20 Highest-Earning UFC Fighters [2025]

Mixed martial arts is one of the most dangerous sports in the world. However, for the top fighters in the UFC, it can be a very lucrative one.

The world’s leading MMA promotion has now officially abandoned the pay-per-view model as its $7.7 billion deal with streaming giant Paramount+ began at the start of 2026. While the company may have moved on from pay-per-view, headliners of the company’s major events in 2025 still earned an absolute fortune.

Three UFC champions even managed to make the top 10 best-paid fighters of the year, despite only competing inside the Octagon once in 2025. Below is a look at the top 20 highest-paid UFC fighters of the past year in full.

10

Alexandre Pantoja

Total earnings: $2,472,000

Up until the final weeks of 2025, Pantoja was among the most dominant champions in the UFC. As the flyweight titleholder since July 2023, the Brazilian had firmly established himself as the man to beat at 125lbs. He continued his dominance of the division by submitting Kai Kara-France in the co-main event of UFC 317 in June. That victory was Pantoja’s fourth consecutive successful defence of the gold, but his run would come to an end in devastating fashion against Joshua Van at December’s UFC 323. The reigning champion suffered a broken arm just 26 seconds into the fight while falling to the canvas. While his year ended in disappointing circumstances, Pantoja received huge sums for both of his fights in 2025.

9

Jack Della Maddalena

Total earnings: $2,574,000

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At the start of 2025, Della Maddalena was booked to face former welterweight champion Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC London in March. However, fate had other plans as the UFC instead opted to have the Australian challenge welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 315 in May. Jack entered the contest as a notable underdog, but pulled off a shock unanimous decision victory to take the gold at 170lbs. Unfortunately for the new champion, he was matched up with pound-for-pound superstar Islam Makhachev in his first title defence, with the Russian having made the move up from lightweight. Della Maddalena was thoroughly dominated as he fell to a decision loss, but can console himself with having made life-changing money over the last 12 months.

8

Khamzat Chimaev

Total earnings: $2,680,000

While many fighters on this list competed in multiple bouts to earn seven-figure payouts for the year, a select few only had to grace the Octagon on one occasion to bank a fortune. Among those in that position is current middleweight champion, Chimaev. The undefeated Russian grappler had been chasing a UFC title shot for quite some time and was rewarded for his record when he was chosen to face 185lbs kingpin Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in August. Khamzat delivered a flawless performance against the South African, winning every round on his way to a unanimous decision victory and his maiden UFC championship.

7

Zhang Weili

Total earnings: $3,374,000

Zhang began her 2025 campaign inside the Octagon by beating Tatiana Suarez by unanimous decision at UFC 312 to make the third consecutive defence of her UFC strawweight championship. Despite her success at 115lbs, the Chinese star decided she wanted to seek a bigger challenge and went on to vacate her gold in October. One month later, Zhang would get the chance to become a two-division champion when she stepped up a weight class to challenge flyweight titleholder Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322. Her boldness did not pay off as she suffered defeat on the judges’ scorecards, but Zhang still ranks as the highest-paid female fighter in the UFC for 2025.

6

Ilia Topuria

Total earnings: $3,540,000

To the disappointment of his legions of fans, Topuria only fought once in 2025. Having entered the year as the reigning featherweight champion, the adopted Spaniard opted to vacate the 145lbs title in order to move up to lightweight and challenge for the belt vacated by Islam Makhachev after his own switch to welterweight. ‘El Matador’ was matched up against Brazilian fan favourite Charles Oliveira for the gold, and the fight didn’t last long. Topuria needed less than half a round to knock ‘Do Bronx’ out cold and claim his second UFC championship. He was incredibly well paid for his time, too.

5

Tom Aspinall

Total earnings: $3,542,000

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Another reigning champion who saw limited action in 2025 was UFC heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall. The Brit sat on the sidelines for more than a year as interim champion, hoping to secure a showdown with long-time rival, Jon Jones. As it turned out, his patience would not pay off. ‘Bones’ suddenly retired in June, with the UFC immediately promoting Aspinall to full champion status. Tom would have to wait until October to make his first title defence, though, and when he did it ended in disaster. An accidental eye-poke by challenger Ciryl Gane left the Salford-born fighter unable to see. This meant that their main event clash at UFC 321 lasted just over four minutes before it was declared a no contest. A rematch between the pair is expected, although Aspinall has yet to be medically cleared to return to training.

4

Islam Makhachev

Total earnings: $3,582,000

Arguably the UFC’s best performer in 2025, Makhachev scored wins in title fights in two separate divisions. The prized pupil of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov opened up his year by defeating late-notice replacement Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January to defend the lightweight championship. Shortly after that victory, the Russian decided that his time at 155lbs was up as he announced his intention to move up to welterweight. Given his accomplishments in the lighter weight class, the UFC awarded him an immediate shot at Jack Della Maddalena’s welterweight championship, and Makhachev took full advantage by winning a one-sided contest.

3

Alex Pereira

Total earnings: $6,524,000

Pereira’s time in the Octagon in 2025 involved him squaring off with just one man, Magomed Ankalaev. Although ‘Poatan’ would lose to the Russian by unanimous decision at UFC 313 in March, the Brazilian gained his revenge in brutal fashion at October’s UFC 320, where he knocked the Russian out in the very first round. Not only did Pereira have the last laugh in the pair’s rivalry, he also walked away with a staggering payout for his efforts.

2

Merab Dvalishvili

Total earnings: $6,824,000

Merab ranks as the second highest-paid UFC fighter of 2025 having defended the bantamweight championship on no less than four occasions during the calendar year. ‘The Machine’ scored a decision victory over Umar Nurmagomedov in January at UFC 311, before following that up with a submission triumph over Sean O’Malley at June’s UFC 316.

Dvalishvili was back in action just four months later as he dominated Cory Sandhagen over five rounds at UFC 320. However, the Georgian’s relentless schedule finally caught up with him in December. Keen to become the first UFC champion to ever defend their championship four times in a calendar year, Merab urged the promotion to book him on the final pay-per-view of the year, UFC 323. This proved to be an ill-fated decision as Dvalishvili would lose his 135lbs crown to Petr Yan in what was a major upset.

1

Dricus du Plessis

Total earnings: $7,142,000

The UFC’s best-paid fighter of 2025 is another former champion who ended the calendar year without gold around his waist. Du Plessis earned just over $3.3 million for his decision victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in February. That win marked the South African’s ninth-straight victory since debuting inside the Octagon in October 2020.

Having established himself as one of the promotion’s most popular pay-per-view stars, Du Plessis was paid even more handsomely for his second outing of 2025, where he faced off with the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. ‘Stillknocks’ banked in excess of $3.8 million for his efforts at UFC 319. However, his fight purse was likely the highlight of a deeply disappointing evening as he was soundly defeated by the Russian, losing his crown via unanimous decision.