Introduction

Junior Dos Santos is a Brazilian professional MMA fighter with an estimated net worth of $10 Million.

Early Life 

Junior Dos Santos was born on 30 January 1984 in Cacador, Brazil, and trained in multiple martial arts and boxing while growing up. Much of Dos Santos’ training came in the form of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, although it wasn’t until he was in his early twenties that he began to train more seriously.

Dos Santos proved to be a natural in mixed martial arts and quickly joined the professional ranks at the age of 22. He would win his first five matches easily, as he defeated every opponent in the first round, including a 50-second submission victory.

MMA Career 

Just two years after turning pro, Dos Santos made his UFC debut with a victory over Fabricio Werdum and would go on a winning streak that included takedowns of Mirko Cro Cop, Gabriel Gonzalez, and Roy Nelson.

After defeating Nelson, Dos Santos was placed into the UFC Heavyweight Title Eliminator, where he defeated Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez to earn the UFC Heavyweight Championship. He would successfully defend the title against Frank Mir, but lost his rematch to Cain Velasquez, as well as the rubber match.

From December 2014 to March 2019, Dos Santos took on the likes of Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem, and Derrick Lewis, but lost his final four UFC matches. After losing to Ciryl Gane in late 2020, Dos Santos’ time with UFC came to an end, and he joined Eagle FC, where he lost his first match against Yorgan De Castro in May 2022.

UFC Earnings

During our research into Junior dos Santos’ fight earnings, particularly within the UFC, we found information relating to just nine of his thirty professional fights. The majority of these fights occured between 2010 and 2013, when dos Santos was considered to be at the peak of his career. At the time, his earnings were among the highest in mixed martial arts.

However, dos Santos’ earliest recorded fight purse was $71,000 against Fabricio Werdum. This somehow included his $65,000 knockout bonus, indicating that his base pay was just a few thousand dollars. In March 2010, he earned a similar sum ($70,000), for knocking out Gabriel Gonzaga in the first round.

After six straight wins in the UFC, five of which were knockouts, dos Santos quickly began commanding a higher salary. When he fought Shane Carwin at UFC 131 in 2011, Junior earned $200,000, comprising $100,000 to show and $100,000 for the win. Later that year, he secured a similar sum ($220,000) for his win over Cain Velasquez, securing the Heavyweight Championship belt. In 2012, his disclosed earnings from his bout with Frank Mir were $200,000; however, there may have been certain bonuses that went undisclosed. At UFC 155, where Velasquez reclaimed the belt, dos Santos reportedly secured a $400,000 purse.

The final three disclosed earnings of Junior dos Santos’ UFC career were $240,000 against Mark Hunt, $260,000 against Stipe Miocic, and $400,000 against Alistair Overeem. These nine fights amounts to an estimated $2.06 million in earnings, but may still be missing several bonuses, etc.

Additional Earnings

Post-UFC, Junior dos Santos also competed in the BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship), and Eagle FC, which is Khabib Nurmagomedov’s MMA promotion. However, these organizations are somewhat reluctant to publish their fighter’s earnings. Thus, we’re unable to know how much dos Santos has earned with them, despite many sources guessing. Junior has fought twice in the BKFC, and once for Eagle FC. In an interview, he claimed that he was “going to make as much” if not more with Eagle FC than he did in the UFC.

Personal Life

For much of his career, Junior Dos Santos was married to Vilsana Picolli, though the two announced that they would be divorcing in 2013 after a decade of marriage. That wasn’t the end of their working relationship, though, as Picolli remained as Dos Santos’ manager, and the former UFC Heavyweight Champion has more recently been linked to Brazilian TV presented Isadora Santos.

In addition to his fighting career, Dos Santos has made several appearances with All Elite Wrestling and competed in the 2019 season of Dancing with the Stars in his native Brazil.

Awards & Achievements

Here are the top awards and achievements from Junior Dos Santos’ UFC career:

• One-time UFC Heavyweight Champion with one successful title defense.
• Three-time Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night bonus winner.
• Holds the longest winning streak in the history of the UFC heavyweight division with nine.
• Has the second most knockout victories in UFC heavyweight history with 10.
• Named to the 2011 Sherdog All-Violence First Team.

How Does Junior Dos Santos Spend His Money?

Junior Dos Santos may be one of the richest fighters, but the former UFC Heavyweight Champion doesn’t quite spend like it. Dos Santos revealed that he just wanted to be comfortable as he grew up in an impoverished area in Brazil and spent a lot of money helping his family.

In fact, one of the reasons Dos Santos left the UFC was that the injuries were no longer worth the paydays, and he wanted to work on a more manageable schedule, even if it meant earning less money. Dos Santos loves winning, and that comes with good paydays, but the money primarily goes toward his family and community.

Summary 

Junior Dos Santos was a staple of the UFC’s heavyweight division for years and is considered among the promotion’s best fighters in its history. As he approaches his 40s, Dos Santos seems to have his sights set more on professional wrestling now with All Elite Wrestling. Along the way, Dos Santos has made millions and is considered a legend of the heavyweight division for good reason.

