MMA Fighters
Nate Diaz Net Worth
Nate Diaz is one of the biggest success stories in mixed martial arts, becoming a millionaire with Ultimate Fighting Championship after winning the promotion’s reality competition series.

Net Worth: | $8 Million |
---|---|
Age: | 40 |
Born: | April 16, 1985 |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 1.83 m |
Country of Origin: | United States of America |
Source of Wealth: | Professional MMA Fighter |
Last Updated: | Oct 7, 2025 |
Introduction
Nate Diaz is an American former professional MMA fighter with an estimated net worth of $8 Million
Despite never becoming a world champion of the sport, Nate Diaz and his brother Nick are two of the most beloved fighters in mixed martial arts history. Nate earned tens of millions of dollars throughout his career and was known for his high-level Jiu-Jitsu and unbreakable chin. He was also known for bleeding in almost every one of his fights, due to accumulating large amounts of scar tissue over the years.
Quick Facts
- Reportedly earned $13.6 million from his two bouts with Conor McGregor, although this has never been confirmed.
- Filed a lawsuit against Fanmio, Inc. in 2024, claiming he was owed $9 million from the Jorge Masvidal fight.
- Settled his lawsuit with the Logan Paul doppleganger for $18,000, setting him back $35,000 after legal fees.
Net Worth History
Year | Net Worth |
---|---|
2013 | $500,000 |
2014 | $550,000 |
2015 | $600,000 |
2016 | $5 million |
2017 | $4.9 million |
2018 | $4.8 million |
2019 | $5.5 million |
2020 | $5.4 million |
2021 | $6 million |
2022 | $6.5 million |
2023 | $7 million |
2024 | $7.5 million |
2025 | $8 million |
Early Life
Nathan Donald Diaz was born April 16, 1985, in Stockton, California, and attended high school in nearby Lodi.
Diaz trained in mixed martial arts with his older brother Nick Diaz, a fellow UFC fighter and former champion. He began fighting as a teenager in bare-knuckle mixed martial arts and had his first professional match at the age of 19. In 2005, he lost his first fight but then started a winning streak that put him on the map for good.
MMA Career
Nate Diaz won the Warrior Cup Lightweight Championship in his fifth professional match, but lost out on the World Extreme Cagefighting Lightweight Championship. He was then selected for the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter and won the lightweight tournament on national television.
Diaz won his first five official UFC matches, including headlining UFC Fight Night against Josh Neer in 2008. Though he lost in his only title match (against Benson Henderson), Diaz has had 15 UFC wins, including a memorable one against Conor McGregor at UFC 196.
UFC & Boxing Earnings
Year | Opponent | Salary |
---|---|---|
2016 | Conor McGregor | $620,000 |
2016 | Conor McGregor | $13,000,000* |
2019 | Jorge Masvidal | $520,000 |
2019 | Anthony Pettis | $270,000 |
2022 | Tony Ferguson | $971,000 |
2024 | Jorge Masvidal | $500,000 |
Total Career Earnings: | $15,880,000 |
Conor McGregor Fight Earnings
Information surrounding Nate Diaz’s earnings within the UFC differs from source to source, primarily due to his rematch with Conor McGregor. For their first bout in 2016, Diaz earned a total of $620,000, which included his bonuses for Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night.
For the rematch, Diaz’s disclosed base purse was $2 million, while McGregor’s was $3 million. However, several reports suggest that Nate earned approximately $10.5 million from PPV shares. If that were the case, he’d hold the record for the highest PPV cut ever received by a non-champion. While it’s not impossible, given Nate’s popularity, this figure could be slightly exaggerated.
Additional Fight Purses
Some of Nate Diaz’s other fight purses include $520,000 for his first fight with Jorge Masvidal in 2019 and $1 million for their boxing bout in 2024. He also earned $270,000 against Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 and a total of $971,000 against Tony Ferguson at UFC 279. This encompassed a $500,000 base purse, plus $400,000 from the PPV shares, $50,000 in bonuses, and $21,000 from sponsors. However, this figure is also a calculated estimate and not confirmed.
