Ultimate Fighting Championship, also known as UFC, started in 1993 as a professional offshoot of the Mixed Martial Arts Organization (MMA). The goal “to find the Ultimate Fighting Champion” was the ‘in’ to introduce, organize, and sanction the MMA in the United States. This introduction, and restructuring done in January 2001 made the UFC into what it is today- A premium global sports brand producing more than 40 live events annually consistently sold out in some of the most sought-after arenas in the world.

The UFC, starting from a competition featuring athletes skilled in various disciplines of martial arts, some including karate, boxing, kickboxing, and wrestling, among others, has risen to be one of the most viewed sports competitions by becoming a media content company being broadcast in more than 1.1 billion TV households worldwide in over 40 different languages with above 60 global broadcast partners taking them to over 165 countries. This also makes the UFC the world’s largest Pay-Per-View [PPV] event provider.

The UFC makes money through pay-per-view sales, ticket sales, merchandise, etc., which means that UFC fighters have a major role in bringing popularity to the brand. Fighters in the UFC such as Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov have gone on to become household names, proving that the UFC brand produces stars just like any other sporting event. The stories around these stars have been able to pull even the uninterested into the world of combat sports.

This article lists the top 10 of the biggest UFC stars in history, taking a look at their numbers for pay-per-view, and influence in the world of combat sports. Although this list is limited to just 10, here are some honorable mentions based on their influence and contributions to the UFC brand: Kamaru Usman, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Francis N’gannou, Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway, Dustin Poirier, Daniel Cormier, Nick Diaz, and Amanda Nunes.

Here are the top 10 UFC fighters in history ranked from bottom to top:

10. Jorge ‘Gamebred’ Masvidal

We start off with no one better to be on this list than the originator of the “Three piece and a soda” tagline.

 Known for his street-fighting roots and unrelenting aggression inside the octagon, Masvidal has become a fan favorite for his thrilling knockout victories and willingness to take on the toughest challenges.

The American who competed in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions as we mentioned holds the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history at a quick 5 seconds. Jorge Masvidal with 35 wins in 52 fights, 16 of those wins coming by knockout launched a bare-knuckle MMA promotion called ‘Gamebred Fighting Championship’, and launched another called iKON FC in January 2022. At UFC 251, Masvidal and Kamaru Usman clashed in a pay-per-view that had 1,300,000 buys.

With a net worth of $6 million and 3M followers on Instagram, Jorge Masvidal is a star above stars in the UFC.

9. Nate Diaz

 

Coming in Ninth on the list, Nate Diaz stands as one of the most iconic figures in the UFC, not solely for his remarkable skills within the octagon, but also for his unwavering authenticity and fearless attitude. Renowned for his relentless fighting style and remarkable endurance, Diaz has the ability to weather adversity and stage dramatic comebacks.

The fighter with the third most UFC bonus awards, 21 wins with 5 by knockout and 12 by submission, Nate Diaz rose to the top by sheer resilience. Going against McGregor twice with pay-per-view buys crossing the 1 million mark, Nate Diaz is worth $8 million as of 2023. 

Nate Diaz continues to leave an indelible mark on the UFC landscape, earning his place as one of the sport’s biggest and most beloved stars.

8. Israel ‘Stylebender’ Adesanya

The last stylebender is considered by many to be the greatest Middleweight  fighter ever in the UFC, he is also the only fighter ever to become a two-time Middleweight Champion.

Rising to prominence with his flawless technique and dazzling performances inside the octagon, Adesanya has quickly become one of the most dominant champions in UFC history. From his masterful precision to his mesmerizing agility, Adesanya’s striking prowess is nothing short of extraordinary, earning him acclaim as one of the most intriguing fighters to watch in the sport today.

With a record of 24 wins, 16 coming by knockout, Israel Adesanya had a fast rise to the top, winning his first belt after just 14 months in the promotion. He ties Anderson Silva for the most knockdowns in the UFC Middleweight division history. With a net worth between $4-$6 million and several pay-per-view buys, Israel is currently one of the biggest stars in UFC.

7. Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva

Hailing from Brazil, Anderson is considered to be one of the biggest UFC stars in its history. A former Middleweight Champion, he holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history, standing at 2,457 days. This featured 16 consecutive victories, a record set from 2006 to 2013.

As an MMA fighter, Silva has a total of 34 wins in his career, claiming 23 of those by knockout. Anderson’s influence is seen by the kind of sponsors he was able to get, becoming the first client to be marketed by 9INE, a sports marketing company co-owned by Ronaldo. He boasts 9,635,000 totalpay-per-view sales, with his highest coming in his second fight against Chris Weidman in 2013. He also has a filmography of over 5 movies, playing himself in Like Water in 2011.

With 5 million followers on Instagram, this list would not be complete without The Spider.

6. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar is an American football player, professional wrestler, and mixed martial wrestler. He is the only person to have won the primary heavyweight championships of WWE and the UFC. He has 5 wins out of 9 fights and was a box office sensation, competing in some of the best pay-per-view events in promotion history. He headlined UFC 91, 100, 116, and 121. He briefly co-headlined UFC 200.

