Top 10 Richest UFC Fighters in the World

UFC is the most extensive MMA promotion company in the world. Along with its immense popularity worldwide, it has some of the highest-level fighters.

As one of the popular sports, there is no doubt that millions of people watch the sports on their T.V. set worldwide. Additionally, the events’ tickets almost always are sold out. As a result, there’s no question that the sport generates massive revenues.

The fighters are also paid handsomely. With the rise in popularity of the sports, some fighters earn millions of dollars and have some of the highest paychecks in the sports world.

In addition to their huge paycheck, they also have endorsement deals with many brands. So it further increases their total net worth.

Keeping these in mind, we have made a list of some of the richest UFC fighters. Here, we will look at their net worth and determine which fighter is the richest.

So without further delay, let us get right into the list.

Top 10 Richest UFC Fighters in the World

The list presented below has been prepared with the help of various trusted sources from the internet like News18, WealthyGorilla, etc. However, before diving into the list, let us take a quick look at the ranking in the table below.

Fighters Name Net Worth (approx.)
10. Randy Couture $17 million
9. Wanderlei Silva $18 million
8. Fedor Emelianenko $18 million
7. Anderson Silva $18 million
6. BJ Penn $22 million
5. Brock Lesnar $28 million
4. George St. Pierre $30 million
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov $30 million
2. Rorion Gracie $50 million
1. Conor McGregor $110 million

10. Heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions Randy Couture

In addition to being a former U.S. Army sergeant, actor, mixed martial artist, and Greco-Roman wrestler, Randy Couture is a former UFC champion. With a net worth of $17 million, he ranks as our tenth-richest UFC fighter.

During his time in the UFC, Couture won the titles of heavyweight three times, light heavyweight twice, and interim light heavyweight once. A record 16 title fights have been contested by the UFC fighter.

He had a reputation for using his wrestling abilities in the ring to perform takedowns and repeatedly punch his adversary from the bottom. Similar to how he combined different skills, he became one of the best UFC fighters.

Couture holds a number of UFC records. He shares a tie for the most victories in UFC Heavyweight Championship fights, and he is the first of the seven competitors to hold championship titles in two different weight classes.

He left the UFC in 2011 and is now a member of the UFC Hall of Fame. In addition, Couture is the only UFC fighter to claim a title after being inducted into the Hall of Fame and the oldest champion in MMA history.

The UFC is one of the most well-known sports leagues in the world, and many outstanding fighters have graced the UFC ring. To learn more about the top UFC fighters, click here.

9. Wanderlei Silva : Middleweight, Heavyweight, and Light Heavyweight

Wanderlei Silva, a mixed martial artist who is of Brazilian and American descent, is on our number 9. He is worth $18 million in total. In 1998, at UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil, he made his UFC debut.

Silva served in the Brazilian army before joining Vale Tudo, a school for Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He advanced in the UFC thanks to his aggressive fighting style, which combined street fighting, Muay Thai, and kickboxing.

Similar to how he made his PRIDE debut at Pride7 in 1999, he also made his UFC Brazil debut there. After that, he gradually gained control over the company. Silva joined UFC in 2007 after finishing strongly in PRIDE.

He was granted American citizenship in 2016. He is one of the toughest fighters in the UFC thanks to his brutal fighting style. However, he refused to take the drug tests, which led to the end of his UFC career.

2014 saw Silva receive a lifetime ban and a $70,000 fine from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. He was released from his UFC contract in 2016, despite the lifetime ban being overturned in 2015.

8. Fedor Emelianenko Weight class

Fedor Emelianenko, a mixed martial artist from Russia, is the second-richest UFC competitor on our list. With a net worth of $18 million, he is tied with Wanderlei Silva. He is a former UFC fighter as well as a judoka who practices sambista.

The Russian Top Team was where Emelianenko began his professional career. Then, before competing in the Pride Fighting Championships, he made his ring debut. But he is best known for his time in MMA, where he made his debut in 2000.

The MMA Pride Fighting Championship, the FIAS World Combat Sambo Championship, and the Russian Judo Federation National Championship are among Emelianenko’s notable victories.

The fighter is also well-known for his notable victories over four former UFC champions, two Olympic medalists, and others. However, Emelianenko chose to take a break even after a successful run.

He made an effort to come out of retirement, but UFC President Dana White was unsuccessful. But finally, in 2015, he made the announcement that he was leaving his retirement. He is currently taking part in Bellator MMA and the Rizin Fighting Federation.

7. Anderson Silva’s  light heavyweight and middleweight

Anderson Silva is next on our list of the richest UFC fighters. He shares a $18 million net worth with Wanderlei Silva and Fedor Emelianenko. Silva is a former mixed martial artist and UFC fighter of Brazilian descent.

One of the greatest mixed martial artists is Silva, according to UFC president Dana White and many other experts. As a result, he had one of the highest ratings among fighters and received a sizable salary.

In Brazil, he began his career as a welterweight and later made appearances in PRIDE and Cage Rage before making his UFC debut. Silva made his MMA debut at Ultimate Fight Night 5 in 2006 after signing a multi-fight contract with the UFC.

Silva, a stand-up fighter skilled in Muay Thau, boxing, and taekwondo, set numerous UFC records for offensive striking. As a result, many people consider Silva to be among the best strikers in MMA history.

Additionally, with 2,457 days, he holds the record for the longest Middleweight Champion title reign in UFC history. Similar to this, Silva won 16 straight matches during this time. He left the UFC in 2020 and went back to boxing.

6. Lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight divisions  BJ Penn

BJ Penn, who has a net worth of $22 million, is the following. He practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is a skilled mixed martial artist. One of the greatest competitors in UFC history is the UFC fighter.

