Since exploding in popularity in the late 2000s, the UFC has established itself as the top proving ground for the world’s best mixed martial artists. While the likes of Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock first helped get eyes on the sport, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz helped bring in the masses.
However, such has been the growth of the sport over the last two decades that none of the above make the cut when it comes to the top 20 best-paid UFC fighters ever. Fighter pay has always been a controversial topic for the company, but since being sold to Endeavor for more than $4 billion in 2016, the UFC has made its biggest stars seriously wealthy.
Among those who have seen their lives changed beyond recognition by the world’s leading MMA promotion is Britain’s Tom Aspinall. The reigning UFC heavyweight champion earned a staggering $3,542,000 for his controversial bout with Ciryl Gane at UFC 321, which ended in a no contest. That sum is enough to see him climb into the top 20 best-paid UFC fighters of all time, where he’s joined by some legendary names.
Below is a look at those fighters, together with the total amounts they have earned. Figures have been taken per Bet MGM, as well as GIVEMESPORT’s own salary reports, where appropriate. It should be noted that these numbers relate solely to earnings from fights and do not include any discretionary bonuses or income from other sources such as endorsements or pay-per-view revenue.
Highest-paid UFC fighters ever [20-11]
Rank
Fighter
UFC earnings
20.
Tom Aspinall
$8,528,000
19.
Islam Makhachev
$8,842,000
18.
Vitor Belfort
$9,000,000
17.
Mark Hunt
$9,800,000
16.
Daniel Cormier
$10,200,000
15.
Dustin Poirier
$10,430,000
14.
Donald Cerrone
$10,600,000
13.
George St-Pierre
$10,950,000
12.
Junior Dos Santos
$11,000,000
11.
Michael Bisping
$11,100,000
10 Andrei Arlovski
UFC earnings: $11,200,000
A former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Arlovski headlined a number of pay-per-view events during his UFC career. However, it was the sheer longevity of ‘The Pitbull’ that helped him rack up eight figures in earnings inside the Octagon. Across various stints with the organisation, Arlovski fought 41 times for the UFC. While he never made life-changing money in a single fight, he routinely banked respectable paydays while testing himself against the best heavyweights on the planet.
9 Israel Adesanya
UFC earnings: $11,500,000
‘The Last Style Bender’ has rarely fought outside of UFC main events in recent years and that placement has seriously helped the former two-time middleweight titleholder’s bank balance. He became one of the company’s biggest stars after successfully defending the 185-pound belt on five occasions. Even though he is now on a three-fight losing skid, Adesanya’s enduring popularity is likely to see him in more high-profile contests, even if championship gold is not on the line.
Nassourdine Imavov knocks out Israel Adesanya in brutal fashion at UFC Saudi Arabia.
8 Brock Lesnar
UFC earnings: $13,295,000
The only man in history to ever hold heavyweight championships in both WWE and the UFC, Lesnar’s wealth is vast. As a result, he was exceptionally well-paid whenever he competed for the promotion. However, when the company wanted to bring Lesnar in from the WWE to fight in the co-main event of UFC 200, he was reportedly offered an $8 million purse. Naturally, Brock took the deal and faced Mark Hunt in a three-round bout. Despite rumours occasionally doing the rounds that he might return, Lesnar never fought again. His days in the Octagon are now firmly behind him.
7 Anderson Silva
UFC earnings: $13,500,000
Anderson Silva
A consistent headliner of UFC pay-per-view cards between 2006 and 2013 while building his legacy as the greatest middleweight of all time, Silva repeatedly banked base purses ranging from $600,000 to $800,000 during a 15-fight win streak in the company. Had ‘The Spider’ been in his fighting prime a few years later, when fighter pay increased, he would likely feature even higher on this list.
6 Stipe Miocic
UFC earnings: $13,600,000
Widely considered to be the greatest heavyweight in UFC history, Miocic has mixed it up with some of the biggest names in the history of the division. The Cleveland native boasts an impressive resume, with victories over the likes of Daniel Cormier and Francis Ngannou. However, while Stipe made around $750,000 for those fights, his largest fight purse came in what would turn out to be the final fight of his career. Miocic was paid in excess of $4 million to face Jon Jones at UFC 309. Although he lost the bout via third-round stoppage, the former champion showed great heart as he challenged arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and finished his story inside the fabled Madison Square Garden in New York.
