Top 10 Richest MMA Fighters of All Time: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) also known as cage fighting is an emerging form of full-contact combat sports and has become very popular among wrestling lovers worldwide. International Mixed Martial Arts Federation is the highest governing body of the sport and it is played worldwide. Despite the popularity of the sport, Mixed Martial Arts is not an official or legally regulated sport in many countries of the world and hence not recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) yet.

Unlike boxing and professional wrestling, MMA has adopted a pay-per-view business model and that is the main reason that MMA fighters enjoy enormous financial incentives. Despite struggling to get approved as a professional sport in the world of sports, MMA has gained huge popularity among fighters in the ring particularly and fans around the world generally due to the fame, wealth, and glam associated with it. Mixed Martial Arts has also exceeded wrestling in terms of popularity.

Are you a Mixed Martial Arts fan? Do you know who the wealthiest MMA fighter is? If not then we have got you covered. We have compiled a list of 10 wealthiest MMA fighters of all times based on their current net worth.

MMA Fighters Net Worth in 2022

1. Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor_Net Worth

Conor McGregor being the most famous and successful MMA fighter the world has ever seen tops are ranking of the wealthiest Mixed Martial Arts fighters and has a net worth of $120 million.

Conor Anthony McGregor was born on 14 July 1988 in Ireland. The former professional MMA fighter and boxer made a heroic entry into Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2013 first clinching the featherweight and then the lightweight title and became UFC’s first-ever dual-weight champion holding titles in two weight division championships at once.

Conor McGregor defeated José Aldo for the Featherweight Championship title and Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship. Conor McGregor’s victory against José Aldo in Featherweight Championship came via knockout 13 seconds in the first round, making it the fastest victory in UFC title history.

Conor McGregor is the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) draw in MMA history. He has headlined five out of the six highest-selling UFC pay-per-view events. Conor McGregor’s dual-weight championship title, his whiskey brand named Proper No. Twelve, and the record for all of the top-selling PPVs in the UFC, make the aggressive striker MMA’s wealthiest fighter.

Here are some basic facts about Conor McGregor:

Mixed martial arts record – Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor Quotes:

• “Trash talk? Smack talk? This is an American term that makes me laugh. I simply speak the truth. I’m an Irish man.” __ Conor McGregor.

• “I fear no man. If you breathe oxygen, I do not fear you.”__Conor McGregor.

• “The more you seek the uncomfortable, the more you will become comfortable.” __ Conor McGregor.

2. Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov_Net Worth

Having a net worth of $100 million, Khabib Nurmagomedov is undoubtedly the most loved and celebrated Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is currently reigning the UFC Lightweight championship. Having a winning streak of 28 in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Khabib Nurmagomedov holds the record of the longest active MMA artist. The Russian heart-throb is currently ranked 2nd in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is the first-ever Muslim professional mixed martial artist to win a UFC title. Due to injuries, it took a long time for Khabib Nurmagomedov to rise to fame in UFC. Nevertheless, his injuries couldn’t stop him from becoming a two-time Combat Sambo World Champion.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the most dominant athletes in the history of MMA, thanks to his unique grappling style learned while training in sambo, judo, and wrestling.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s first defense of his lightweight title against Conor McGregor in 2018 was the highest-selling pay-per-view event of the MMA history. Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor in the fourth round via submission while defending his lightweight title.

Other than numerous UFC titles, Khabib Nurmagomedov holds the record of most followed Russian celebrity on Instagram having 21.6 million followers. This combined with Khabib’s several title defenses, PPV points from being the longest-reigning UFC champion, and the fact that the Russian wrestler had the number one selling PPV of all time, alongside Conor Mc Gregor makes him the 2nd richest MMA fighter.

Here is a sneak peek at Khabib Nurmagomedov’s life and career:

Mixed Martial Arts Record – Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov Quotes:

• “I want to stay humble, but I have to talk because the other guys talk too much, and I understand the crazy power the UFC PR machine has.” __Khabib Nurmagomedov

• “I don’t fight for the money. I fight for my legacy. I fight for history. I fight for my people.” __Khabib Nurmagomedov

• “I never have a problem with the weight cut. My number one enemy is injuries because I train so hard.” __Khabib Nurmagomedov

• “Climb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.” __Khabib Nurmagomedov

• “Eagles don’t stay in the cage.” __Khabib Nurmagomedov

3. Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva_Net Worth

Having a net worth of $18 million, Anderson Silva has made to our list of 3rd richest MMA fighter. Anderson Silva is the former middleweight champion and is deemed as one of the best fighters in UFC history. UFC president Dana White, UFC commentator Joe Rogan and many other MMA analysts have regarded Anderson Silva as the greatest MMA fighter of all time.