Introduction

Francis Ngannou is a Cameroonian professional MMA fighter and boxer with an estimated net worth of $15 Million.

Ngannou gained fame for his record-breaking punch power and quickly became the UFC Heavyweight Champion. Following a contract dispute with the company, he was released by the UFC and subsequently signed with the PFL. Francis made his professional boxing debut in 2023 against Tyson Fury and also fought against Anthony Joshua in 2024. These two fights earned him more money than from all his MMA fights combined.

Net Worth History

Throughout the early parts of his career, Francis Ngannou was essentially living paycheck to paycheck between fights. However, things changed drastically when he became the UFC’s Heavyweight Champion. When we first started tracking Francis Ngannou’s net worth in 2022, it was estimated to be just $3 million. After stalled contract negotiations with the UFC, he eventually left to join the PFL. 

However, it was his move to professional boxing that truly began bringing in the big bucks. Ngannou has earned an estimated $30 million from just two boxing matchups, against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. As a result, his net worth has skyrocketed to an estimated $15 Million, as of 2025.

MMA Career 

After dropping his second fight against Zoumana Cisse, Ngannou won his next 10 matches, which included his UFC debut against Luis Henrique. Ngannou experienced a brief cold streak in 2018, dropping decisions to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis, with the latter being his first title shot. He then rebounded with wins over Curtis Blaydes and Cain Velasquez, running his record to 13-3 and re-entering the title scene in the Dana White promotion.

Ngannou became a dominant force, defeating Junior dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik en route to a rematch with Stipe Miocic, this time winning the UFC Heavyweight Championship and defending it successfully against Ciryl Gane.

UFC Fight Earnings

Not all of Francis Ngannou’s fight purses from the UFC were publicly disclosed. However, we do have information for several of them, particularly in the latter stages. Ngannou’s first official fight in the UFC took place in December 2015 against Luis Henrique. After winning the fight by knockout, he secured a total of $22,500, comprising $10,000 to show, $10,000 to win, and $2,500 from his Reebok sponsorship.

Fast forward to 2019, Ngannou earned a combined $525,000 from another two knockouts over Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Both of which occurred in the first minute of the first round. The following year, when Francis secured his wild knockout over Jairzinho Rozenstruik, he reportedly earned $320,000.

In 2021, Ngannou fought Stipe Miocic for the second time, once again for the Heavyweight title. Adding another knockout to his record, Francis earned $580,000, including bonuses. Finally, a decision win over Ciryl Gane in 2022 earned him $600,000.

For these six fights alone, Francis Ngannou earned an estimated $2.05 million, which is not a lot considering the extent of his dominance in the UFC’s Heavyweight division. However, we are missing a large number of his fights, particularly during his rise to the top of the rankings.

UFC Contract Dispute

The bout with Gane was the final fight on Ngannou’s contract, and although the organization offered him $5 million to sign a new deal, he was reluctant to do so. His relationship with the UFC was already strained due to contract negotiations that failed to take place in 2019. According to Francis, this led to him only receiving one fight per year, placing additional strain on his finances.

Eventually, Francis decided to leave the UFC and join the PFL. Dana White clapped back, claiming Francis is “full of s***” and “isn’t a good guy.”

Boxing Payouts

By far, the most lucrative period of Francis Ngannou’s career was between 2023 and 2024, when he transitioned into professional boxing. This was only made possible due to his decision to leave the UFC, as otherwise, he would have been locked into a contract and unable to compete in other organizations. 

In October 2023, Ngannou made his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fury won the fight by decision, reportedly earning $50 million, yet Ngannou still secured an estimated $10 million purse. Francis claimed this was almost double his entire earnings within the UFC. A year later, he fought Anthony Joshua, losing this time by knockout. However, he still walked away with a reported $20 million payday. 

As a result, Ngannous has earned an estimated $30 million from just two boxing bouts, averaging $15 million per fight. Assuming we take his word of earning in the ballpark of $5 million from all fourteen of his fights in the UFC, his average paycheck would have been just $357,000.

Summary 

Francis Ngannou has come a long way since his days of poverty in Cameroon and working odd jobs in Paris. After making his way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ngannou became one of the best pound-for-pound fighters. Throughout his career, Ngannou has established himself as one of the richest and most successful MMA fighters.

Introduction

Serena Williams is an American professional tennis player with an estimated net worth of $350 Million

Earnings & Prize Money

In 1995, Serena Williams competed in her first professional tournament, earning just $240 for the year. By 1997, her winnings had increased to $37,927, and just a year later, she had her first six-figure year, taking home $239,945.

In 1999, Williams won her first official Grand Slam title at the US Open, earning $750,000 in prize money. That year, she also won the Grand Slam Cup, which earned her $900,000. In total, she earned $2.55 million for the year.

