Featherweight fighters salaries showcase extreme wealth gaps. Conor McGregor built $200 million from this division. Alexander Volkanovski earned $11 million through dominant title defenses. Current champion Ilia Topuria commands $750,000 base pay.
The 145-pound division created UFC’s biggest star while maintaining consistent PPV appeal that translates to seven-figure championship purses.
| Name | Nationality | MMA Record |
| Cub Swanson | United States | 30–14 |
| Darren Elkins | United States | 29–12 |
| Edson Barboza | Brazil | 24–12 |
| Max Holloway | United States | 26–8 |
| Andre Fili | United States | 24–12 (1 NC) |
| Aljamain Sterling | United States | 24–5 |
| Brian Ortega | United States | 16–4 (1 NC) |
| Yair RodrÃguez | Mexico | 16–5 (1 NC) |
| Choi Doo-ho | South Korea | 16–4–1 |
| Arnold Allen | England | 20–3 |
| Josh Emmett | United States | 19–5 |
| Alexander Volkanovski | Australia | 27–4 |
| Ricardo Ramos | Brazil | 17–7 |
| Aiemann Zahabi | Canada | 13–2 |
| Gavin Tucker | Canada | 13–3 |
| Calvin Kattar | United States | 23–8 |
| Dan Ige | United States | 19–9 |
| Nathaniel Wood | England | 22–6 |
| Bryce Mitchell | United States | 17–3 |
| Julian Erosa | United States | 31–12 |
| Chris Gutiérrez | United States | 22–6–2 |
| Kyle Nelson | Canada | 16–6–1 |
| Movsar Evloev | Russia | 19–0 |
| Lerone Murphy | England | 16–0–1 |
| Miles Johns | United States | 15–3 (1 NC) |
| Giga Chikadze | Georgia | 15–5 |
| Sean Woodson | United States | 13–2–1 |
| Billy Quarantillo | United States | 18–7 |
| Nate Landwehr | United States | 18–6 |
| Youssef Zalal | Morocco | 17–5–1 |
| Steve Garcia | United States | 17–5 |
| Jamall Emmers | United States | 21–8 |
| John Castañeda | United States | 21–8 |
| Ilia Topuria | Spain | 16–0 |
| Pat Sabatini | United States | 20–5 |
| Shayilan Nuerdanbieke | China | 39–12 |
| Melsik Baghdasaryan | Armenia | 8–3 |
| David Onama | Uganda | 14–2 |
| Joanderson Brito | Brazil | 17–5–1 |
| Christian Rodriguez | United States | 12–3 |
| Daniel Santos | Brazil | 12–2 |
| Lucas Almeida | Brazil | 15–4 |
| William Gomis | France | 14–3 |
| Francis Marshall | United States | 8–3 |
| Erik Silva | Brazil | 9–3 |
| Melquizael Costa | Brazil | 24–7 |
| Lee Jeong-yeong | South Korea | 11–2 |
| Jeka Saragih | Indonesia | 14–5 |
| Chepe Mariscal | Mexico | 18–6 |
| Westin Wilson | United States | 17–9 |
| Isaac Dulgarian | United States | 7–1 |
| Morgan Charrière | France | 20–11–1 |
| Jean Silva | Brazil | 16–2 |
| Manolo Zecchini | Italy | 16–3 |
| Hakeem Dawodu | Canadian | 13-4-1 |
| Daniel Pineda | American | 28-17-1 (3 NC) |
| Andy Ogle | English | 9-6-2000 |
| Troy Worthen | American | 7-3-2000 |
| T.J. Brown | American | 20-12-0 |
| Aspen Ladd | American | 12-5-2000 |
| Masio Fullen | Mexican | 10-6-2000 |
| Sam Sicilia | American | 18-11-0 |
| Robbie Peralta | American | 19-9-0 (1 NC) |
| Shane Young | New Zealander | 13-8-0 |
| Humberto Bandenay | Peruvian | 20-9-0 (2 NC) |
| Khusein Askhabov | Russian | 23-1-0 |
| Steven Siler | American | 33-23-0 (1 NC) |
| Steven Peterson | American | 19-11-0 |
| Dean Trueman | English | 12-4-2000 |
| Din Thomas | American | 25-9-0 |
| Khasan Magomedsharipov | Russian | 10-0-0 |
| Jim Alers | American | 9-7-0 (1 NC) |
| Hatsu Hioki | Japanese | 29-9-2 |
| Matt Grice | American | 15-5-0 |
| Tom Niinimaki | Finnish | 22-9-1 |
| Felipe Arantes | Brazilian | 13-8-0 |
| Jeremy Larsen | American | 8-5-0 (1 NC) |
| Sean Soriano | American | 15-9-0 |
| Marcus Adams | British | 6-0-0 |
| Diego Rivas | Chilean | 7-2-2000 |
| Brad Pickett | English | 13-9 |
| Marloes Coenen | Dutch | 23-8-0 |
| Marcus Brimage | American | 7-8-2000 |
| Junior Assuncao | Brazilian | 16-7 |
| Mike Wilkinson | English | Record not clearly stated |
10 Highest Paid UFC Fighters in Featherweight Division Ranked
Conor McGregor’s featherweight success redefined what fighters could earn, creating a blueprint modern champions follow while building their own fortunes through consistent performances.