Anderson Silva holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history spanning over 7 years from 2006 to 2013 including 16 consecutive victories in UFC.

Silva’s win streak of UFC reign began with the UFC gold victory in 2006. It was Chris Weidman who defeated Anderson Silva via technical knock-out in 2013 ending his title reign in UFC.

Anderson da Silva was born on April 14, 1975, in Brazil. The Brazilian-American professional MMA fighter became a huge draw on pay-per-view (PPV) thanks to his UFC gold victory followed by a 7-year-long win streak. In addition to that, Silva’s several endorsements deal with Nike, Burger King, and other blue-chip brands make him the 3rd richest MMA fighter with a net worth of $18 million.

Here are some basic facts about Anderson Silva:

Professional boxing record – Anderson Silva

Mixed martial arts record – Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva quotes:

• “I think you should try… not to try to be better than everyone around you, but try to be better than yourself every day.” __ Anderson Silva

• “No one will hit you harder than life itself. It doesn’t matter how hard you hit back. It’s about how much you can take, and keep fighting, how much you can suffer and keep moving forward. That’s how you win.” __ Anderson Silva

• “Every day that goes by, I try to improve myself and searching for something that may even be impossible; perfection.” __ Anderson Silva

4. Alistair Overeem

Alistair Overeen_Net Worth

It might come as a shock to MMA fans but Alistair Overeem is ranked 4th in our list of richest MMA fighters. Alistair Overeem has never won a UFC title but he is one of only two fighters in the world to hold titles both in Mixed Martial Arts and K-1 kickboxing simultaneously.

Alistair Overeem held the titles of Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, DREAM Heavyweight Champion, and K-1 World Grand Prix Champion to his belt. The veteran MMA artist has a way around negotiating his match fee and makes around $1 million per fight, hence has a the net worth of $15.5 million.

Here is a list of basic facts about Alistair Overeem

Alistair Overeem Quotes:

• “I’m just cruising, doing me, having a good time, and focusing on getting better.”__ Alistair Overeem.

• “I’ve always been a fighter and always competitive. “__ Alistair Overeem.

• “America is the future. I am committed to the States. I’m guessing this is going to be a permanent move.” __ Alistair Overeem.

5. Jon Jones

Jone Jones_Net Worth

Jon Jones aka Jonathan Dwight Jones is the light heavyweight MMA professional fighter. Having a net worth of $10 million, we ranked Jon Jones the 5th richest MMA fighter. Having won UFC Light Heavyweight Champion twice, the American MMA fighter is widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of his time. Jon Jones has also held the interim UFC Light Heavyweight Championship title. He is ranked first in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

Jon Jones also holds the record of the youngest UFC champion after defeating Maurício Rua at age of 23. Jones has several UFC records by his name in the light heavyweight division. These records include the most title defenses, most wins, longest win streak, and most submission victories in the UFC. Jon Jones has been deemed as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world during his championship reign.

With a golden track record of the most number of UFC title wins, the talented  Jon Jones has attracted big sponsorships resulting in even bigger money for his matches. But the youngest UFC champion had often been found amidst controversies both in and outside the ring. This combined with disciplinary actions against him as well as long periods of inactivity costed him financially and that is the major reason that the best of all times is receded to number 5 in our ranking. His current net worth is recorded at $10 million.

Jon Jones Quotes:

• “Failure is what you may need to eventually succeed.” __ Jon Jones.

• “Look in the mirror. You must first love yourself before you can receive true love from someone else.” __ Jon Jones.

• “There is no way to completely fail unless you completely quit.” __Jon Jones.

• “I think my confidence offends a lot of people, but I think people should learn from it and be inspired by it, instead of finding it offensive.” __Jon Jones.

6. Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo_Net Worth

As of the year 2022, Jose Aldo is ranked the 6th richest MMA fighter in our list of world’s richest Mixed Martial Arts fighters with a net worth of $9 million. The MMA legend Jose Aldo won the inaugural UFC featherweight championship and defended his title seven times.

Jose Aldo holds the record of winning the UFC featherweight championship thrice with two undisputed victories and a one-time interim win.

Jose Aldo faced his first MMA defeat in 2005 followed by 18 consecutive victories and ruled the UFC for over a decade. Aldo was also named Sherdog’s 2009 Fighter of the Year and “the greatest featherweight in mixed martial arts history.” in 2017.

Despite facing downfall in later stages of his career, Jose Aldo remains the 6th richest MMA fighter thanks to his early victories. He has a net worth of $9 million.