5 Alistair Overeem
UFC earnings: $14,400,500
After the UFC acquired his contract having purchased rival promotion, Strikeforce, Overeem benefitted from bigger purses than most other heavyweights of his era as the company honoured the rates on his previously agreed deal. ‘The Demolition Man’ typically enjoyed base pay that was just shy of $1 million dollars – a rate which endured across the majority of his 21 fights in the UFC. The Dutchman never held UFC gold, but does hold a win over former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
4 Alex Pereira
UFC earnings: $16,082,000
Pereira only has 12 UFC fights to his name, but the Brazilian striker is already one of the most financially successful fighters to ever step foot inside the famed Octagon. ‘Poatan’ made more than $8 million in 2024 alone, with the $3.3m he received for defeating Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 ranking as his most lucrative UFC purse. Even though he lost his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship to Magomedov Ankalaev in March, Pereira wasted no time in getting his gold back in the pair’s rematch at UFC 320. The 38-year-old is one of the most beloved competitors on the active roster thanks to his fan-friendly style and this sees him compensated well by the promotion.
3 Jon Jones
UFC earnings: $17,200,000
UFC CEO Dana White insists that Jones is the greatest fighter to ever set foot inside the Octagon and so it’s no surprise to see that he was well-compensated for his work. A two-weight world champion, ‘Bones’ reigned as the king of the light-heavyweight division before making the move to heavyweight, where he won the UFC title in his first fight. The move up in weight also saw a sharp rise in pay, as Jones earned $3 million for his first-round submission of Ciryl Gane. A payday in excess of $6 million followed in his first defence against Stipe Miocic. Fans around the world wanted to see Jones face off with interim titleholder Tom Aspinall, but the American veteran refused to take the fight – instead choosing to vacate the gold.
2 Khabib Nurmagomedov
UFC earnings: $22,900,000
Khabib sits in second place in these rankings, despite retiring in his prime while still the UFC Lightweight Champion in 2021. ‘The Eagle’ established himself as one of the biggest names in UFC history thanks to his bitter rivalry with Conor McGregor. The pair’s UFC 229 showdown was the most purchased pay-per-view event ever offered by the promotion and Nurmagomedov was paid well for his part in helping make the bout such a success. The same was true for title defences against Dustin Poirer and Justin Gaethje that followed. Khabib isn’t a man who is motivated by money, but he undoubtedly left a significant sum on the table when he hung up his gloves.
1 Conor McGregor
UFC earnings: $39,300,000
There was one ever going to be one man at the head of this list. While his earnings of $40 million inside the Octagon are just the start of his vast wealth, ‘The Notorious’ still ranks as the best paid fighter in the UFC by quite some distance. Of the top 10 individual fighter payouts in company history, the Irishman can lay claim to five of them. McGregor has earned fortunes facing the likes of Jose Aldo, Dustin Poirier, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nate Diaz and Eddie Alvarez. His lead at the top of these rankings would be even greater if it were not for the fact that he hasn’t competed for more than four years. However, even if he never fights again, the two-division UFC champion is already financially set for life.
Cody Gakpo’s girlfriend, Noa van der Bij, has posted an emotional statement to confirm that their son has passed away during pregnancy.
The Liverpool star and his partner announced in May that they were expecting another boy. They already have one son, Samuel, who was born in 2024.
Gakpo is currently representing the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup, while Van der Bij is in the United States of America to support him from the stands. The latter took to Instagram to share the news that their baby, who they named Elijah Raphael Gakpo, had passed.
Cody Gakpo and Noa van der Bij Lose Son
Jay Biggerstaff (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
Van der Bij posted to her Instagram story on Saturday afternoon, saying: “With broken hearts, we share the devastating news that our baby boy passed away during pregnancy. Thank you for your love and support. Elijah Raphael Gakpo Forever loved. Forever our son.”
She then shared a heartbreaking story of how the couple and their son, Samuel, went to light a candle at church and came across another little boy called Elijah. Her next post stated:
“We went to church to light a candle. Afterwards, we walked to the church playground with our son Samuel. There was only one other child there. His name was Elijah.
