Who Are the Wealthiest Fighters in MMA Today? Check Out the List Below…
MMA is a very tough sport. There are a lot of fighters out there looking to get signed by big promotions so you really have to stand out to be successful. Even signing for the UFC, ONE or Bellator isn’t a guarantee that you’ve made it. These closed contract companies are notorious for low pay in the beginning.
Some fighters become big stars and make an absolute bomb. Today let’s take a look at the richest MMA fighters in the world today. All but one on this list are UFC veterans. You’ll notice that a lot of them have film credits. MMA exposed them to the world but many made their money after leaving the sport.
We’d like to give Yoel Romero an honourable mention. Despite being awarded $25 million in a lawsuit, he hasn’t got that cash yet. If he does get it, he’ll walk into fifth place. Check out the full list below!
10. Tito Ortiz ($15 Million)
If you don’t know why Ortiz is on this list, you don’t realize how popular he was in his heyday. In 2006 he was the biggest pay-per-view draw on the planet, thanks to fights with Chuck Liddell, Forest Griffin and Ken Shamrock. The former Light-Heavyweight champion is also a UFC Hall-of-Famer.
As well as being successful in the cage, life hasn’t turned out too badly as a regular Joe. Ortiz is the CEO of Punishment Athletics and his own gym. He’s also dabbled in professional wrestling and has multiple film and TV credits.
9. Randy Couture ($17 Million)
The UFC owes Randy Couture a great debt. Alongside Chuck Liddell, Couture was one of the two fighters who truly brought MMA to the next level. The first fighter to hold titles in two divisions, the Natural is the only fighter to win a championship AFTER becoming a UFC Hall-of-Famer.
55-year-old Couture has also been very successful since retirement. He’s worked with Bellator and also has several movie and TV credits to his name, including The Scorpion King 2 and The Expendables.
8. Wanderlei Silva ($18 Million)
There’s no doubt that Wanderlei Silva benefited from his time spent in Japan. He holds the records for the most wins, knockouts, title defences, and longest winning streak in PRIDE history. We miss PRIDE. When your style is so brutal and relentless that it’s described as feral, then you know you’re going to be popular.
And Silva definitely was. Unsurprisingly he’s displaying symptoms of CTE, but with an alleged net worth of $18 million, maybe it’s worth it. Maybe.
7. Fedor Emelianenko ($18 Million)
Widely considered the best fighter never to be signed by the UFC, there’s a strong argument that Fedor is the GOAT. He is worth a lot of money because he’s been able to command big fees from the likes of Bellator and RIZIN. He’s also the acting-President of the Russian MMA Union and is a member of Russia’s President Council on Sports and Fitness.
When you’re as good as he is, you’re going to make some dough. He’s been a champion for multiple organizations and martial arts. Winning by knockout means more sponsorships and bonuses. Fedor is also a huge star in his native Russia.
6. Anderson Silva ($18 Million)
The 44-year-old is a superstar in his native Brazil and one of the most internationally famous MMA fighters ever. If it wasn’t for testing positive for PED use in his latter days, this still active fighter would be in with a shout of being called the best ever.
Silva has his own gym in Brazil and owns several businesses. His drawing power has earned him a lot of money from UFC contracts and he also had a lucrative Nike sponsorship.
5. BJ Penn ($22 million)
‘The Prodigy’ might not have won an MMA fight since Joe Rogan had hair, but he’s still one of the sport’s legends. He’s also extremely wealthy. Unlike most of the others on this list, Penn came from a well-off family, choosing to train in MMA just because he liked to fight.
The former lightweight and welterweight champion has his own gym and is the subject of documentaries. He’s also got numerous film credits and co-wrote the very successful Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge. His own autobiography was also a success.
4. Brock Lesnar ($28 Million)
The former UFC heavyweight champion is still one of the most recognisable figures in combat sports today. There’s a reason the UFC wanted him to come back again and fight Daniel Cormier. He brings a lot of casual eyes to the sport and that means a lot of money.
Lesnar has made his fortune in the sports entertainment industry with WWE and is still one of their biggest stars. A former American football player, his knife tattoo is iconic at this stage.
3. Georges St. Pierre ($30 Million)
Arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time, Canada’s Georges St. Pierre is also one of the most successful. During his record-breaking reign as welterweight champion, he was the promotion’s biggest star. Unsurprisingly he made a lot of money from his fights and sponsorships.
‘Rush’ also had a very lucrative individual sponsorship with American sportswear company Under Armor. This was actually a major barrier to his eventual return to the UFC after a four-year hiatus. The UFC had signed a contract with Reebok, with all fighters forced to wear their fight kits. His return and middleweight title win against Michael Bisping made him more money.
2. Rorian Gracie ($50 Million)
One of the co-founders of the UFC, Rorian Gracie is the second richest MMA fighter on the planet. Sure he’s long retired, but he’s also crazy rich. The 67-year-old has had success with his BJJ career – he’s one of the few 9th-degree red belts on the planet, and also has been a writer, producer and publisher.
Now he’s worth $50 million. His own successful career and the sale of the UFC contributed to his vast wealth. He’s even trained US Marines.
1 Conor McGregor ($110 Million)
The Notorious is by far the richest MMA fighter on the planet. McGregor is a former two-weight champion, becoming the first fighter to hold two different UFC titles at the same time. His fights against Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagamedov were all broke pay-per-view records.
However, it’s his one-off move to boxing that made him his millions. Fighting Floyd Mayweather earned him nearly as much cash as the rest of the guys on this list put together. Now his successful whiskey company is only adding to his wealth.
