UFC is a popular sport, which we know because the hype around matches often dominates social media feeds. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is based in Las Vegas, bringing fans American mixed martial arts. Owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, UFC is the largest MMA promotion in the world as of 2023. Popular characters that you may recognize are Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Dan Henderson, and many more who compete for the prized belts. There is a certain thrill to watching two men go punch-for-punch, showing the prowess of not only martial arts but the ability of the human body.
As each fighter dives into the ring, they earn significant amounts of money that rank in the millions whether they win or lose. But there are always those who earn more, so we have compiled the top twenty-five highest paid UFC fighters — retired and ongoing.
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25. Lyoto Machida, $5 million
Our first fighter is Lyoto Machida, a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and karateka. While in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Machida was a former Light Heavyweight Champion as well as a Middleweight Championship title challenger. More recently, Machida competed in Bellator MMA in both the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions.
- Career Earnings: $5 million
- Net Worth: $4 million
- Years Active: 2003-Present
24. Mauricio Rua, $5.2 million
Mauricio Rua, more familiarly known as “Shogun” is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist. In the UFC, Rua competed in the Light Heavyweight division and is a former Light Heavyweight champion. A competitor since 2002, Rua also won the 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix.
- Career Earnings: $5.2 million
- Net Worth: $6.5 million
- Years Active: 2002-2023
23. Stipe Miocic, $5.2 million
Ranked fourth in the UFC Heavyweight rankings, Stipe Miocic is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is a former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, and since he has successfully defended his title four times during his two title reigns he holds the record for most wins in heavyweight title fights. Miocic also holds the record for fight-night bonus awards (nine), which is the most in the UFC Heavyweight division’s history. He is widely regarded as the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time.
- Career Earnings: $5.2 million
- Net Worth: $4 million
- Years Active: 2010-Present
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22. Dan Henderson, $5.5 million
Competing from 1997 to 2016, Dan Henderson is an American retired mixed martial artist and Olympic wrestler. Henderson was the last Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and the last Welterweight and Middleweight champion of the Pride Fighting Championships. Henderson was also the first mixed martial artist to hold two titles in two different weight classes concurrently in a major MMA promotion. When he retired, he was the oldest fighter on the UFC roster.
- Career Earnings: $5.5 million
- Net Worth: $8 million
- Years Active: 1997-2016
21. Frankie Edgar, $6.1 million
Frankie Edgar competed for seventeen years as an American professional mixed martial artist. He most recently competed in the Bantamweight division of the UFC, but started his career in the Lightweight division. Edgar won the Lightweight Championship in 2010 and defended the title three times before ultimately losing it in 2012. He then moved to the Featherweight division and challenged the championship twice before finally moving down to Bantamweight in 2020.
- Career Earnings: $6.1 million
- Net Worth: $2 million
- Years Active: 2005-2022
20. Georges St. Pierre, $7 million
Our twentieth choice is Georges St-Pierre, also known as “GSP,” a Canadian actor and former professional mixed martial artist. Widely regarded as the greatest fighter in MMA history, St-Pierre was a two-division champion in the UFC, winning titles in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions. In addition to his many accolades, Fight Matrix has listed him as the top MMA welterweight of all time and the most accomplished fighter in MMA history.
- Career Earnings: $7 million
- Net Worth: $20 million
- Years Active: 2002-2013, 2017
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19. Junior Dos Santos, $7.1 million
Junior dos Santos is next on our list, and he is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler who currently competes in the heavyweight division. Dos Santos has won the heavyweight division, and during his professional wrestling career, dos Santos made appearances for All Elite Wrestling as a member of the American Top Team.
- Career Earnings: $7.1 million
- Net Worth: $10 million
- Years Active: 2006-Present
18. Michael Bisping, $7.1 million
Not just a mixed martial artist, Michael Bisping is also an English actor, sports analyst, and commentator, competing in both the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions of the UFC. Some of the accolades Bisping has won include the Middleweight Championship, the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Championship, and The Ultimate Fighter 3 Light Heavyweight tournament. Bisping was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July of 2019.
