Who are the richest MMA fighters?
SportyTell takes a look — read on to find out which of your favorite MMA fighters of all time made our list.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters are known to enjoy huge financial incentives from the sport, thanks to the pay-per-view format in which the sport operates.
Up to this moment, the MMA, which has gained a lot of acceptance in the mainstream, still struggles for approval in the world of sports, particularly for recognition from the International Olympics Committee.
However, the massive success of the sport has rubbed significantly on the fighters wealth.
In this article, we have compiled and ranked the top-24 world’s wealthiest MMA fighters of all time, primarily based on their current net worths.
It is important to note that the wealth of some of these fighters may not be entirely generated from the sport.
Table of Contents
The Richest MMA Fighters in the World Ranked
24. Quinton Jackson
Net Worth: $8 Million
An MMA fighter who recently fought in the Bellator MMA, Jackson, is seen as one of the established figures in the MMA, who contributed significantly to promoting the sport globally.
The star who has fought in 52 MMA fights, has won 38 times and tasted defeat 14 times.
Jackson also won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
As of 2021, Quinton Jackson’s net worth is valued at about $8 million.
23. Anderson Silva
Net Worth: $8 Million
A very successful MMA fighter, Silva is one of the best fighters in the MMA right now.
The Brazilian MMA fighter who fights in the UFC holds the record for the longest title reign in the UFC, where he held on to the UFC Middleweight title for 2,457 days.
He recently placed 15th in the UFC Middleweight rankings.
Anderson Silva’s net worth is currently around $8 million, placing him among the richest MMA fighters right now.
22. Rashad Evans
Net Worth: $8.5 Million
Recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, precisely in 2019, Evans, who fought in the UFC between 2003 and 2018, had a successful stint in the UFC.
He won The Ultimate Fighter 2 Heavyweight Championship as well as the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Evans, who fought in 28 bouts throughout his career, won 19 of those fights.
In 2021, Rashad Evans’ net worth is valued at $8.5 million.
21. Michael Bisping
Net Worth: $9 Million
A 2019 UFC Hall of Fame inductee who now specializes in sports analysis and commentary, Michael Bisping is probably the most successful UFC fighter Britain has ever produced.
The 41 years old retired UFC fighter won the UFC Middleweight Championship and The Ultimate Fighter 3 Light Heavyweight Championship, which made him the only British to have ever won a UFC Championship.
Bisping fought in 39 fights and won 30.
Michael Bisping’s net worth is currently estimated at $9 million.
20. José Aldo
Net Worth: $9 Million
Brazilian UFC fighter José Aldo, who currently fights in the UFC, is known for his unique incorporation of Muay Thai and leg kicks in his fights, which has helped him deliver 17 knockouts out of his 29 MMA fight wins.
Aldo’s use of Muay Thai in his unique way has also earned him the final WEC Featherweight Championship and the UFC Featherweight Championship, which he has won on three occasions.
The two-time undisputed champion, Jose Aldo’s net worth is around $9 million, making him among the richest MMA fighters right now.
19. Donald Cerrone
Net Worth: $9 Million
Known by his “Cowboy” moniker, which he reinforces with his Cowboy hat, Donald Cerrone is a decade-old veteran of Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC).
In the course of his over-decade-long exploits in the UFC, Cerrone has fought in the welterweight and lightweight divisions.
The American Mixed Martial Artist also boasts of a boxing and kickboxing career, which he left for Mixed Martial Arts.
Cerrone made headlines in 2020, when he fought against Conor McGregor, a fight he lost.
As of 2021, Donald Cerrone’s net worth is around $9 million.
18. Yoel Romero
Net Worth: $10 Million
In the world of freestyle wrestling, the name Yoel Romero is a household name.
As a freestyle wrestler, Yoel Romero won several medals and won the Wrestling World Cup on three occasions.
After calling quits on wrestling, Yoel Romero entered the MMA world, where he has continued to dominate.
He competed in the UFC middleweight division and had his eyes on the UFC Middleweight Championship, which evaded him despite four challenges.
Romero, is currently signed to Bellator MMA.
As of 2021, Yoel Romero’s net worth is valued to be $10 million.
17. Junior dos Santos
Net Worth: $10 Million
dos Santos is a prolific fighter who has delivered stunning defeats to five Heavyweight champions in the UFC.
He is a one-time UFC Heavyweight champion who has won 21 of his 28 fights.
