What is Junior Dos Santos’ net worth?
| Net Worth: | $10 Million |
|---|---|
| Age: | 38 |
| Born: | January 30, 1984 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 1.93 m |
| Country of Origin: | Brazil |
| Source of Wealth: | Professional MMA Fighter |
| Last Updated: | November 29, 2022 |
Introduction
Junior Dos Santos is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who is currently with Eagle FC after spending more than a decade with the UFC.
Dos Santos is also part of All Elite Wrestling and was once the UFC Heavyweight Champion for over a year.
As of March 2023, Junior Dos Santos’ net worth is estimated to be $10 Million.
Junior Dos Santos Facts
- Dos Santos was born in Cacador, Brazil, and learned martial arts in his hometown.
- He trained in capoiera and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu prior to his MMA career.
- In 2006, Dos Santos made his professional debut with a knockout victory in Salvador.
- Two years later, Dos Santos began his UFC career by defeating Fabricio Werdum at UFC 90.
- Dos Santos became the UFC Heavyweight Champion by defeating Cain Velasquez and defended his title against Frank Mir.
Early Life
Junior Dos Santos was born 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, though it wasn’t until he was in his early 20s that he started to train more seriously.
Dos Santos proved to be a natural in mixed martial arts and quickly joined the professional ranks at 22 years old.
He would win his first five matches easily, as he defeated every opponent in the first round including a 50-second submission victory.
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.
Junior Dos Santos’ Career Earnings & Net Worth
At the height of his career, Junior Dos Santos’ career earnings were among the highest in mixed martial arts.
As a result, he has become one of the richest MMA fighters in the world thanks to paydays including $830,000 for his match against Stipe Miocic.
Though Eagle FC and All Elite Wrestling refused to disclose his salaries, the UFC was able to show what he made during his career, and the promotion paid him over $7 million his career.
Dos Santos finds himself in the same tier as fighters such as Michael Bisping, Jon Jones, and Ronda Rousey with an estimated net worth of $10 million.
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.
Dos Santos is active on social media with an official Twitter account and official Instagram account that are updated regularly.
Awards & Achievements
Junior Dos Santos doesn’t have the longest list of awards in mixed martial arts, but that’s mostly due to his loyalty with one promotion, the UFC.
Still, Dos Santos has been able to assemble quite the resume of awards and was recognized for his non-title matches, as well.
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.
While not part of his UFC career, Dos Santos did also finish in fifth place at Danca dos Famosos, the Brazilian edition of Dancing with the Stars.
Though he won’t be on the same fighting schedule that he was in his prime, Dos Santos does want to continue getting in the octagon from time to time.
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 spends a lot of money helping his family.
In fact, one of the reasons why Dos Santos left the UFC was because the injuries weren’t worth the paydays anymore, and wanted to work on an easier schedule even if it meant less money.
Dos Santos loves winning, and that does come with good paydays, but that money goes mainly toward his family and community instead of the most expensive cars in the world or a mansion.
Highlights
Junior Dos Santos isn’t a late bloomer, per se, but he didn’t come into his career as a UFC fighter with a lot of fighting experience.
The Brazilian mixed martial artist had trained in MMA and had just a few matches, starting his UFC career in his mid-20s.
Here are some of the best highlights of Junior Dos Santos’ career:
- Won the first match of his MMA career with a knockout over Jailson Silva Santos in 2006.
- Started his career with a 5-0 record, including matches in both the light heavyweight division and heavyweight division.
- Made his UFC debut in 2008 against Fabricio Werdum, winning via technical knockout.
- Became the UFC Heavyweight Champion in 2011 by defeating Cain Velasquez.
- Reached 20 career professional victories in 2019 with a win over Derrick Lewis.
When he was at the top of his game, Dos Santos was one of the best heavyweight fighters in mixed martial arts.
The UFC fighter became a fan favorite around the world, and he at least got to spend some time as the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Favorite Junior Dos Santos Quotes
Junior Dos Santos has a lot of confidence in his abilities and the Brazilian mixed martial artist hasn’t been afraid to say what’s on his mind during his UFC career.
Some of Dos Santos’ best moments have come when given a microphone by Joe Rogan and other members of MMA media, allowing Dos Santos to speak his peace.
Here are our favorite quotes from Junior Dos Santos:
- ” I really believe I can knock anyone out in this world.” – Junior Dos Santos
- ” For sure, the UFC and MMA became way bigger than boxing.” – Junior Dos Santos
- ” Every athlete in the UFC…they want to fight for the title. I’m no different.” – Junior Dos Santos
- ” I don’t pick opponents. I don’t care about who I’m going to fight.” – Junior Dos Santos
- ” I am truth. I was made of truth.” – Junior Dos Santos
3 Amazing Lessons From Junior Dos Santos
Junior Dos Santos has been around the world as a fighter and has had a lot of life experience as a result.
Whether it’s in capoeira or fighting for Dana White and the UFC, Dos Santos is one of the more experienced active fighters in the world.
Now that you know all about Junior Dos Santos’ net worth, there’s a lot to learn from the former UFC fighter.
Here are some of the best success lessons to learn from Junior Dos Santos:
1. It’s Ok To Take Less
Junior Dos Santos could have remained with the UFC and continue to earn large checks, but it wasn’t worth the busy schedule anymore.
Instead, Dos Santos decided that he wanted a much lighter workload to do what he loves, and took a big pay cut to remain happy.
It just goes to show that you don’t have to hoard wealth once you’re past your prime, and simply do what makes you happy and gives you free time.
2. Family Is Everything
Nobody appreciates the type of sacrifices that parents make more than Junior Dos Santos, who had to watch his parents work tooth and nail to provide a life for him.
Dos Santos dedicates his entire career to helping his family and those that helped him get to where he is now as a mixed martial artist.
It doesn’t matter what fans of fight executives think to Dos Santos, as long as his family members are proud of his accomplishments.
3. Know When To Fold ‘Em
One of the hardest things that people have to accept in their life is when they’re past their prime.
Junior Dos Santos knew that in the UFC, he was no longer going to be in the title picture and looked at the bigger scope of his career.
He chose to walk away at a time when his name was still a big draw for television audiences and felt he had nothing left to prove in the company.
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.
As of March 2023, Junior Dos Santos’ net worth is estimated to be $10 Million.