“There could not have been a more beautiful sign from God He reminded us that our little boy is never far away.”
A billionaire tennis player has chosen not to share a hotel with her Wimbledon competitors, previously claiming that she needs better facilities to help her recover efficiently and effectively.
Staying at the official Wimbledon hotel is the default expected choice for many of the tournament participants. It serves as a financial necessity for many lower-ranked players, juniors, and doubles specialists who rely on the tournament’s organisers to cover the expensive costs of hotels during their time competing.
This does rule out those that can afford to prepare for the tournament while prioritising comfort over free accommodation.
World’s Richest Tennis Player Chooses Her Own Hotels
Andrew Couldridge via Reuters
From Monday, as the tournament gets underway, the widely considered world’s richest tennis star will be staying in a premium, independent hotel of her own choosing, and will be looking to improve on her best-ever run to the quarter-finals in 2023.
She will enter the prestigious tournament as fourth seed, but has still yet to reach a major championship, with her run to the US Open final in 2024 being the closest she has ever come.
She believes that choosing her own hotel room, away from the other players, could lead to success, explaining that as she has become older, the small details matter, like having a better pillow and a quiet space to relax, with both being vital for recovery.
Why She Chooses Her Own Hotels
“We’re either on the court or we’re in the hotel room,” she said. “It’s such a big part of our lives, and as I’ve gotten older, a good hotel has become more of a priority.
“When you’re 20, and you’re just starting to travel, you’re not complaining that much: you’re more out there grinding and embracing life on tour. Once you hit 30 and kind of need a better pillow, that stuff honestly becomes really important.”
During last year’s French Open, Jessica Pegula, the daughter of the NFL Buffalo Bills owner, Terry Pegula, first decided to take this approach before realising how mentally draining it had become to share her space with her direct rivals.
“Oh my gosh, being away from everyone else is a massive thing for me,” Pegula admitted. “I think that’s what maybe sparked this, as well. I just felt like, ‘I can’t do [player hotels] anymore.’
Szymon Gorski via Reuters
“When you’re staying at a tournament hotel, I feel like it’s so mentally draining. It’s not like anyone is a problem.”
The American star is scheduled to come up against unseeded Czech Darja Vidmanova at 11am on Monday.
The 32-year-old has amassed over $2 million worth of prize money so far in her career and has really highlighted the importance of her recent decision.
“If you were going to work with someone, you would necessarily want to eat breakfast with them, practice with them, have lunch, go to the locker room, and the physio room with them, and see them in the elevators and the hallways.
“I don’t think people realise that shouldn’t happen, not with the people you’re working and competing with every single week. We play pretty much every week together, and so, all of that together, you’re ready to lose it.”
Chelsea have reportedly submitted a £26m offer to sign a Chelsea star in the summer transfer window, as personally requested by Xabi Alonso.
The Blues will be looking to back their new manager after he took over earlier this year.
It’s been a difficult period for Chelsea, who won’t be competing in the Champions League next season, and they did superbly to attract a manager of Alonso’s calibre.
The club now needs to back him with new additions in order to suit his style, while the squad also needs a refresh after their disappointing campaign.
According to a report from journalist Luca Cerchione, Chelsea have submitted a £26m bid to sign Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka in the summer transfer window.
The potential signing is believed to have been personally requested by Alonso, who managed Xhaka during his time at Bayer Leverkusen.
It feels unlikely that Sunderland would be willing to accept a bid of just £26 million for Xhaka, considering he was their ‘best‘ player last campaign and won their player of the season award.
Alonso knows the midfielder well, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that they are targeting that profile of signing.
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Chelsea Need to Add Experience
Chelsea have heavily focused their recruitment on bringing in young talent from around the world over the last few years.
Although it could be an effective method in the long term, they do lack experience in all positions.
The Blues are one of the most ill-disciplined sides in the Premier League, getting more red cards last season than any other team.
The signing of someone like Xhaka won’t only offer experience in himself. He’s also the type of leader who can help get the best out of other players.
Sunderland managed to qualify for European football last season, despite only being promoted the previous campaign, and Xhaka was a key reason behind that.
