Top 20 highest paid UFC fighters Before Alex Pereira did his thing, Overeem was considered the most accomplished striker in MMA history. 20 Highest-Paid UFC Fighters Conor McGregor remains the highest-paid fighter in UFC, while his rival Khabib Nurmagomedov follows. Let's look at the top twenty. Top paid mma fighters leading fighter earning totals as of April Conor McGregor, aka Notorious, is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter with. 8 of the richest MMA fighters in the world in – net worths, ranked: from history-making Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, to undefeated.
Who made the most money in MMA? Highest Paid MMA Athletes of all Time
What is the average salary in the MMA? How much does a Mma Fighter make? As of Apr 13, 2024, the average annual pay for a Mma Fighter in the United States is $63,930 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $30.74 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,229/week or $5,327/month.
Along with its success, there is always a debate in mixed martial arts about the payments of the fighters involved. A few people think that the UFC fighters put their lives on the line to entertain their fans. So, they must get hefty amounts for their performance. Still, some people blamed the UFC for paying low amounts to fighters.
With time, fighters began to earn millions from the UFC. Andrei Arlovski is a former UFC Heavyweight champion whose stock is still on the rise because he is an active fighter. Arlovski has been the most consistent star of the UFC for the past three decades. He worked for the UFC from to and left the promotion to join Strikeforce. He later returned in However, his peak period was during his first run, when he became the first Belarusian fighter to win the UFC title.
The incredible record of , 17KO, provides evidence of his outstanding earnings. Alistair Overeem is one of the few fighters in the UFC who left an incredible legacy even without winning any championships. Ronda Rousey revolutionized the UFC women's division. She has defended her Bantamweight title six times in her career before losing it to Holly Holm.
Dos Santos returned to the Bareknuckle MMA earlier this year to break his losing streak of 5 matches. His career record stands at , 15KO , which is one of the main factors behind his top earnings in MMA. Dos Santos has the record for the longest winning streak in the UFC heavyweight division 9 fights.
Young MMA fans might be surprised by his name because he is now seen as an expert in commentary roles. Nogueira came to the UFC from Pride and still managed to win a title which is very impressive. Big Nog retired with a record of 46 total fights, 34 wins, and 21 of those wins by submission which is no surprise to anybody because of how good his grappling skills were. Top paid mma fighters Though he capitalized on his jiu-jitsu skills to make the difference, Nogueira has strengthened himself with different variations of submissions to beat his opponents.
Besides, he also proved to be capable of taking hits without giving up. Max Holloway made a strong case to be part of this privileged list after putting on a show on countless occasions. One of the best strikers in MMA history, he took down some big-name opponents throughout his career.
Besides, he became the first American to win the UFC featherweight championship. His striking skills earned him the nickname "Blessed," as he forged a reputation for being a ruthless fighter for his opponent. Additionally, his ability as a finisher has also drawn a lot of praise. Definitely of the most entertaining fighters to watch on this list Lawler really knew how to put on a show and is the only fighter to have won three "Fight of the Year" awards in a row.
Lawler had some tough fights against the likes of Carlos Condit and Rory McDonald and his run as champion was excellent. Ruthless really is the perfect nickname for the fighter, whose knockout power made him an intimidating opponent. He stood out for his explosive hits and striking power. Matt Hughes had some of the best techniques to knock his opponents and wrestle them into inevitable defeat.
Hughes would get his opponents to the ground and it was almost a won fight by then because his ground game was at another level. Matt Hughes also has excellent submission skills and good power behind his punches which made him a man to fear. Hughes retired with a record of 54 total fights, 45 wins, and 9 losses. He had some next-level ground skills and unmatched sominance in the ring.
A champion in both welterweight and lightweight divisions, Alvarez proved that he can perform in multiple divisions. In the process, he delighted fans. A two division champion, Eddie Alvarez always gave the fans an entertaining fight. Israel Adesanya has earned his spot on this list and can only go up from here as he is still active.
So we might be in front of a generational talent. Dubbed the "Last Stylebender" for his style of fighting, Adesanya is considered one of the best strikers in the MM world. He has shown some serious skill from the very beginning, winning his first 20 fights in a row. Henry Cejudo had a rough start to life in the UFC, having lost his first two bouts.
However, in the rematch against Demetrious Johnson he proved his worth by pulling off an upset. After that fight began one of the most incredible runs ever seen. Cejudo is a two division champion winning in both flyweight and bantamweight while also being the only person to win a UFC title and an Olympic gold medal.
He retired with a record of 18 total fights, 16 wins, and 2 losses, his very first two fights. Ronda Rousey made a successful transition from judo to mixed martial arts, getting off to a start to her career in the octagon. Before that, she won a bronze medal in the Summer Olympics. Rousey loved to trash talk, but she backed it up with great results, winning a bantamweight belt.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame for her contribution to promote women's UFC, Rousey's rose to fame let her try her luck in WWE and even in the big screen, as she made an appearance in the Fast and Furious franchise. Randy Couture is one of the few MMA fighters to become a champion in two different weight classes. A former three-time UFC heavyweight champion and two-time light heavyweight champion, Couture's primed lasted longer than that of other fighters on this list.
His experience in wrestling gave him a trademark fighting style, being a master in takedowns and in dominating top positions. The old school will always remember Chuck Liddell, once the most dominating light heavyweight in the league. He had memorable fights and even took down some of the biggest names like Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz, and Randy Couture.
Liddell retired with a record of 30 fights, 21 wins, and 9 losses. Back in the day, he was a crowd favorite as his aggressive style delivered the most entertaining bouts we've ever seen. Dan Henderson had absolutely epic fights at Pride. Remembered for his amazing striking power, Henderson's knockout to Michael Bispin became an instant classic. He built his success with good grappling skills, a monstrous overhand right, and an iron chin that came in handy against his tougher opponents.
Thoughthe UFC title was elusive to him, Henderson still had a remarkable career. Penn may have gone through a rough patch in UFC, but in his prime, he was an absolute machine - especially in the lightweight division. After all, he was a UFC champion in both lightweight and welterweight. Even though he doesn't have the most impressive record, there is no denying that Penn had raw talent and went through four divisions.
Penn's matt work and grappling skills were unmatched. Additionally, he's one of the fastest people ever to receive a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. Dominick Cruz is the only person who was able to defeat Demetrious Johnson in his prime. Cruz had fantastic movements that no one could guess and a signature fighting style. Sports betting terminology If injuries hadn't caught up to him, he would be even higher up on this list.
He retired with a record of 23 wins and 3 losses. Besides his impressive record, Cruz brought a new style of fighting to the UFC, with unprecedented footwork. Daniel Cormier found success in both light heavyweight and heavyweight. We're talking about the second fighter in UFC history to defend titles in two different weight classes and was the first to ever do it in two divisions.
Cormier retired with a record of 26 fights, 22 wins, 3 losses, and one no contest, winning a world championship in every promotion he fought in. He truly dominated almost every opponent he came up against with explosive punches. Stipe Miocic was a two-time UFC heavyweight champion with next level boxing ability and advanced wrestling techniques.
In 24 fights, he recorded 20 wins - 15 by knockout - and 4 losses.