5 UFC stars who earned their fortunes outside the octagon

#2 Conor McGregor has made big-time money moves outside the UFC

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor was the first fighter in the UFC to earn a million dollars for a single fight in the promotion's history. It was because of him that fighters like Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier and even Khabib Nurmagomedov started earning big in the UFC. However, even the Irishman has looked outside the octagon to grab the riches he so dearly cherishes.

McGregor's net worth, as per several sources, is estimated at $200 million. The biggest payday of his MMA career came at UFC 246, with the 'Notorious' earning upwards of $30 million for his first-round KO of Donald Cerrone.

While he has earned a fortune with his reign inside the octagon as the UFC's biggest superstar, the numbers dwarf when compared to what he has made outside the octagon.

He has a list of big-time endorsements, including Reebok, EA, Monster Energy, Burger King, Beats by Dre and Mcgregor F.A.S.T. Due to these endorsements, McGregor was listed as the highest-paid athlete in the world by Forbes in 2020.

This the face you make when you’ve sparked them across 3 weight divisions and made billions doin it. pic.twitter.com/3minQSTUiF

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 4, 2021

Conor McGregor's venture into the world of boxing in 2017 against Floyd Mayweather also helped him increase his bank balance by nearly $100 million. His whiskey brand 'Proper Number Twelve' also helped him earn millions when he was an owner. In 2021, he sold the majority stake of the whiskey brand to Proximo Spirits for $600 million, though.

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#1 Ronda Rousey has hit the jackpot in Hollywood and WWE

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports 2018 - Arrivals

Ronda Rousey is a judoka Olympian and one of the pioneer female athletes in the world of MMA. She was the very first female athlete to be signed by the UFC and also the first female inductee in the UFC Hall of Fame. Her first disclosed paycheck was worth $8,000 to defeat Sarah D'Alelio in Strikeforce.

Five years later, fighting in her last MMA bout in the UFC against Amanda Nunes, Ronda Rousey walked away with more than $3 million. She moved on to WWE after leaving the UFC, earning an estimated salary of $1.5 million per year. 'Rowdey' is the highest-earning female WWE star in the organisation's roster.

What has worked well for Ronda Rousey is that she has kept landing roles in Hollywood movies, making tons of money during her fighting years. She has featured in a number of A-list Hollywood movies, such as Furious 7, Expendables 3 and Mile 22.

Her career earnings from MMA amount to around $4.5 million. But it was only after leaving the octagon that Rousey has managed to earn a fortune for herself.