B.J. Penn and his luxurious cars. Photo: @bjpenn/Instagram
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UFC rich list: from Conor McGregor to Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 5 richest fighters ever – net worths ranked
- Conor McGregor made history this year after banking US$158 million from selling his Proper No. Twelve whiskey brand – but has anyone ever earned more?
- From B.J. Penn’s pioneering multi-division wins to WWE crossover star Brock Lesnar, these are the UFC’s most financially successful stars so far
Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor and Brock Lesnar rank among the UFC’s highest-earning fighters ever. Photos: @khabib_nurmagomedov; @thenotoriousmma; @brock._.lesnar/Instagram
They’ve become household names because of their abilities in the Octagon, and as their fame grows, so do their bank balances. These UFC fighters have dominated the mixed martial arts game and aren’t shy to spend their hard-earned cash.
Here are the richest UFC fighters of all time, according to multiple sources, and how they spend their money.
B.J. Penn – US$22 million
B.J. Penn was the first non-Brazilian winner of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, taking the black belt division in 2000. This opened the door to UFC, where he would became champion of both the lightweight and welterweight divisions – the second of seven fighters to win multiple titles – and was hailed by UFC president Dana White for bringing the lower weight divisions into the spotlight.
He has a net worth of US$22 million and, according to Ultimate Fighting Network, most of his wealth is from fight pay during his eight-year UFC run. He also had endorsement deals with Reebok and Last Shot, and runs his own gym and an MMA media distribution website.
Brock Lesnar – US$25 million
Brock Lesnar rocking the shades. Photo: @brock._.lesnar/Instagram
Whether fans know him from UFC or WWE, Brock Lesnar has clearly made a fortune from his fight power. According to Sportskeeda, Lesnar brought the UFC some of its highest selling pay-per-view events. His pay for his UFC 200 fight against Mark Hunt alone was reportedly US$2.5 million.
The publication also reports he owns a collection of luxury cars and lives in a US$2.1 million home in Canada. According to Talk Sport, Lesnar was WWE’s biggest earner in 2020 and his earnings are now based on a flat rate, not the pay-per-view buys like other fighters.
George St-Pierre – US$30 million
George St-Pierre chilling outside. Photo: @georgesstpierre/Instagram
He retired from the UFC in 2013 but reappeared in 2017 to claim the middleweight championship. After becoming the fourth multi-division champion in UFC, the mighty GSP retired again in 2020. The Canadian fighter has been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and UFC president Dana White once said the fighter earned close to US$5 million at UFC 158. He has had endorsement deals with big brands likes Coca-Cola and Under Armour.
Khabib Nurmagomedov – US$40 million
Khabib Nurmagomedov with Islam Makhachev. Photo: Instagram
He made his UFC debut in 2012 and is estimated to have a net worth of around US$40 million. Sportskeeda reports he started off earning just US$32,000 per appearance but as his reputation and wins grew, his purse increased.
After beating Conor McGregor back in 2018, Nurmagomedov took home US$1.5 million, and the fighter has scored endorsement deals with Reebok and Toyota. According to Ultimate Fighting Network, the Russian star is the co-founder of martial arts centre Eagles MMA and gets paid to give masterclasses and lectures.
Conor McGregor – US$400 million
“The Notorious” Conor McGregor and his luxurious car. Photo: @thenotoriousmma/Instagram
The Irishmen scooped the No 1 spot in Forbes’ recently published list of the best-paid athletes of the year. According to the publication McGregor made US$180 million over a 12-month period. Although his UFC earnings contributed “just” US$22 million, it was his business deals that brought him the most cash – he sold his whiskey brand, Proper No. Twelve, which brought him an estimated US $158 million. Since then his global net worth has been estimated to be in excess of US$400 million.
When the announcement of his No 1 spot was revealed, McGregor said it was good to be recognised as a businessman and not only an athlete. The UFC favourite is known to splash cash on luxury cars, yachts, custom-made outfits and some epic bling for his future wife Dee Devlin.