Highest Career Earnings in MMA
By Michael Luciano
After toiling away for years trying to earn the respect of the combat sports community, UFC has risen to the peak of the MMA world, dominating the sport for the better part of the decade. This sport has made multi-millionaires of it's greatest fighters, with these seven standing clear above the rest.
7. Jon Jones: $5.95 Million
Conor McGregor might get the hype and the greats of old like Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson, and Anderson Silva had their moments, but Bones is the GOAT. With a ridiculous reach, dominant ground game, and insane speed, Jones looks every bit as dangerous now as he did when he broke into the sport in 2008. He's earned every penny of his nearly $6 million dollar purse.
6. Mark Hunt: $6.3 Million
Acquired from PRIDE Fighting Championships in 2005, the UFC did it's best to prop up Hunt in their early days. While a sub-.500 record in his career, which is unheard of for a top fighter, and ugly losses to Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem standing out as his career highlights (or perhaps lowlights), a Hunt fight was never going to be short on blood, effort and pure entertainment.
5. Georges St-Pierre: $7.04 Million
When UFC was just starting to make it big at the turn of the decade, the unquestioned biggest star in the entire sport was St-Pierre, who won his first welterweight title in 2006 and only lost once after that. His comeback win in 2017 over Michael Bisping and subsequent retirement was a fitting end to one of the greatest careers in MMA history.
4. Michael Bisping: $7.14 Million
One of the kings of the middleweight division, The Count joined UFC in 2006 and instantly became one of their biggest stars and pay-per-view attractions. Bisping has taken down the likes of Luke Rockhold and Anderson Silva, all the while showing off his uncommon punching power and strong chin. One of the most technically perfect fighters the middleweight division has ever seen,
3. Anderson Silva: $8.11 Million
With only one win in his last eight fights, the clearly washed up Silva is a shell of the man who was at one point the scariest and most dominant fighter the sport had ever seen. Spider set two big with ten consecutive middleweight title defenses and a jaw-dropping 16 consecutive wins. His greatness might be lost on the youngest generation of fans, but if you saw prime Silva prowling around the octagon, you'll understand.
2. Alistair Overeem: $8.7 Million
One of the greatest European fighters of all-time, Dana White had to break the bank to lure Overeem away from Strikeforce. With a win over Brock Lesnar in his first fight, The Demolition Man announced he was here to stay. While he never won a heavyweight title, his destructive punching power and kicks made sure he would never have a dull fight...except for that time Stipe Moicic knocked his block off at UFC 203.
1. Conor McGregor: $12.02 Million
Were you really expecting anyone else? The mouthy Irishman is the biggest start that the sport has ever seen, and there isn't really a close second. With a net worth of $110 million, McGregor has become unbelievably lucrative in a sport that doesn't always breed business moguls. With wins over Eddie Alvarez and Jose Aldo in order to win belts in two divisions at the same time, McGregor's status as an all-time great fighter is just as secure as his legacy as a showman.