Jose Aldo Quotes:

• “Train hard and try new things; everything you do outside of the cage counts as experience inside the cage.”__Jose Aldo.
• “My next fight is always the most important fight, so regardless if I’m fighting for the title or not, I always have to go in there and give everything that I’ve got.”__Jose Aldo.

7. Donald Cerrone

Donald Cerrone_Net Worth

The always-ready-to-fight, MMA’s cowboy Donald Cerrone is the 7th richest Mixed Martial Arts fighter with a net worth of $9 million (tied with Jose Aldo). If breaking the records was a sport, Donald Cerrone was the champion of it. He not only broke the record of Georges St-Pierre and Michael Bisping for the most wins in UFC history with 21 victories to his name in 2018 but also exceeded Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort for the most finishes in UFC history with 15 to his name.

Due to his record-breaking career, Donald Cerrone also earned a ton of post-fight awards and broke the record previously shared by Nate Diaz and Joe Lauzon of winning most post-fight awards. He has won a total of 16 such awards.

Such an enthusiastic career earned Donald Cerrone monetary benefits and he made to our list of 7th wealthiest MMA fighter. His current net worth is $9 million.

Donald Cerrone Quotes:

“Sometimes you just don’t show up, and in our profession, it’s a bad day.”__Donald Cerrone.

“I’m not trying to be anything other than the way I was born and raised.”__ Donald Cerrone.

8. Nate Diaz

Nate Diaz_Net Worth

Having a net worth of $8 million, Nate Diaz is ranked 8th wealthiest MMA fighter. Nathan Donald Diaz remained underpaid for the most part of his career due to encounters with the elites of MMA, but his shocking-cum-impulsive decision of stepping up to fight against Conor McGregor turned the tides in his favor. This bout of his career earned him the highest UFC pay-per-view buy rate and skyrocketed his popularity among MMA fans.

Before joining the UFC, Nate Diaz had participated in World Extreme Cagefighting, Strikeforce, and Pancrase. He has been associated with the UFC since winning The Ultimate Fighter 5.

Nate Diaz’s luck in his fight against McGregor not only earned him fame but a hefty amount of paychecks, making him one of the MMA’s richest fighters with $8 million net worth.

Nate Diaz Quotes:

• “I want to fight the best guy. I always want to fight the best guy.”__Nate Diaz.

• “I win by submissions, knockouts. There are guys ranked above me, but no one’s interested in seeing them fight. They want to see me fight.”__Nate Diaz.

9. Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier_Net Worth

Daniel Ryan Cormier is the 9th richest MMA fighter of all time. His net worth is $6 million. He is a former Olympic wrestler who has won UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Championships. Daniel Cormier is the second UFC fighter to hold titles in dual-weight championship sharing the achievement with Conor McGregor.

Before associating with the UFC, Daniel Cormier was Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion and King of the Cage Heavyweight Champion. Not only is he the Olympic wrestler, but Cormier also holds the distinction of winning a world championship belt in every promotion for which he has fought. Currently, Cormier associated with UFC as an analyst and commentator.

Daniel Cormier’s unique track record has placed him among the world’s wealthiest MMA fighter with a net worth of $6 million.

Daniel Cormier Quotes:

• “Legacy does matter to me, and I want to leave a good one in MMA.” __Daniel Cormier.

• “My resume, my career, and my legacy in this sport mean more to me than collecting some checks.” __Daniel Cormier.

• “I want to be regarded as the best guy in the world, and I want to beat the best guy in the world.” __Daniel Cormier.

10. Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson_Net Worth

Demetrious Johnson is the 10th richest MMA fighter with a net worth $6 million. Demetrious Johnson holds the record of most title defenses in UFC history.

Currently competing in ONE Championship, Demetrious Johnson is the inaugural UFC Flyweight Champion. The American MMA fighter is famous for his quick striking and elusive movement.

Demetrious Johnson is ranked 9 in a pound-for-pound fighter in MMA by Sherdog and 2nd in the flyweight championship.

However, MMA is not the only source of Demetrious Johnson’s income as he has been into video gaming, and E-Sports and earning a hefty amount of money from streaming games. His net worth is $6 million.

• “I always loved playing video games. It was something my mom did, and my sister played as well.”__Demetrious Johnson.

• “I think the only person who will ever lose in a fight and still end up making a million dollars is Conor McGregor – that’s just because of how his contract is structured or whatever.” __Demetrious Johnson.

Did your favorite fighter make it to the list of top 10 richest MMA fighters? Which entry surprised you in the top 10 rankings? Let us know in the comments.

ncG1vNJzZmivlZa5tbTYnJylnZKntrXFjZympmekpL1ufY9mqaKbmJrAtXnMpphmnpmctbWx0axkp52kYsSwvtOhZg%3D%3D