When he began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1997, he began his mixed martial arts career. The World Jiu-Jitsu Championship’s black-belt division was then won by him, making him the first non-Brazilian to do so in Rio de Janeiro.

Following this impressive feat, Penn attracted the interest of the UFC. On May 21, 2001, he made his first UFC debut after joining the company. He quickly became one of the strongest fighters on the main roster as a result of his abilities.

In a similar vein, Penn’s abilities led him to become the second of seven UFC fighters to win titles in multiple weight divisions. Additionally, he won the UFC Lightweight and Welterweight titles.

He is credited by UFC president Dana White with popularizing mixed martial arts’ lighter weight divisions. 2015 saw Penn’s induction into the UFC Hall of Fame’s Modern-era wing.

5. Brock Lesnar Heavyweight Division

Although Brock Lesnar is best known as a WWE wrestler, he has also competed as a professional football player, amateur wrestler, and mixed martial artist. In 2007, he signed with MMA. With a net worth of $28 million, he ranks fifth among the most wealthy UFC competitors.

In 2008, Lesnar made his MMA debut at UFC 81: Breaking Point. He immediately established himself as a dominant fighter in the UFC. He defeated Randy Couture at UFC 91 to win the heavyweight title by a technical knockout.

Lesnar was ranked as the best MMA fighter and highest-paid athlete in 2011 by ESPN magazine. However, he left the MMA the same year as a result of his diverticulitis struggles.

Lesnar returned to UFC in 2015 despite having earlier declared his retirement from mixed martial arts. But he failed the UFC’s drug test and had a clomiphene positive result. He was penalized as a result, and in 2017, he made his second retirement from mixed martial arts.

Twelve different heavyweight championships have been won by Lesnar in MMA, NJPW, and the WWE. He currently has a free agent contract with WWE. One of the all-time great professional wrestlers is known as Lesnar.

4. George St. Pierre Middleweight and Welterweight Divisions

George St. Pierre is listed as the fourth richest UFC fighter on our list. The MMA fighter, who has a $30 million net worth, is regarded as one of the sport’s best competitors. At UFC 46, he made his UFC debut.

St. Pierre initially learned Kyokushin Karate from his father. He also received training in boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and wrestling. St. Pierre was inspired by Jean-Claude Van Damme when he was a young boy.

He lost in his first match after making his debut. But in just 1:42 of the first round of his subsequent match, St. Pierre defeated his opponent by technical knockout.

He won titles in the welterweight and middleweight divisions of the UFC as his career advanced, making him a two-division champion. St. Pierre is also renowned for working out with various teams in different gyms.

At the time of his retirement, he held the record for the most victories in title matches and the second-longest combined title streak in UFC history.

In 2013, he made his retirement official. St. Pierre returned to the UFC in 2017 despite having retired as the current Welterweight Champion.

3. Khabib Nurmagomedov Weight Classes: Welterweight and Lightweight

With a $30 million net worth, Khabib Nurmagomedov is tied with Geroge St. Pierre as one of the top UFC fighters. He was a former UFC fighter and professional mixed martial artist from Russia.

Most people agree that Khabib is the best lightweight in MMA history. He received training in wrestling, sambo, and judo. He made his MMA professional debut in 2008. After making his debut, he already had four victories under his belt.

Nurmagomedov was given a six-fight contract by the UFC in 2011 to compete in the lightweight division. In his UFC debut match against Kamal Shalorus at UFC on F.X. 1, he prevailed.

In a similar vein, he continued on to win the UFC title, making history by becoming the first Muslim fighter to do so. He also held the record for the longest reign as UFC Lightweight Champion. At the time of his retirement, Nurmagomedov had a record of 29 victories and 0 losses.

Furthermore, he was ranked number 1 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings at his retirement. Even though he left the UFC, he continues to work as a cornerman and mixed martial arts coach.

2. Rorion Gracie No division given

Grand Master of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu system and co-founder of the UFC, Rorion Gracie was born in Brazil. He is ranked second among our top richest UFC fighters with a net worth of $50 million. Similarly, he is a writer, producer, publisher, and lecturer.

Gracie is widely recognized as one who introduced Gracie/Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in the United States. He is also one of the few people in the world to hold a 9th-degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

In 1993, Gracie reamed up with promoter and business executive Art Davie to create UFC. He recruited seven martial artists of different styles to participate in a single-elimination tournament.

He also enlisted his brother Royce to represent the family-style in the tournament. Although Royce was the smallest competitor, he gave an excellent example of their family Gracie Jiu-Jitsu style.

Gracie is not just one of the richest UFC fighters; he is also one of the richest athletes in the world across all sports.

1. Conor McGregor\sDivision: Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight

And the number one spot for the top richest UFC fighter goes to Conor McGregor. He is an Irish mixed martial artist who currently fights in the Lightweight division of UFC. Similarly, he is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.

Forbes listed McGregor in its list of the highest-paid athlete in 2021, with reported earnings of $180 million. He made his MMA debut in 2007, and the following year, he debuted in the lightweight division.

McGregor also plays in the featherweight and welterweight divisions. In UFC, Conor McGregor is one of the biggest names. As a result, he drew the biggest pay-per-view in MMA history.

Likewise, he has headlined five out of the six highest-selling UFC pay-per-view events. His headline match with Khabib Nurmagomedov drew 2.4 million pay-per-view, while his boxing match with Mayweather drew 4.3 million pay-per-view.

Aside from his huge salary, McGregor has numerous endorsement deals estimated to be $7 million. Additionally, he also has launched Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey and owns a pub, The Black Forge Inn.

Conclusion

With the fame in UFC, these fighters have also earned a fortune. These fighters have earned their popularity with impressive skills and entertained the audiences.

They have shed their blood and sweat in the Octagon. Hence, their hard-earned paycheck is well-deserved, and they are the top richest UFC fighters.

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