From 2000 to 2005, Williams typically earned anywhere between $900,000 and $3.66 million annually. She earned the latter figure in 2002 when she won all three of the Grand Slam tournaments she competed in. This included $818,000 for winning the US Open, $632,000 for winning Wimbledon, and $679,000 for winning the French Open. 

Williams took a short break in 2006, earning just $131,705. However, she returned in 2007 and picked up right where she left off. From 2009 to 2016, Serena was at the peak of her career, earning between $6.8 million and $12.1 million annually in prize money. Her two most successful years were 2013 and 2015, during which she earned $12.1 million and $10.6 million, respectively.

In 2013, she won eight singles tournaments, including the WTA Championships, which paid out $2.15 million in prize money. She also had two other seven-figure paydays: $3.55 million for winning the US Open and $1.87 million for winning the French Open.

Total Prize Money

Throughout her professional tennis career, Serena Williams earned an estimated $92 million in prize money, with $89.15 million coming from singles tournaments. She also earned roughly $2.84 million from doubles tournaments, most of which she entered with her sister Venus. According to the WTA, Serena earned a total of $94.8 million, which we assume includes bonuses from winning various Grand Slams. 

How does this compare to her sister, Venus Williams?

Venus earned approximately $42.6 million from prize money during her career. Serena and Venus both had successful careers with high longevity. They competed against each other in Grand Slam tournament finals on nine occasions, with Serena winning seven and losing two. 

Endorsement Income

Despite earning $94.8 million on the court, the bulk of Serena’s income has been generated through her highly lucrative endorsement deals. In fact, since 2013, she has earned approximately $326 million from endorsements alone. That’s almost quadruple the figure she earned from prize money. Estimates of her annual endorsement income are as follows:

• 2013 – $12 million
• 2014 – $11 million
• 2015 – $13 million
• 2016 – $20 million
• 2017 – $19 million
• 2018 – $19 million
• 2019 – $25 million
• 2020 – $32 million
• 2021 – $40 million
• 2022 – $45 million
• 2023 – $45 million
• 2024 – $45 million

Puma Contract

In February 1998, Serena Williams signed a five-year, $13 million endorsement contract with Puma. The company was reportedly not involved in tennis at the time, but saw Serena’s potential and wanted to be a part of it. Williams also received offers from Nike, but turned them down as she felt Puma was the best fit for her. Serena was just sixteen years old at the time.

Nike Endorsement Contract

When Serena’s contract with Puma concluded in 2003, she signed a five-year, $40 million contract at Nike, equating to at least $8 million per year. She was also awarded various performance bonuses, potentially earning up to $11 million per year in total. The contract broke the record for the most valuable endorsement deal ever signed by a female athlete.

Additional Endorsements

Throughout the years, Williams has endorsed an extensive portfolio of brands, including:

• AT&T
• Audemars Piguet
• Beats by Dre
• Gatorade
• Gucci
• IBM
• Intel
• JP Morgan Chase
• Lincoln Motor Company
• Subway
• Wilson

Miami Dolphins Investment

In 2009, both Serena and Venus Williams reportedly invested a total of $10 million in the Miami Dolphins, which equated to an estimated 1% stake in the NFL team. Surprisingly, this made the sisters the first African American women to own a stake in an NFL franchise.

At the time, the team was worth approximately $1 billion, and according to Forbes’ most recent calculations, the Dolphins are now worth $6.2 billion. If it’s the case that the sisters did not sell their stake or have it diluted, and they own 0.5% each, Serena’s stake is likely worth around $31 million.

Angel City FC Investment

In 2020, Natalie Portman teamed up with entrepreneurs Kara Nortman and Julie Uhrman to co-found Angel City FC, a women’s soccer team in Los Angeles. During the same year, Williams joined the ownership group, investing in the team alongside her husband and their daughter.

Williams’ daughter was just two years old when she was named a co-owner, making her the youngest owner of a professional team. Although the amount that the family invested remained private, it was reported that they were the largest shareholders at the time of the launch. When asked why she had involved her daughter, Williams stated that she wanted to teach her about entrepreneurship and leadership from an early age. In addition, having grown up in nearby Compton, Williams was eager to support women’s sports in her hometown while using her expertise to help establish a new, female professional soccer team.

In 2022, Angel City FC began preparing for the upcoming National Women’s Soccer League season, and with tickets selling well, major brands such as Gatorade and DoorDash joined as key sponsors. It was these sponsorships that helped Angel City FC bring in around $31 million in 2023, with $11 million coming from the brand deals alone. During their debut year, Angel City FC finished 5th in the league and earned a spot in the playoffs, a huge accomplishment for a new club. A year later, the club sold a majority stake to Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger and his wife, Willow Bay. The couple invested $50 million in the club, increasing its value to $250 million, the highest for any club in the history of women’s sports.

Following the sale, Williams and her family retained some of their shares, though the exact amount has not been disclosed. However, Williams remains a minority owner, and although she is not actively involved in the club’s daily operations, she participates in ownership decisions and continues in her role as an ambassador for the club.