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MMA is a sport that has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Such athletes as Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey made it one of the most popular and demanded sports in the world. And even though at first glance it seems like a usual street fight, this activity requires a lot of training and skills.
MMA is so popular for a number of reasons:
· It’s a true test of athleticism and fighting skills. MMA combines the best elements of boxing, wrestling, and Martial Arts into one exciting and dangerous sport.
· MMA is easy to understand and follow. Unlike other sports that can be confusing to new fans, MMA is easy to pick up and enjoy.
· MMA is unpredictable and always exciting. With so many different ways to win or lose, every fight is a new adventure.
After all, it's just a spectacular sport that attracts millions of spectators and bettors. And it’s also worth noting that MMA is one of the most popular sports in the world today and doesn’t seem to lose its relevance in the nearest future. So, let’s take a look at the most highly paid fighters in history and their achievements.
It’s not surprising that this Irish champion is on the top of the list. Forbes listed McGregor as one of the highest-paid athletes globally, and not without a reason. For his 11 appearances in the octagon, he received at least $9.5 million, and no one knows precisely what percentage of the sales of paid broadcasts he got. According to rumors, Conor earned about $50 million for the fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Of course, he doesn’t earn money only for his fights. He is known to be the king of advertisements, and we have already seen him promoting whiskey, casino games and betting services, Beats, and many other products. Even if you are far from the MMA industry, you’ve definitely seen him!
It may be unexpected for passionate MMA fans, but Bisping rightfully takes second place. The British athlete didn’t seem to have a remarkable career, except for his incredible victory over Luke Rockhold in 2016. He had 29 fights, and is now retired and is a popular UFC commentator.
Silva is considered the longest titleholder and is also well-known due to his promotional campaigns. The middleweight champion participated in 24 UFC fights and earned almost $7 million during his career. Of course, fans would never know the payments for advertisements and other activities, so we suppose that his general income is much higher. However, even such “modest” achievements allow him to close the top 3 list.
Despite having multiple problems with the law and suspicions of using drugs, Jones is still one of the most demanded fighters with an impressive fan base. No one can beat him, and he is the reigning heavyweight UFC champion. The athlete had 21 fights and seems that he is not planning to end his fascinating career.
This Brazilian sports legend managed to earn over $5 million during his career in MMA. Belfort had fights with numerous UFC stars, including several people from this list. After 26 fights, he managed to win the heavyweight tournament and become the light heavyweight champion. He retired from the UFC and fans are waiting for his debut in the Asian organization ONE Championship.
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