seven losses, Cerrone earned the title of S-1 Muay Thai United States Champion in 2006, and he won the Dominion Warrior Muay Thai World Lightweight Championship that same year.
Also known professionally by his ring nickname “Cowboy,” Cerrone is one of the most popular UFC fighters. He has a net worth of an estimated $9 million.
20. Eddie Alvarez – $9 Million
An American MMA fighter originally from Philadelphia, Alvarez is a former Bellator and UFC lightweight champion. Known by his professional ring nickname, “The Underground King,” he was the first Lightweight victor in Bellator MMA.
Alvarez started fighting with UFC in 2014 after a successful career in Bellator. Throughout his career, he has won 30 matches and lost 7. Alvarez’s estimated net worth is $9 million.
19. Yoel Romero – $10 Million
Romero, a MMA fighter and wrestler from Cuba, earned the 1999 World Wrestling Champion title and a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.
In my opinion, there is no fighter that is just as plain scary as Yoel Romero. When he knocked out Luke Rockhold, it looked like he sent his brains to another planet. Here are some of Romero’s nastiest KOs:
After his first UFC appearance in 2013, Romero won all of his first eight matches and has won prestigious honors, including Knockout of the Night, Performance of the Night, and Fight of the Night. With a record of 13 wins to 3 losses, Romero’s time with UFC concluded in 2020. His net worth is approximately $10 million.
18. Junior Dos Santos – $10 Million
A Brazilian MMA fighter, Santos started fighting in the UFC’s Heavyweight division in 2008, and he earned recognition as the UFC Heavyweight Champion in 2012. He’s also held UFC titles, including Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night, which he both earned three times.
Also trained in Jiu-Jitsu, Dos Santos has previously held the Bahia State Jiu-Jitsu Champion and Bahia State Submission Champion title. His net worth is an estimated $10 million.
17. Jon Jones – $10 Million
Named the Light Heavyweight Champion in the UFC three times, Jones is an American MMA fighter. Throughout his career, Jones has had 26 victories with only one professional loss, a contentious disqualification against Matt Hamill in 2009.
Known by his professional nickname “Bones,” Jones is currently ranked second on the male pound-for-pound list. In 2020, he announced that he was preparing to progress to the heavyweight division. Jones’ net worth is approximately $10 million.
16. Chael Sonnen – $10 Million
Sonnen is an American MMA fighter originally from Oregon. In 2000, Sonnen won a silver medal at the Greco-Roman World University Championships. His focus shifted to MMA at age 19, and after he won his first six matches in the Middleweight Division, he won the attention of the UFC.
Chael is a legendary trash talker. He wasn’t always able to back it up in the cage, but he destroyed opponents like Anderson Silva and Wanderlei Silva in the media.
Although he has never won a UFC championship, he achieved success after fighting for Bodog Fight and eventually World Extreme Cagefighting in 2007. Sonnen’s net worth is an estimated $10 million.
15. Alistair Overeem – $10 Million
A British MMA fighter raised in the Netherlands, Overeem won his first UFC fight in 2011. Previously, he has held the titles of Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Interim Heavyweight Champion of the world, and K-1 World Prix Champion.
Out of his 62 MMA matches, Overeem has won 44, and he is currently ranked sixth in the latest USA Today Sports/MMA Junkie heavyweight rankings. He has a net worth of approximately $10 million.
14. Frank Mir – $11 Million
Born in Las Vegas, Mir is an American MMA fighter and professional wrestler with the record for the largest number of matches, victories, and submissions in UFC heavyweight history. He also won the UFC Heavyweight Championship twice. Mir signed with Bellator MMA in 2018 and currently competes in the Heavyweight division. a
Previously, he was UFC fighter for sixteen years and has held roles as the UFC’s Director of Security and a Las Vegas club bouncer. His net worth is approximately $11 million.
13. Quinton Rampage Jackson – $12 Million
Originally from Tennessee, Jackson is an MMA fighter, a professional wrestler, and an actor. He was also once a UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion and previously won the Pride Fighting Championships in Japan.
Most recently, Jackson fought in the Bellator MMA, where he won the Season Ten Light Heavyweight Tournament. After he retired from the UFC, Jackson transitioned to a career in acting and has starred in successful films, including The A-Team and Never Surrender. Jackson’s net worth is an estimated $12 million.
12. Ronda Rousey – $13 Million
Rousey is an American MMA fighter, actress, judoka, and most notably, the only female MMA fighter on our list. She started her career as a Judo athlete and was the youngest Judo competitor at the 2004 Olympics. In 2008, Rousey was the first American female to earn an Olympic medal in judo.
In wrestling, she holds the title of the second-longest Raw’s Women Champion. Eventually, Rousey found her path into the UFC. She became the first Women’s Bantamweight Champion in the 2012 UFC, and during an impressive streak, she won 12 MMA competitions consecutively.
Ronda Rousey’s initial fight streak in the UFC was the stuff legends are made of. However, once Holly Holm head kicked her into next Tuesday, her MMA career slid off of a cliff and she transitioned to the world of professional wrestling.
Inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018, Rousey has a net worth of approximately $13 million.
11. Chuck Liddell – $14 Million
A retired MMA fighter, Liddell is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Trained in multiple martial arts variations, he has the second most knockouts in UFC history with thirteen knockouts.
With eight losses to 21 wins, Liddell earned her place in the UFC Hall of Fame in 2009. Since he stopped fighting for the UFC, Liddell has pursued a career in acting and has appeared in an extensive repertoire of television shows and movies. His net worth is approximately $14 million.
