Introduction

Brendan Schaub is an American stand-up comedian, podcast host, and former professional MMA fighter with an estimated net worth of $4 Million.

UFC Earnings

While Brendan Schaub was never one of the highest-paid fighters in the UFC, he managed to secure some decent paydays throughout his MMA career. For his knockout against Mirko “Cro Cop” at UFC 128 in 2011, Schaub earned a combined $94,000, comprising $12,000 to show, $12,000 to win, and a $70,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night. 

In 2013, he reportedly earned a combined $82,000 from his bouts with Matt Mitrione and Lavar Johnson. A year later, he earned an additional $79,000 from his fights with Travis Browne and Andrei Arlovski. Schaub reportedly earned at least $255,000 from these five fights.

The figures mentioned above don’t include additional income from sponsorships and PPV splits. It’s also worth noting that his fights took place before the UFC’s deal with Reebok, when fighters were allowed to display sponsor logos on their shorts and fight banners. Before the agreement, sponsors accounted for a significant amount of a fighter’s income.

The Fighter & The Kid Podcast

In 2013, shortly before retiring from mixed martial arts, Brendan Schaub launched The Fighter & The Kid podcast with his friend Bryan Callen, under the Fox Sports umbrella. The podcast features various guests to discuss topics related to MMA, comedy, and other miscellaneous day-to-day stories. They hosted TFTK with Fox Sports between 2013 and 2016, airing roughly 160 episodes, before leaving the network to publish independently on YouTube and other platforms.

In the last few years, the show has gone through several setbacks, one of which was due to the sexual misconduct allegations levied against Bryan Callen, which led him to step out of the limelight for a brief period. 

Another, more recent issue was when Callen decided to move his family, and the podcast, from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas. It appears that Schaub wasn’t particularly keen to move, but was somewhat forced to do so to keep the podcast alive. Many spectators have shared their opinions on the move, claiming that Schaub has looked slightly depressed in recent interviews after moving to a new studio in Austin.

Pure Spectrum CBD Earnings & Lawsuit

In February 2019, Brendan Schaub signed a contract with the CBD company, Pure Spectrum, that would give him a 10% stake in the brand. The terms of the agreement were recently disclosed as part of a lawsuit filing against Schaub, and outline Brendan’s obligations as follows:

• Post 5 Instagram stories per month
• Publish two static posts per month on all platforms
• Feature Pure Spectrum on the TFTK podcast
• Allow the brand to use his likeness for marketing
• Host the owner of Pure Spectrum on his podcast
• Make one in-person event appearance per year

Aside from an equity percentage, Schaub was also given the highest affiliate commission rate possible for generating sales for Pure Spectrum. According to various affiliate platforms, the base commission rate is 20% of the order value for each sale referred; however, premium affiliates can earn up to 40% per sale. This is likely the percentage that Schaub received, although it could have been as high as 50%.

Pure Spectrum Lawsuit

In June 2025, Brady L. Bell, the founder of Pure Spectrum, filed a civil lawsuit against Brendan and several others, citing numerous allegations, including civil theft, fraud, wire fraud, and IRS fraud. The lawsuit detailed the contractual obligations listed above and also stated that Schaub had earned $370,000 in affiliate commissions from Pure Spectrum but failed to fulfill his duties.

One of the more interesting claims from the court documents was that Schaub allegedly demanded that Pure Spectrum send emails to its customer database promoting Schaub’s comedy specials, which had received very negative reviews on review websites such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. This case was so severe that IMDb and Showtime allegedly threatened legal action against the company for improper promotional activities. The lawsuit is currently ongoing.

Highlights 

Here are some of the best highlights of Brendan Schaub’s career:

• The Ultimate Fighter (Television Series, 2009) 
• The Fighter and the Kid (Comedy Podcast) 
• Been doing stand-up since 2015 

Introduction

Maria Sharapova is a Russian former professional tennis player with an estimated net worth of $180 Million. 

Quick Facts

• Earned $38.8 million in prize money during her career
• Fourth-highest earning female tennis player of all time
• Peak annual winnings of $6.5 million in 2012

Prize Money

According to the official WTA website, Maria Sharapova earned a total of $38.8 million in prize money throughout her career. We went ahead and compiled all of her individual tournament winnings to get a better understanding of Sharapova’s annual earnings.

Early Prize Money

Beginning in 2001, Maria earned just $700 from her first professional tournament, an ITF/USTA event held in Florida. This was the only event she entered that year. In 2002, she gradually increased her activity, appearing in several additional ITF tournaments, winning three of them. The prize pools for these events were relatively low, and Sharapova won a total of $23,100 in prize money that year.