As of 2021, Junior dos Santos’ net worth is approximately $10 million.
16. Chael Sonnen
Net Worth: $10 Million (Tie)
During his time in the MMA, Sonnen rivaled some of the sport’s biggest names, like Michael Bisping and Quinton Jackson.
Despite his incredible run in the MMA, which saw him emerged as one of the toughest challenges in the UFC, Sonnen never won a championship.
However, pundits hail him as one of the best UFC fighters never to have won a UFC Championship.
Chael Sonnen’s net worth is approximately $10 million as of 2021.
15. Bruce Buffer
Net Worth: $10 Million
When MMA fans, specifically those of the UFC, hear “It’s time!”, one man’s name comes to mind, and it’s no other than UFC announcer Bruce Buffer.
Proudly known as the “Veteran Voice of the Octagon,” Buffer has been doing what he knows best for over two decades, and fans still can’t get enough of him.
Though not an MMA fighter, his impact and influence in the MMA world are too much for him to be snubbed in this ranking.
As of 2021, Bruce Buffer’s net worth is an estimated $10 million.
14. Alistair Overeem
Net Worth: $10 Million
Since he made his debut in MMA at the age of 19, Alistair Overeem has been a force to reckon with in sport.
Way before he entered the UFC realms, Overeem had been making waves in other MMA organizations, such as the defunct Strikeforce, where he claimed the heavyweight championship.
Overeem’s hunger for more aggressive opponents led him to pursue a professional kickboxing career where he was equally successful.
In fact, Overeem is the only athlete to hold a K-1 kickboxing and MMA world title at the same time.
With a fortune of $10 million, Alistair Overeem’s net worth makes him the 14th on the list of richest MMA fighters globally.
13. Frank Mir
Net Worth: $11 Million
Though actively fighting in the Mixed Martial Arts, Mir no longer fights in the UFC, where most MMA world elites are found.
In the 16 years he fought in the UFC, Mir set a record for the most submission victories ever recorded in the promotion.
Mir, who also set the record for the longest winning streak in the UFC, won the UFC Heavyweight Championship once.
Frank Mir’s net worth is currently estimated to be $11 million.
12. Chuck Liddell
Net Worth: $12 Million
A retired MMA fighter, Chuck Liddell has tried his hands at virtually every combative sport, from MMA, kickboxing, karate to wrestling.
His presence in the MMA immensely helped in establishing the sport in the mainstream, precisely in America.
Long after his exit from the MMA scene, Liddell’s impact on the sport is still being felt.
Lidell, who won UFC Light Heavyweight Championship once, won 21 of his 30 MMA fights.
Chuck Liddell’s net worth is currently estimated to be $12 million.
11. Ronda Rousey
Net Worth: 13 Million
The only female fighter on the list, Ronda Rousey, who currently fights in the WWE, captivated MMA fans during her stay at the UFC.
The UFC Hall of Fame Inductee, who doubles as an Olympics medalist, was the first female to win the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship.
After 6 title defense, Rousey lost her defense and thus informally retired from the MMA.
As of 2021, Ronda Rousey’s net worth is $13 million.
10. Randy Couture
Net Worth: $17 Million
Now an actor, Randy Couture, is a highly recognized personality in the MMA, as he was one of the early stars in the sports whose fame attracted several fans to the MMA.
Randy Couture made his mark in the MMA scene by claiming several titles, such as the UFC Light heavyweight Championship two times, the UFC Heavyweight Championship three times, and the UFC 13 Heavyweight tournament.
Couture is a well deserving UFC Hall of Famer.
As of 2021, Randy Couture’s net worth is approximately $17 million, making him the 10th wealthiest MMA fighter ever.
9. Wanderlei Silva
Net Worth: $18 Million
Nicknamed The Axe and The Mad Dog, Wanderlei Silva is one of the leading figures in the MMA, who has fought in several MMA promotions and organizations.
He is most recognized for his stint in Japan’s MMA Pride Fighting Championship.
Silva established himself as a leading force while setting a record for the most title defense, wins, and knockouts in the MMA promotion.
He currently fights for Bellator MMA.
Wanderlei Silva’s net worth is valued at about $18 million.
8. Fedor Emelianenko
Net Worth: $18 Million
Currently fighting for the Rizin Fighting Federation and Bellator MMA, Fedor Emelianenko is a renowned figure in the MMA world.
