10 highest-paid UFC fighters today, ranked

#8. Petr Yan

Arguably the finest boxer on the UFC roster, Petr Yan is a former bantamweight champion who lost his title in disgraceful fashion against Aljamain Sterling. The Russian striker was forced to rebound from a disqualification loss to Sterling by facing top contender Cory Sandhagen for the interim belt.

Yan won the thrilling matchup with a unanimous decision victory and Fight of the Night honors to set up a long-awaited rematch between him and Sterling. Finally, the two best bantamweights in the world faced each other at UFC 273. What Yan hoped would be a repeat of their first encounter sans the illegal knee he landed turned out to be a split decision win for 'The Funkmaster'.

Petr Yan at the UFC 259 Blachowicz v Adesanya: Weigh-Ins

Two of those three fights happened in 2021, while his final bout with Sterling took place this year. In their first matchup, Yan pocketed $540,000 (according to www.mmasalaries.com and www.sportszion.com). Against Sandhagen, the Russian striker earned $482,000 (per www.itnwwe.com). Lastly, his rematch with Sterling earned him $1.142 million (according to www.sportszion.com).

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#7. Jorge Masvidal

The first and only 'BMF' champion, Jorge Masvidal, was once on the cusp of superstardom after his record-setting knockout over Ben Askren and his one-sided beatdown of Nate Diaz. However, after suffering two back-to-back losses to reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, it's arguable that his star power has waned.

The subsequent loss to former friend Colby Covington was yet another stain on Masvidal's record as 'Gamebred' is now 0-3 in his last three fights, all of which he lost in lopsided fashion. While his performances were competitively lacking, the tenured MMA fighter reportedly earned $800,000 (according to www.sportbible.com) for his stunning knockout loss to Kamaru Usman.

Jorge Masvidal at UFC 244 Masvidal v Diaz

His bout with Colby Covington at UFC 272 is said to have won 'Gamebred' $1.5 million (according to www.totalsportal.com) due to pay-per-view share.

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#6. Charles Oliveira

Charles Oliveira is the unofficial lightweight champion in the UFC. He lost his title over a weigh-in mishap that many believe he was not at fault for. Regardless, the Brazilian is an endearing figure to fight fans around the world due to the hardship he's faced on his journey to the top of the MMA mountain.

Similarly, Oliveira is among the most exciting fighters on the roster. As the owner of the most submission wins in UFC history, he is the deadliest finisher across every single division in the promotion. This is a truth that his last three opponents learned of in emphatic fashion.

Charles Oliveira at UFC 274: Oliveira v Gaethje

At UFC 274, Oliveira crossed paths with Justin Gaethje, submitting his foe with a rear-naked choke to reportedly earn $1,602,000 (according to www.sportszion.com) due to a base salary of $480,000, a $480,000 win bonus, $42,000 in sponsorship earnings and massive $600,000 from his performance bonus.

Prior to facing Gaethje, the Brazilian fought Dustin Poirier, reportedly earning $492,000 (potentially $1 million to $1.5 million due to undisclosed PPV points, according to www.sportsmanor.com and www.totalsportal.com), while his previous win over Michael Chandler earned him a sum of $875,000 (per www.givesport.com).

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#5. Alexander Volkanovski

Reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is likely the greatest fighter in the world. His last three bouts were all exhibitions of sheer dominance as 'The Great' has undergone drastic improvements as a mixed martial artist, with his speed now being his most prominent physical attribute.

In his exciting win over Brian Ortega at UFC 266, Volkanovski earned $792,000 (according to www.sportsmanor.com) from a combination of his base salary, PPV bonus, Fight of the Night bonus, and sponsorship bonus. Meanwhile, the Australian's crushing victory over Chan Sung Jung at UFC 273 netted him a reported $1.712 million (according to www.mmasalaries.com).

Alexander Volkanovski at the UFC 276 Weigh-in

When Volkanovski finally locked horns with Max Holloway in their hotly anticipated trilogy bout at UFC 276, he reportedly made $700,000 (per www.sportszion.com), which is off the back of Volkanovski signing a new contract he claimed rendered him the second highest-paid featherweight in history.