- Career Earnings: $7.1 million
- Net Worth: $9 million
- Years Active: 2004-2018
17. Donald Cerrone, $7.3 million
Donald Cerrone, also known as “Cowboy” was recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2023, and is an American actor, former professional kickboxer, and of course a mixed martial artist. During his career he competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions, completing 38 fights in his 11-year tenure.
- Career Earnings: $7.3 million
- Net Worth: $9 million
- Years Active: 2005-2022
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16. Anderson Silva, $8.7 million
Brazilian boxer and mixed martial artist, Anderson Silva holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. The record started in 2006 and ended in 2013, including another UFC record of 16 consecutive victories during the span. Named as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, Silva was later inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July of 2023, the same year as Donald Cerrone.
- Career Earnings: $8.7 million
- Net Worth: $14 million
- Years Active: 1997-2020
15. Vitor Belfort, $9 million
Fighting in three different divisions – Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, and Middleweight – Vitor Belfort is a Brazilian professional boxer and retired mixed martial artist. Some of his championships include the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament, the UFC Light Heavyweight, and the Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight. Known for his knockout power, Belfort is tied for fifth for the most finishes in the UFC’s history with fourteen.
- Career Earnings: $9 million
- Net Worth: $5.5 million
- Years Active: 1996-2018
14. José Aldo, $9.5 million
José Aldo, also known as José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Júnior, is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in both the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions. Also is considered to be one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, and one of the best featherweights after defending his UFC title seven times and his WEC title twice. Aldo’s most impressive accolade was that after his first defeat in November 2005, he remained undefeated for over a decade, winning eighteen straight fights until December 2015 when he lost to Conor McGregor.
- Career Earnings: $9.5 million
- Net Worth: $9 million
- Years Active: 2004-2022
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13. Alistair Overeem, $9.7 million
Kickboxer and mixed martial artist, Alistair Overeem is a Dutch fighter that is a one-time challenger for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Along with that accolade, Overeem also is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Champion, and K-1 World Grand Prix Champion. Overeem was the first fighter to hold world titles in MMA and K-1 kickboxing at the same time.
- Career Earnings: $9.7 million
- Net Worth: $10 million
- Years Active: 1999-2022
12. Mark Hunt, $9.8 million
Also known as the “King of Walk-Offs” due to walking away and stopping attacks before the referee officially ends the match, Mark Hunt is a New Zealand mixed martial artist. Hunt competed in the UFC until 2018 and was the winner of the 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix. Though there were some contract disputes throughout his career, Hunt continued to fight for over a decade.
- Career Earnings: $9.8 million
- Net Worth: $1.5 million
- Years Active: 2007-2018
11. Dustin Poirier, $10.2 million
American professional mixed martial artist Dustin Poirer currently is competing in the Lightweight division of the UFC, of which he is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. As of August 2023, he is ranked third in the UFC Lightweight rankings. In April 2018 Poirer and his wife founded the Good Fight Foundation, where some of his fight kits and clothing are auctioned off to help those in need.
- Career Earnings: $10.2 million
- Net Worth: $6 million
- Years Active: 2009-Present
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10. Israel Adesanya, $10.7 million
Breaking into the top ten ranking, Israel Adesanya, full name Israel Mobolaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owolabi Adesanya, is a New Zealand mixed martial artist and former boxer. He currently competes in the Middleweight division where he is the former two-time champion. As of September 2023, Adesanya is first in UFC Middleweight rankings and ninth in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
- Career Earnings: $10.7 million
- Net Worth: $4 million
- Years Active: 2010-Present
9. Andrei Arlovski, $11.2 million
Not only a mixed martial artist, Andrei Arlovski is also an actor and former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He still competes in the Heavyweight division and holds the record for most wins in UFC history with twenty-three. Along with the UFC, Arlovski has also competed for Strikeforce, WSOF, Affliction, EliteXC, ONE FC, and the M-1 Challenge.