Jake Paul Fight Earnings
Finally, when Nate Diaz fought in a DAZN PPV boxing bout against Jake Paul in August 2023, he received a base salary of $500,000. However, he also received a share in the PPV profits. Before the fight, it was estimated that this would earn him an additional $1 million. Several reports suggest he earned a total of $20 million, but this seems impossible, given that the event only did $27 million in US PPV revenue.
Fanmio, Inc. Lawsuit
In July 2024, following his boxing bout with Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz filed a federal lawsuit against Fanmio, Inc., the event’s promoter. Diaz claimed that his contract with Fanmio and its owner, Solomon Engel, claimed that he would be paid $1 million upfront, plus an additional $9 million after the event, totaling $10 million.
The company has denied any wrongdoing and claimed that it is unable to pay the remainder due to financial losses and potential bankruptcy. At the time of writing, the case is still pending.
Legal Issues
As fans of Nate Diaz may already be well aware, he tends to find himself in various legal situations from time to time. The most notable of these was the 2023 incident, in which a brawl occurred on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. More than a dozen people were involved, and Diaz ended up choking a man unconscious. People online initially believed the man in question was Logan Paul, but it was actually his doppelgänger, Rodney Petersen.
Petersen later filed a lawsuit against Diaz, which he eventually settled for $18,000, as his legal bills had already exceeded $17,000. Thus, the incident set him back almost $35,000.
Personal Life
Nate Diaz was raised alongside his brother Nick, almost exclusively by their mother Melissa, in California before they made it to the UFC. Diaz has been in a relationship with Misty Brown for much of his adult life. The two are both from Stockton, California.
Along the way, Diaz and Brown have had a daughter, Nikayla, who was born in June 2018, though their marital status isn’t known. UFC fighter Henry Cejudo has suggested that Diaz could potentially begin a career with the WWE once he leaves mixed martial arts.
Awards & Achievements
Here are some of the awards and achievements from Nate Diaz’s impressive career:
- Winner of the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter.
- Has been awarded the Knockout of the Night for his match against Gray Maynard.
- Five-time recipient of the Submission of the Night Bonus.
- Took part in the UFC selection for Fight of the Night eight times.
- Given the Feud of the Year award by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter for his rivalry with Conor McGregor.
How Does Nate Diaz Spend His Money?
Among the vehicles that Diaz has been spotted driving are a Tesla, a Chevrolet SUV, and a Range Rover. Diaz was already living in a $430,000 home before he got his big payout for fighting Conor McGregor and chose to stay there. His house in Stockton, California, is approximately 4,000 square feet and features 2.5 bathrooms; the Tokay High School graduate has shown no interest in upgrading.
Summary
Nate Diaz came from humble beginnings and has become one of the biggest names in UFC history. He took advantage of the reality television competition’s promotion and never looked back. Thanks to his marquee matches, he has earned millions in his career. Now, toward the end of his career, Diaz still has a few things to prove and some big checks to cash as he works toward getting one more title shot.
MMA Fighters
Junior Dos Santos Net Worth
Junior Dos Santos came to the UFC at a young age and became one of the highest-paid members of the company’s heavyweight division.

Net Worth: | $10 Million |
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Age: | 41 |
Born: | January 30, 1984 |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 1.93 m |
Country of Origin: | Brazil |
Source of Wealth: | Professional MMA Fighter |
Last Updated: | Oct 7, 2025 |
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.
MMA Fighters
Francis Ngannou Net Worth
Francis Ngannou is a late bloomer who attempted a professional boxing career but found success and millions of dollars as a mixed martial artist.

Net Worth: | $5 Million |
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Age: | 39 |
Born: | September 5, 1986 |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 1.93 m |
Country of Origin: | Cameroon |
Source of Wealth: | Professional MMA Fighter |
Last Updated: | Oct 6, 2025 |
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
Year | Net Worth |
---|---|
2015 | $50,000 |
2016 | $175,000 |
2017 | $350,000 |
2018 | $1 million |
2019 | $1.4 million |
2020 | $1.6 million |
2021 | $2.2 million |
2022 | $3 million |
2023 | $7 million |
2024 | $14 million |
2025 | $15 million |
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.