Stepping up her game in 2003, Sharapova competed in all four major Grand Slam tournaments, which helped her increase her annual winnings to roughly $222,000. However, 2004 would be her breakout year, as she skipped the $1 million bracket entirely and earned a total of $2.5 million. This year was special for Sharapova, as she beat Serena Williams twice, once in the final of Wimbledon, earning $888,211, and again at the WTA Tour finals, earning a flat $1 million. 

2005 – 2008 Earnings

Following her breakout year, in which she bested Serena, Maria continued to earn at least seven figures per year in prize money. She earned $1.92 million in 2005, and similar cases occurred in 2007 and 2008, with $1.76 million and $1.94 million, respectively.

However, during this period, her most lucrative year of competition was 2006, when she earned a total of $3.8 million in winnings. Examining the numbers, the bulk of this figure was earned when she defeated Justine Henin to win the US Open, earning her $1.61 million. Her other significant paydays that year included:

• Pacific Life Open – $332,000 (winner)
• NASDAQ-100 Open – $266,675 (runner up)
• Sony Ericsson Championships – $250,000 (semi-finalist)
• Wimbledon – $246,429 (semi-finalist)
• Acura Classic – $196,900 (winner)
• Zurich Open – $196,900 (winner)

Peak Career Winnings

After suffering from a brief slump between 2009 and 2010, Sharapova returned to form in 2011, winning $2.9 million. For the next four years, her annual prize money would never drop below $3.5 million. In 2012, she had her highest-earning year of her career. This was an incredibly impressive year for Sharapova, earning a total of $6.5 million, with two tournaments earning her at least $1 million each.

These were the Australian Open, where she lost in the finals to Victoria Azarenka, but still earned $1.21 million, and her Grand Slam win at the French Open, which earned her $1.69 million in prize money. She also had several high six-figure tournament winnings, which included:

• WTA Finals – $890,000 (winner)
• BNP Paribas Open – $500,000 (runner-up)
• US Open – $464,513 (semi-finalist)
• China Open – $424,000 (runner-up)

In 2013, she won $3.54 million in prize money, followed by $5.84 million in 2014 (the second-best year of her career), and $3.95 million in 2015. From this point onwards, Maria’s winnings decline rapidly. For her final year in competition, she earned just $74,353.

Endorsement Income

Even after her 2016 suspension, Sharapova remains among the most successful female athletes. Her career endorsement earnings from top brands, including Nike, Evian, and Porsche, exceed $300 million. Despite the sponsorship losses caused by the doping scandal, she successfully regained partnerships with many major global brands, including Nike, showcasing her enduring market appeal.

In 2012, she launched Sugarpova, a premium candy brand, with an initial investment of $500,000. The company now generates $20 million annually and is valued at more than $187 million. These ventures showcase her success in transforming her career earnings into thriving enterprises and achieving long-term financial stability.

Financial & Legal Issues

Sharapova’s career faced significant challenges in 2016 when she was suspended for 15 months after testing positive for meldonium. This caused estimated losses of $500,000 in prize money and over $10 million in endorsements, including deals with Nike and Tag Heuer.

In 2017, Sharapova was involved in a legal dispute over the “Ballet by Sharapova” housing project in Gurugram, India. Homes in the project were priced between $200,000 and $335,000, but the development was never completed. Investors accused her of fraud and misrepresentation, claiming her endorsement and promotional appearances misled them into purchasing properties. Buyers filed lawsuits seeking compensation for their financial losses, highlighting the risks of tying endorsements to failed projects.

Although Sharapova claimed she was unaware of the developers’ intentions, the project tarnished her reputation in India, and currently, no public information indicates that the lawsuits have been resolved.

Real Estate

Sharapova’s real estate portfolio focuses on acquiring high-value properties in sought-after locations. In 2020, she purchased a five-acre ocean-view estate in Summerland, California, for $8.6 million, featuring modern design and impressive views.

In early 2024, she expanded her portfolio by purchasing a 3.3-acre estate in Montecito, California, for $11.5 million in an all-cash transaction. The property features a five-bedroom main house, landscaped gardens, and offers panoramic views of the ocean and surrounding mountains. Sharapova’s portfolio illustrates her strategic approach to wealth management, turning her career earnings into valuable investment opportunities.

Philanthropy

Sharapova has been deeply committed to philanthropy throughout her career, with a primary focus on global development and disaster relief. Through the Maria Sharapova Foundation, she donated $100,000 to victims of the Chernobyl disaster, a cause connected to her family’s heritage, as her parents left Belarus after the nuclear accident.

In 2019, she contributed $25,000 to Australian bushfire relief, supporting wildlife rescue and community recovery. She also provided aid for Hurricane Maria recovery in Puerto Rico, focusing on rebuilding infrastructure and helping affected families. As a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, Sharapova has supported efforts to reduce poverty, improve education, and promote gender equality, reflecting her commitment to using her success to help others.

Introduction

Eddie Alvarez is an American professional MMA fighter with an estimated net worth of $8 Million.