The Russian fighter is rated as one of the greatest MMA fighters ever, and he’s most recognized for his time at MMA Pride Fighting, where he won the Heavyweight Championship, a title he held on to between 2003 to 2007.
Emelianenko has won several titles in various sports, including Judo.
Fedor Emelianenko’s net worth in 2021 is estimated to be $18 million.
7. Tito Ortiz
Net Worth: $20 Million
One of MMA’s early stars, Tito Ortiz, who still fights in the MMA, but with Combate Americas, is widely seen as one of the figures who helped establish MMA as a popular sport in the mainstream.
During his time in UFC, Ortiz, who was a fan favorite, won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Tito Ortiz’s net worth is roughly $20 million as of 2021.
6. BJ Penn
Net Worth: $22 Million
A very talented fighter, Penn is a phenomenal martial artist who doubles as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter.
The star who was inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame in 2015, is one of seven fighters in the history of UFC who have titles in various weight divisions.
Penn won the UFC Lightweight and Welterweight championships and also was victorious in the UFC 41 Lightweight tournament.
As of 2021, BJ Penn’s net worth is estimated at $22 million, placing him 6th on the list of richest MMA fighters in the world.
5. Brock Lesnar
Net Worth: $25 Million
A versatile sports personality, Brock Lesnar, is widely known for his stint in pro wrestling rather than the MMA.
However, he had a successful MMA career, which saw him win the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2008.
In wrestling, Lesnar has enjoyed tremendous success, which has seen him emerged as the only fighter to have ever won a UFC title as well as a WWE title.
Brock Lesnar’s net worth is approximately $25 million in 2021, ranking him 5th in the richest MMA fighters of all time list.
4. Georges St-Pierre
Net Worth: $30 Million
In the history of MMA, some will argue that Georges St-Pierre qualifies as the best fighter ever.
While that may be contestable, it is an indisputable fact that he is indeed one of the greatest fighters in the history of the MMA.
St-Pierre fought in the UFC, and on several occasions, he emerged the UFC Middleweight and Welterweight champion.
Georges St-Pierre’s net worth is approximately $30 million as of 2021.
RELATED: Top-20 Best MMA Fighters Of All-Time In UFC History
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Net Worth: $40 Million
The Russian MMA fighter is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in the sport.
Now an MMA promoter, Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired from MMA in 2020, is the UFC’s longest-reigning lightweight champion.
In the course of his MMA career, which spans over a decade, Khabib Nurmagomedov fought in 29 bouts and recorded zero loss.
How spectacular!
His success in the MMA made him one of the most respected figures, not just in the MMA but in Russia.
With over 27 million followers, Nurmagomedov currently is the Russian with the most followers on the social media site Instagram.
Though retired, he is very much active in the MMA sphere, as he launched a Russian MMA organization, Eagle Fighting Championships, following his retirement.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s net worth of $40 million makes him the third richest MMA fighter in the world.
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2. Rorion Gracie
Net Worth: $50 Million
Not precisely an MMA fighter, Rorion Gracie is skilled in one of the essential elements of MMA fighting, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
In fact, he is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Grandmaster.
Rorion Gracie is an influential member of the Gracie family who helped make MMA established sports in the 21st century.
Rorion Gracie is one of the founders of the prominent MMA fighting promotions company, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Though he doesn’t fight professionally, Rorion is an influential personality in the MMA world.
In 2021, Rorion Gracie’s net worth is approximately $50 million.
1. Conor McGregor
Net Worth: $120 Million
Conor McGregor needs no introduction.
The fame of the Irish MMA fighter knows no bound.
His MMA success is profoundly seen in the UFC, where he dominates the featherweight and lightweight championships.
McGregor has also tried his hands at boxing.
He fought against boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Conor McGregor’s net worth, which approximately stands at $120 million as of 2021, ranks as the richest MMA fighter in the world.
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Final Thoughts
The aforementioned are the richest MMA fighters in the world right now.
While MMA fans hope that the MMA becomes an Olympics sanctioned event, the sport, which operates mostly on pay-per-view format, has seen the massive financial success rub significantly on fighters.
What are your thoughts? Please share it with us in the comments section below.
I could go on all day but the main pointers are:
– Jones was sponsored by Nike.
– Khabib has made more money in his last 2 fights to send him to top 15 easily
– Brock Lesnar was the face of WWE for years so should be higher up
– Nate Diaz from his 2 fights with McGregor and BMF title bout with JM makes him on the list.