Despite being the gold standard of MMA promotions, the UFC has always been criticised for how much they pay their fighters. It’s why we have seen many figures look for boxing fights or other promotions, where they can earn much more.

However, the UFC is now in the Paramount era, and with the $7.7 billion deal signed, a lot was made about whether the fighters would also see a substantial increase to their pay.

While we haven’t seen the long-term affects of the move to Paramount, we now have the information regarding the fighter’s earnings so far this year. The earnings are the salaries from the fights they’ve had this calendar year, with bonuses also added on.

10

Carlos Ulberg

Total earnings: $1,582,000

Coming into 2026, Carlos Ulberg was riding the highs of beating both Jan Blachowicz and Dominick Reyes. At UFC 327, he took on Jiri Prochazka for the recently vacated UFC light heavyweight championship.

While he did end up claiming gold, it came in possibly the most bittersweet way. Just two minutes into his first shot at the title, he got into an awkward exchange with Prochazka, who ended up tearing his ACL in his right leg in the process.

Despite this, he continued fighting and took more damage, only this time it was to the uncompromised left leg. It seemed like the fight was only going one way; however, Ulberg, against the odds, landed a pitch-perfect left hook to drop Prochazka. He pounced on him with an onslaught of ground and pound before Marc Goddard stopped the fight.

One of the all-time great title wins, though, it seems like the 35-year-old will now be spending a while on the sidelines, and may never be the same again after suffering such a severe injury.

9

Sean O’Malley

Total earnings: $1,671,000

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Despite being out of the title picture for the early stages of 2026, Sean O’Malley‘s stardom is still very well reflected through his earnings. He has already fought twice this year, picking up wins over Song Yadong and Aiemann Zahabi.

Many analysts and fans may have doubted O’Malley, especially after those two defeats to Merab Dvalishvili. However, he’s proved that he is still one step ahead of the contenders, with two impressive displays. The finish against Zahabi certainly stood out, as the moment went viral due to the salute, and reminded all of his power.

O’Malley hadn’t managed a knockout win since 2023, when he defeated Aljamain Sterling to clinch UFC gold.

8

Jiri Prochazka

Total earnings: $1,832,000

Another half of UFC 327’s main event is on the list, though, this time it’s Prochazka, who suffered his third defeat in a UFC title fight.

After suffering a second loss to Alex Pereira, he reacted in the best way possible, picking up wins over Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. With Poatan’s move to heavyweight, it seemed like the stars would finally align for Prochazka.

He made a strong start to the first round, with his leg kicks slowly but surely damaging Ulberg’s left leg. After the ACL tear, he was in full control and was even pointing to the ground for them to exchange in the pocket.

Ulberg strayed away, and eventually caught him with a wonderful left-hook. Once again, Prochazka was finished early on, but this time in a fight that would have rewarded patience.

7

Diego Lopes

Total earnings: $2,032,000

It’s already been a very busy year for Diego Lopes. From suffering another defeat to Alexander Volkanovski, to reigniting his momentum with a win at the White House over Steve Garcia.

His activity has certainly been rewarded by the company, especially as he weighed in as the back-up fighter for UFC Freedom 250’s main event between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.

Lopes will be eagerly anticipating the result of the likely match-up between Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev. If the Russian can get it done, then Lopes’ dreams of becoming featherweight champion look much brighter.

6

Charles Oliveira

Total earnings: $2,282,000

After being brutally finished by Topuria just last year, Charles Oliveria has got his career back on track with back-to-back wins. He beat Mateusz Gamrot last year, and in 2026, got the better of Max Holloway.

He claimed the BMF title along the way, with his grappling completely neutralising Holloway. It wasn’t the most exciting fight, but it was enough to get the job done.

His performance in the main event, mixed with his popularity, has given him strong earnings, far exceeding Holloway’s. Oliveira is now calling for a rematch with Gaethje for the lightweight championship. He beat the American when they squared off in 2022.

5

Ilia Topuria

Total earnings: $2,500,000

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

El Matador’s return to the Octagon after almost a year out couldn’t have ended in a worse way. He suffered severe damage, and ultimately tasted defeat for the first time in his career.

Gaethje put on a show, and inflicted enough damage for the fight to be stopped in between rounds. Topuria did have his moments during the bout, especially the period in the second round where he was unloading shots to the body.

However, it wasn’t enough, and he is now out for the rest of the year due to the injuries sustained. Both his eyes were shut during the fight, and could have led to a doctor’s stoppage. He will need plenty of time to recover before returning to the cage.

4

Alexander Volkanovski

Total earnings: $2,692,000

It has been another strong year for Volkanovski, as he defended his featherweight strap for the first time since he was beaten by Topuria.

The Australian beat Lopes for the second time, proving that he’s still one of the best in the game even at 37 years old, and after facing the adversity of losses to Topuria and Islam Makhachev. It’s unclear when we will next see him in the Octagon, though, Evloev is the likely opponent.

3

Khamzat Chimaev

Total earnings: $3,092,000

Khamzat Chimaev is the first fighter on this list to break the $3 million barrier, and it’s no surprise after the hype going into his title fight against Sean Strickland.

Both fighters were going back-and-forth, overstepping the mark with trash talk about religion and family. It ultimately sold the fight to the millions and made it an eagerly anticipated affair.

In the end, Strickland picked up the win on the scorecards, as his boxing and relentless nature were all too much for Chimaev. He was coming off a tough weight cut, which was perhaps a reason for his struggles. Due to this, a move up to light heavyweight seems likely in the future.

2

Justin Gaethje

Total earnings: $5,817,000

As one of the most active fighters of the year, it was a given that Gaethje would be on this list. He dominated Paddy Pimblett in January before putting a beating on Topuria to capture the elusive undisputed UFC gold.

Against Topuria, he was rewarded with both the Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses, which amounted to over $800,000. These earnings have almost become common place for him, having won 17 bonuses in 16 fights.

While he isn’t likely to return to the Octagon this year, both performances completely shocked the world, and now put him in a great position going forward.

1

Alex Pereira

Total earnings: $10,000,000

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

Despite topping this list, Pereira has had a far from ideal year in the Octagon. He took on Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title, a chance to further cement himself in the history books. A chance to become the first-ever three-weight world champion.

However, it didn’t go his way. From the off, Gane’s movement and mobility seemed far superior as he was bouncing in and out of the pocket, clipping Pereira with big shots along the way. He eventually dropped the Brazilian before landing a flurry of shots. The fight was soon stopped as the barrage of strikes proved too much.

A bitterly disappointing year for Poatan, especially when considering that he probably won’t be back in the Octagon this calendar year.