Before Wealth & Fame

Edward Alvarez was born on January 11, 1984, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he still resides today. Alvarez learned boxing at a young age thanks to his father, Frank, who practiced the sport at the Front Street Gym in Philadelphia.

During his teenage years, Alvarez got more involved with wrestling, turning down several scholarship offers to pursue a career as a mixed martial artist. Alvarez finally had his first professional match in 2003, defeating Anthony Ladonna via knockout in the first round. 

MMA Career 

Eddie Alvarez would run his career record to 10-0 at the start of his career and lost just one (to Nick Thompson) of his first 16 fights.

In 2009, Alvarez made his debut with Bellator MMA, defeating Greg Loughran in the first round via submission, and went on to become the promotion’s first lightweight champion. Alvarez fought for Bellator MMA for five years, including a win that reclaimed the title he had lost, before moving to the UFC in 2014.

He would lose his debut match against Donald Cerrone, but went on to win fights against Anthony Pettis and Rafael dos Anjos, ultimately winning the UFC Lightweight Championship. Alvarez dropped the belt to Conor McGregor in 2016, and since then has had sporadic matches, including fights against Dustin Poirier, Iuri Lapicus, and Ok Rae Yoon.

UFC Earnings

Eddie Alvarez was with the UFC for several years and became one of the richest MMA fighters thanks to his time in the championship scene. Alvarez frequently had fights throughout Bellator MMA and UFC, typically earning six figures per bout, with most of his matches paying him between $100,000 and $200,000.

Although the UFC doesn’t disclose every single fighter’s paycheck, there are several of Eddie’s previous purses that we do know. In 2014, Alvarez fought Donald Cerrone at UFC 178, earning $50,000 to show and $50,000 to win, totaling $100,000. When he fought Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 90 in 2016, he received a base salary of $150,000, plus an additional $50,000 bonus for Performance of the Night, totaling $200,000.

Naturally, it would be safe to assume that Eddie’s fight with Conor McGregor at UFC 205 produced the biggest payout of his career. Unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing for sure, as his pay was never disclosed. However, McGregor’s, on the other hand, was revealed as part of an antitrust lawsuit filed against the UFC. Conor reportedly earned $6.8 million for his knockout victory over Alvarez, which was listed as the second-highest payout of all time.

ONE Championship Contract

Most people assume that because the UFC is the biggest and most successful MMA organization, they automatically pay more money than every other organization. However, this is not necessarily the case. In 2018, after leaving the UFC, Alvarez signed a contract with ONE Championship and revealed on Ariel Helwani’s show that the offer was “through the roof” and was a “guaranteed eight-figure deal” in total, which means that he should have earned at least $10 million from the contract. He was also made a partner of the organization, which likely had its own financial benefits.

Now then, Alvarez only fought four times in ONE Championship before becoming a free agent. Therefore, we don’t know whether he actually completed the contract in full or terminated it early. He did say the eight-figure sum was guaranteed, so in either case, his earnings with the promotion were likely much more than his time in the UFC.

Expenditure

Although not among the richest MMA fighters, Eddie Alvarez has still earned a significant amount of money throughout his career. Alvarez was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and chose to stay in the city when buying a new home. Although the exact amount wasn’t listed for the sale, it’s estimated that Alvarez spent over $500,000 to relocate to the northeast part of Philadelphia. It isn’t just his own home, either, as Alvarez heavily invests in real estate and considers it his second-largest hobby, behind fighting.

Personal Life

Eddie Alvarez met his now-wife Jamie in high school, and the couple has been married since 2008. Along the way, the two have had four children, three of whom are sons, with the family now residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

From 2009 to 2012, Alvarez made multiple appearances on the hit reality series Bully Beatdown on MTV, knocking out each bully he faced.

Awards & Achievements

Here are Eddie Alvarez’s top career awards and achievements:

• Two-time National Prep School All-American in 2000 and 2001 while in high school.
• Earned the Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses one time each during his UFC career.
• Won the Bellator Lightweight Championship twice, including becoming the first-ever champion.
• Became the UFC Lightweight Champion before losing the title to Conor McGregor in 2016.
• Fight of the Year recipient for his 2017 bout against Justin Gaethje at UFC 218. 

Alvarez is no longer a full-time fighter and isn’t part of the UFC, but still has a chance to take home another title or two. Even if he doesn’t, Alvarez still boasts a long list of accomplishments in his career and has defeated many great fighters, including Aaron Riley and Michael Chandler.

Summary 

Eddie Alvarez has accomplished a great deal throughout his fighting career and is considered one of the best lightweight fighters of his time. Not many people can say they’ve won championships with both UFC and Bellator, but Alvarez has done just that. He begins to focus on his investing career when he’s done fighting, which will undoubtedly also be a success.