10. Randy Couture – $17 Million
Couture is an American actor, former MMA fighter, and a retired sergeant for the United States Army. He is a three-time NCAA All-American and international Greco-Roman competitor. While fighting in the UFC, Couture won an impressive six championship titles spanning two weight classes.
The fourth fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, Couture, received the 2018 Outstanding American title by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Couture’s net worth is an estimated $17 million.
9. Wanderlei Silva – $18 Million
A Brazilian MMA fighter, Silva previously competed in the Pride Fighting Championships in Japan and has been in the Ultimate Fighting Championships. In the history of Pride, he continues to hold the record for the most number of wins. Silva owns the claim of most title defenses, knockouts, and the longest winning streak.
Once a Pride Middleweight Champion and the 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament Champion, Silva recently competed for Bellator MMA as a Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight fighter. Throughout his career, he has won 15 matches with 14 losses. Silva’s net worth is an estimated $18 million.
8. Anderson Silva – $18 Million
A Brazilian MMA fighter, Silva is a former UFC Middleweight Champion. He holds a UFC record of the longest win streak in UFC history with 16 consecutive victories and the longest title reign in UFC of 2,457 days, which began in 2006 and ended in 2013.
Commonly regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, Silva won the Fight of Night five times and earned the most “Knockout of the Night” awards in UFC history. His net worth is approximately $18 million.
7. Tito Ortiz – $20 Million
While Ortiz has retired from the UFC, this legendary American MMA fighter is still a fan favorite in the Ultimate Fighting Championships. His matches are among the most rewatched by fans of all time. He is the former Light-Heavyweight Champion of the UFC, and his UFC career includes losses to household names in UFC like Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture.
He has also coached for the sport. Currently, Ortiz owns a gym in California and an MMA clothing and equipment business company, elevating his net worth to approximately $20 million.
6. BJ Penn – $22 Million
Penn is an American MMA fighter who also practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. You may know him as the first non-Brazilian victor of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Previously, Penn has won victories at both the Lightweight and the Welterweight Championships in the UFC.
He is one of just three competitors in history to have earned championship belts in several weight classes, and for over eight years, Penn was an undefeated lightweight. Aside from UFC fighting, Penn has appeared in television shows like Hawaii Five-0, coached for the sport, and authored two books. Penn’s estimated net worth is $22 million.
5. Brock Lesnar – $28 Million
Lesnar’s professional background is extremely diverse. Previously, he was a professional wrestler, MMA fighter, and American football player, and he once earned the title of UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Currently, he wrestles professionally with the World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. With a net worth of $28 million, Lesnar is one of the world’s wealthiest MMA fighters.
4. Khabib Nurmagomedov – $30 Million
A professional MMA fighter from Russia, Nurmagomedov is a two-time Combat Sambo World Champion and winner of the 2018 UFC Lightweight Champion. During his career, he won 28 times with no losses. At the age of twenty-one, he set the highest record takedowns during a single fight.
Nurmagomedov also has the longest active streak of victories in the history of MMA. After holding the UFC Lightweight Champion title for the most prolonged period, he retired in 2020. His net worth is approximately $30 million.
3. Georges St. Pierre – $30 Million
Originally from Canada, St. Pierre is a successful MMA fighter who won UFC’s Welterweight Championship three separate times. In 2017, he won the middleweight title after his victory against Michael Bisping.
In 2020, he retired from UFC with the most significant number of titles as a welterweight champion in the UFC. That same year, he won the title of Canadian Athlete of the Year and earned his spot in the UFC Hall of Fame. For this reason, many fans of the sport worldwide consider St. Pierre to be one of the best MMA fighters of all time, and his net worth is an estimated $30 million.
2. Rorion Gracie – $50 Million
Gracie, a Brazilian born in Rio de Janeiro, has an extensive range of professional interests. Not only is he the co-founder of the UFC, but he is also a trained expert in Jiu-Jitsu, publisher, writer, lecturer, and producer.
One of the world’s only individuals with a ninth-degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he gained recognition for introducing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Gracie to the mainstream public. Gracie’s net worth is approximately $50 million.
1. Conor McGregor – $120 Million
McGregor is a professional Irish MMA fighter in the UFC. Ironically, most of his net worth does not come from his MMA competitions. Instead, it’s primarily from his professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather.
Over the past several years, McGregor earned a reputation as an unbelievable MMA sensation. With an estimated net worth of $120 million, he is the wealthiest UFC fighter of all time.
Outside of fighting, McGregor has continued to stack up the W’s. His Proper Twelve whiskey business reportedly did $1 billion in sales in its first year. Truly astounding.
Closing Thoughts
Because of MMA’s rapidly growing fan base, the sport now exceeds boxing in popularity. The industry has generated billions of dollars through pay-per-view profits and company sponsorships. A hefty portion of these funds ends up in the bank accounts of the most successful fighters, which is why the salaries of some UFC fighters are so astronomically high.
While the richest UFC fighters throw some powerful hits in the ring, their salaries can pack an even bigger punch. The richest UFC fighters have climbed, if not grappled and pounded, their way to the top, and we predict that these fighters will only continue to preserve their accolades aggressively.
If you’re still curious about how UFC fighters get paid, learn more:
With countless months of training, resilience, and resolve, these UFC fighters have earned every dollar of their heaping paychecks. However, the reality is that UFC fighters don’t always do the best job of holding onto their money. After all, they are fighters and not financial planners.
Congratulations to all the fighters who built up the net worth to make my list. All of us fans are grateful from the performances you’ve put on to bank those purses!