MMA Fighters
Wanderlei Silva Net Worth
Wanderlei Silva was one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts during his career which included a lengthy and lucrative run as the Pride Middleweight Champion.

Net Worth: | $18 Million |
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Age: | 49 |
Born: | July 3, 1976 |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 1.8 m |
Country of Origin: | Brazil |
Source of Wealth: | Professional MMA Fighter |
Last Updated: | Oct 7, 2025 |
Introduction
Wanderlei Silva is a Brazilian-American former professional MMA fighter with an estimated net worth of $18 Million.
Before Wealth & Fame
Wanderlei Silva was born on July 3, 1976, in Curitiba, Brazil, and began practicing martial arts, including kickboxing and Muay Thai, at a young age.
Silva was fighting bare-knuckle in his amateur days, suffering some injuries along the way that he would recover from quickly. Just a few months after his 20th birthday, Silva would make his professional MMA debut and start his career 4-0 before his first loss to Artur Mariano. Silva lost his second match the following year, this time to Vitor Belfort, but Silva would quickly recover and go on a hot streak.
MMA Career
In April 1999, Wanderlei Silva became the IVC Light Heavyweight Champion, earning his first title and securing a contract with Dana White and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Silva quickly earned a title shot for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, but lost via decision to Tito Ortiz. This launched a long winning streak for Silva, as he left the UFC for Pride Fighting Championships. He went on to an 18-match undefeated streak, including fights against Mirko Cro Cop, Quinton Jackson, and Yuki Kondo.
Since the end of 2004, Silva has experienced both professional losses and wins, but has had memorable matches against notable opponents such as Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell, and Brian Stann, ultimately finishing his career with a record of 35 wins, 14 losses, one draw, and one no-contest.
Fight Earnings
Despite fighting 49 times during his professional career, there’s not a whole lot of information surrounding Wanderlei Silva’s individual fight earnings. Nonetheless, here’s what we know.
For Silva’s fight against Rampage Jackson at Bellator 206 in 2018, he reportedly earned $200,000, while Rampage earned $300,000. Regarding the UFC, Wanderlei typically earned a base purse of $200,000 per fight. This includes his bouts with Chris Leben at UFC 132, Cung Le at UFC 139, and Rich Franklin at UFC 147. He also secured a $70,000 Fight of the Night bonus against Cung Le, bringing his total to $270,000.
Those three UFC fights alone earned Wanderlei Silva approximately $670,000. While we don’t have specific figures for any of his other individual purses, Dana White has previously claimed that Silva earned $9.7 million during his tenure with the organization. This was in response to Silva’s claim that fighters were underpaid, and in response, Dana stated:
“You know how much money Wanderlei Silva has made since he’s been with the UFC? $9.7 million.”
How Does Wanderlei Silva Spend His Money?
Silva has a couple of BMWs that he enjoys driving, and his house in Las Vegas is estimated to be worth around $200,000. He also owns a home in his Brazilian hometown, splitting his time between the two houses while operating a training facility in Nevada.
Personal Life
Since 2002, Silva has been married to his wife, Tea, with the couple having a son named Thor, as well as a daughter from a previous relationship. He has split his time between the United States and Brazil, his home country, throughout his adult life, and now resides in Curitiba, Brazil.
In 2009, Silva founded his own MMA training organization, called Wand Fight Team, which is based in Las Vegas and has coaches in several forms of martial arts.
Summary
Making it as a professional mixed martial artist for two years is hard enough, but Wanderlei Silva was able to stay at the top of the MMA world for 22 years. Though the back end of his career included a lot of losses, it also brought a lot of big paydays for the former Pride Middleweight Champion. Now a member of the Hall of Fame, the MMA fighter can enjoy retirement in Las Vegas and Brazil, knowing that his career was among the best.
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