10 highest-paid UFC fighters today, ranked

#4. Kamaru Usman

The only fighter currently challenging Alexander Volkanovski for the No.1 spot on the pound-for-pound list of the world's greatest fighters, Kamaru Usman is on the verge of cleaning out the welterweight division. Thus, the 170lbs kingpin has expressed an interest in taking on the staggering challenge of conquering the light heavyweight division.

While fight fans are yet to see Usman fight this year, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' recorded a trio of bouts in 2021 that earned him a jaw-dropping amount of money. At UFC 258, Usman faced longtime friend Gilbert Burns, earning $1.04 million (according to www.sportszion.com) due to a $600,000 base salary, $900,000 from PPV points, $50,000 from his performance bonus, and $40,000 from sponsorship bonuses.

The Nigerian's victory over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261 reportedly earned him $1.542 million (per www.sportszion.com), while his hard-fought victory over Colby Covington in the subsequent bout pocketed him $1.042 million (per www.sportsmanor.com).

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#3. Israel Adesanya

'The Last Stylebender' is one of MMA's most active world champions. Undefeated in the middleweight division, he is currently scheduled to face the only fighter to have ever defeated him twice in combat sports: Alex 'Poatan' Pereira. Adesanya's rivalry with the Brazilian dates back to his kickboxing days. His quest for redemption against Pereira will culminate in a future UFC bout.

While Pereira was forging his path from kickboxing to MMA, Adesanya became one of the sport's most reliable stars. From 2021 to the date of this writing, the Nigerian has fought four times, main-eventing every single fight card he was featured on.

In his failed attempt at capturing the title at light heavyweight from then champion Jan Błachowicz, Adesanya reportedly pocketed $1.74 million (per www.mmasalaries.com), accounting for PPV bonuses. The Nigerian faced Marvin Vettori when he next fought, earning $1.142 million (according to www.sportszion.com).

His subsequent bouts were against Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier, against whom 'The Last Stylebender' reportedly made $1.542 million and $1.8 million, respectively (per www.sportszion.com).

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#2. Dustin Poirier

Two-time lightweight title challenger Dustin Poirier has quickly become one of the most recognizable names on the promotion's roster. 'The Diamond' can credit his ascension to mainstream media relevance to his two stunning victories over heated rival Conor McGregor.

At UFC 257, Poirier was set to face the Irishman, a foe who had bested him prior in effortless fashion. By shocking the world and handing McGregor the first knockout loss of his MMA career, Poirier reportedly earned $1.021 million (according to www.cnet.com).

In their highly anticipated rematch at UFC 264, 'The Diamond' pocketed an incredible $3.6 million from PPV bonuses and $1.5 million from his base salary (according to www.thesun.ie). When he sought to capture championship gold from Charles Oliveira, Poirier, in a losing effort, earned $1 million (according to www.thesportsgrail.com).

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#1. Conor McGregor

No fighter—past or present—has earned more money than Conor McGregor in MMA. The Irishman is a prolific trash-talker whose ability to drum up interest in his bouts remains completely unrivaled. The legions of fans that 'The Notorious' commands are as loyal as any, enabling him to render any event he headlines more lucrative than anything the UFC can mount without him.

In his long-awaited return after his dominant win over Donald Cerrone, McGregor faced former foe Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi. What many fans expected to be a comfortable victory for the Irishman became a stunning loss. Despite tasting defeat, McGregor reportedly made $5 million ($30 million, including estimated PPV points) from his base salary at UFC 257, according to Forbes.

When he rematched Poirier for a second time at UFC 264, the excitement was palpable as many fans were eager to see how the trilogy between the two would close out. Unfortunately for the Irishman, he suffered a catastrophic leg break during the bout yet still earned $23 million (per www.sportbible.com).