- Career Earnings: $11.2 million
- Net Worth: $6 million
- Years Active: 1999-Present
8. Alexander Volkanovski, $11.8 million
A professional mixed martial artist for a little over a decade, Australian Alexander Volkanovski currently competes in the Featherweight division of the UFC, and is the current champion. Along with his UFC championship, Volkanovski is also a former Australian Fighting Champion in the Featherweight division. As of October 2023, Volkanovski is ranked third in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
- Career Earnings: $11.8 million
- Net Worth: $3.5 million
- Years Active: 2012-Present
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7. Kamaru Usman, $12.1 million
Kamaru Usman is a Nigerian-American mixed martial artist, along with being a former freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler. Usman currently competes in the Middleweight division in the UFC and is the former Welterweight Champion. While in freestyle wrestling, Usman competed at 84 kilograms and was a 2010 U.S. University World Team Member, and as of November 2023, he was ranked fourteenth in the pound-for-pound rankings.
- Career Earnings: $12.1 million
- Net Worth: $3 million
- Years Active: 2012-Present
6. Daniel Cormier, $12.5 million
Daniel Cormier also participated in freestyle wrestling like Usman, and is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Currently, Cormier works as a commentator for the UFC. During his wrestling career, Cormier was the second fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously (Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight) and is the first fighter to have title defenses in two divisions.
- Career Earnings: $12.5 million
- Net Worth: $6 million
- Years Active: 2009-2020
5. Brock Lesnar, $13 million
Our top five is Brock Lesnar, who is one of the most prolific athletes in the world, and the only person to have won all of the primary heavyweight championships in WWE – Ultimate Fighting Championship, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Along with being a mixed martial artist, the American was also a professional football player and is currently signed to WWE as a “free agent” appearing both on RAW and SnackDown brands.
- Career Earnings: $13 million
- Net Worth: $20 million
- Years Active: 2000-2007; 2012-Present
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4. Jon Jones, $14.3 million
Current UFC Heavyweight champion, Jonathan Dwight Jones is an American mixed martial artist who has won the Light Heavyweight championship twice, holding the title from March 2011 to April 2015 and from December 2018 to August 2020. As of November 2023, Jones is ranked second in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. Jones holds several records, including the most title defenses, most wins, and longest win streak.
- Career Earnings: $14.3 million
- Net Worth: $20 million
- Years Active: 2008-Present
3. Ronda Rousey, $17.8 million
The first and only woman on this list is Ronda Rousey, an American actress, professional wrestler, and former mixed martial artist. Beginning her mixed martial arts career with King of the Cage, she soon joined the Strikeforce becoming the last Women’s Bantamweight Champion until its acquisition by UFC. Retiring from MMA in 2016, Rousey was the first female fighter inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.
- Career Earnings: $17.8 million
- Net Worth: $14 million
- Years Active: 2010-2016
2. Khabib Nurmagomedov, $22 million
Second on our list is Khabib Nurmagomedov, a Russian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC under the Lightweight division. Nurmagomedov was the longest reigning UFC Lightweight champion ever, having held the title from April 2018 to March 2021. Even more impressive is the fact that in twenty-nine fights, Nurmagomedov never lost and retired with an undefeated record.
- Career Earnings: $22 million
- Net Worth: $40 million
- Years Active: 2008-2020
Who is the Highest Paid UFC Fighter?
Conor McGregor is the highest paid fighter with a career earning of $600 million. He often pulls in the most money for pay-per-view showings and continues to dominate the UFC fighting field. If you want to know the other top twenty-four fighters in career earnings, continue reading below.
1. Conor McGregor, $600 million
The final name and highest paid UFC fighter ever on our list is Conor McGregor of course, an Irish professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer. The first UFC fighter to hold championships in two weight classes simultaneously, McGregor completed this feat in the Featherweight and the Lightweight divisions. Headlining the five highest-selling UFC PPV events, it only makes sense that Conor McGregor has the biggest career earnings and net worth.
- Career Earnings: $600 million
- Net Worth: $200 million
- Years Active: 2008-Present
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UFC fighters earn a lot of money to step into the ring against a competitor, whether they are called out for it or not. Though some of these earnings may seem incredibly large, these are all career earnings for each fighter. If you enjoy watching two mixed martial artists going against each other, make sure to check out these twenty-five fighters, since they have to be good in order to be part of our highest paid UFC fighters list.