Brock Lesnar has total sales of pay-per-view bouts rising to more than 7 million total sales with his highest coming in the match against Frank Mir, reaching 1,600,000 buys. He has also made several television appearances, with his film debut in the movie True Giants where he played himself.

It is no doubt that Brock Lesnar is one of the biggest UFC stars, and will be remembered for a long time.

5. Ronda ‘Rowdy’ Rousey

Ronda Rousey is an American mixed martial artist, known for her time in UFC. Holding a record of 12 wins, 9 coming by submission, Ronda began her career in 2011, becoming part of the first-ever female fight for Women’s Bantamweight at UFC 157. Ronda held the record for most UFC title defenses by a female before being surpassed by Valentina Shevchenko in 2022.

Ronda’s influence in UFC is immense as she became the first female fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. Her stardom is evident as she is the only woman to be champion in both the UFC and WWE. She is also the only woman to headline a pay-per-view event in both companies. She has total sales of over 4 million, showing just how big she is as a UFC fighter. With a net worth of $12 million as of January 2022, Ronda Rousey was among the top 20 richest MMA fighters as the only woman in that category. Her resilience to put women fighters on the map was not limited to the Octagon, she also featured in some movies, television shows, magazines, and video games. She co-starred in The Expendables 3 in 2014, appeared in Furious 7 in 2017, and played herself in the film Entourage.

With 18m followers on Instagram, she once again proves that she is one of the biggest stars in UFC history.

4. George St-Pierre

George, also known as GSP was a two-division champion in the UFC, winning titles in the welterweight and middleweight divisions. Boasting 26 wins in MMA, achieving 8 by knockout, and 6 by submission, George is rated as one of the best UFC fighters in history. For 3 years consecutively (2008-2010), he was named the Canadian Athlete of the Year by Rogers Sportsnet. He retired initially in 2013 as the reigning Welterweight Champion holding the record for most wins in title bouts and defending his title nine consecutive times. He then returned to the Octagon in November 2017 to defeat Michael Bisping to win the Middleweight title.

His prowess is not just limited to his fighting skills, but he boasts a total of over 8 million total pay-per-view sales . GSP’s influence is beyond the Octagon as he has helped make the MMA brand worldwide as a global ambassador.

His brand transcends just sports as he has appeared in many movies, the most prominent ones being Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Kickboxer: Vengeance. He has over 5 million followers on Instagram.

3. Jon ‘Bones’ Jones

There is no talking about the biggest UFC stars without talking about Jon ‘Bones’ Jones.

Fighting out of Albuquerque in New Mexico, USA, Jon Jones is the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is also a two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion , holding the Light Heavyweight title from March 2011 to April 2015 and from December 2018 to August 2020 while also never officially losing his title in the octagon. With a total number of 27 wins, 10 coming by knockout, and 7 by submission. Jon Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history with a title victory over Mauricio Roa at the young age of 23. He holds many records and has been considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world by many. His influence and stardom in the world of UFC were first seen when he became the first MMA star to be sponsored by Nike on an international scale. He also became the first to have his shoe line, and the first MMA fighter to represent Gatorade and MuscleTech.

Averaging pay-per-view of over 500, 000 buys, and total buys of over 6 million, Jon Jones stands out as one of the biggest UFC stars in history.

2. Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov

Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov, born on the 20th of September, 1988 is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division of the UFC. His record as the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion lasted from April 2018 to March 2021. Khabib retired with an undefeated record, pulling 29 wins and no losses. He currently holds the record for the most pay-per-views in UFC history alongside Conor Mcgregor.

His induction into the UFC Hall of Fame alongside being ranked as the No.1 most successful Russian athlete by Forbes, topping the list for 40 most successful Russian show business and sports personalities under 40 shows just how big he is.

Khabib has a Net Worth of $40 Million and is well known in the world with over 36.4 million Instagram followers. He is sponsored by brands such as Toyota, Reebok, and Gorilla Energy. This proves without a doubt that Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the biggest fighters the UFC has ever had.

1. Conor ‘Notorious’ McGregor

Born on the 14th of July, 1988, Conor McGregor is a former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight champion, becoming the first fighter to hold UFC championships in two weight classes simultaneously, and has won 22 fights. Conor McGregor at number 1 boasts of being the biggest pay-per-view draw in MMA history. He has headlined six of the highest-selling UFC PPV events, with his match with Khabib Nurmagomedov drawing 2.4 million PPV buys holding the record for the most ever for an MMA event, making him the UFC athlete with the most career earnings, McGregor’s influence for the UFC is unparalleled, and he is also the most followed UFC fighter on social media with more than 70 million followers across all platforms.

McGregor was featured in Times Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in April 2017, appearing on the cover. He has appeared in several movies, such as XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Conor McGregor (a documentary), Road House, etc., and is invested in several business ventures including his co-founded whiskey brand- Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey becoming the fastest-growing whiskey brand.

Conor Anthony McGregor is arguably the biggest star in the UFC brand has ever produced.

The UFC’s journey and transition from a road side combat sport to a global phenomenon can be largely attributed to the rise of its biggest stars and the meticulous game-planning and strategy of Dana White. Over the years, stars have brought in not just the corporate world, but the hearts of every UFC lover.

The contribution of these stars has left its mark on UFC and will continue to inspire the future generation.