| Rank | Fighter | Net Worth | Career Earnings | Active/Retired | Championships |
| 1 | Conor McGregor | $200M | $115M | Active | 1 Featherweight Title |
| 2 | Alexander Volkanovski | $11M | $11M | Active | 1 Featherweight Title |
| 3 | Jose Aldo | $9M | $10.3M | Retired | 1 Featherweight Title |
| 4 | Max Holloway | $8M | $10M | Active | 1 Featherweight Title |
| 5 | Ilia Topuria | $3M | $3M | Active | 1 Featherweight Title |
| 6 | Brian Ortega | $3M | $1.8M | Active | 0 UFC Titles |
| 7 | Frankie Edgar | $3M | $7M | Retired | 1 Lightweight Title |
| 8 | Chan Sung Jung | $3M | $1.3M | Retired | 0 UFC Titles |
| 9 | Yair Rodriguez | $2M | $2M | Active | 0 UFC Titles |
| 10 | Cub Swanson | $2M | $4M | Active | 0 UFC Titles |
Conor McGregor’s $200 million net worth dwarfs every featherweight combined. His 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo earned $1.3 million, launching him into superstardom that eventually netted $100 million from whiskey sales alone.
Alexander Volkanovski built $11 million through five successful title defenses. His biggest payday came at UFC 294 earning $2.39 million despite losing to Islam Makhachev at lightweight.
Jose Aldo accumulated $10.3 million across his legendary career. His $400,000 payday against McGregor remains iconic, though later career fights against Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili pushed his earnings into eight figures.
Who Earns Most at Featherweight?
Conor McGregor earned approximately $115 million from UFC alone, making him untouchable. His featherweight championship run launched the financial trajectory that led to $50 million at UFC 229 and $100 million boxing Floyd Mayweather.
Alexander Volkanovski ranks second with $11 million career earnings. His $2.39 million UFC 294 payday and $2.14 million UFC 290 purse represent the division’s highest single-fight earnings for non-McGregor fighters.
Max Holloway earned his career-high $2.7 million at UFC 300 winning the BMF title. His trilogy with Volkanovski generated approximately $5 million combined, establishing him as a consistent million-dollar earner.
Featherweight Champion Pay Structure
| Fighter | 2020 Net Worth | 2023 Net Worth | 2025 Net Worth | Growth % | Key Income Sources |
| Alexander Volkanovski | $3M | $8M | $11M | 267% | UFC purses, Hublot, Kia endorsements |
| Max Holloway | $5M | $7M | $8M | 60% | UFC earnings, BMF title, consistent PPV draws |
| Ilia Topuria | $500K | $2M | $3M | 500% | Rapid championship ascent, Spanish market |
| Jose Aldo | $9M | $9M | $9M | 0% | Retired earnings, political career in Brazil |
Ilia Topuria’s 500% growth represents the fastest active featherweight wealth accumulation. His UFC 308 title defense against Max Holloway paid $750,000 base with total earnings exceeding $3 million including PPV points.
Alexander Volkanovski’s championship reign transformed his finances. Starting at $60,000 base pay in 2019, he escalated to $1.5 million base by UFC 294, proving championship longevity multiplies earning potential dramatically.
Max Holloway’s $2.7 million UFC 300 payday exceeded many of his title defenses. The BMF belt created unique earning opportunities that rival actual championship purses.
Current Champion Earnings
Ilia Topuria commands $750,000 base as champion with total compensation exceeding $3 million for major PPV events. His UFC 308 defense included $100,000 win bonus plus substantial PPV revenue shares.
Alexander Volkanovski earned $750,000-$1.5 million base during his championship reign. His cross-division superfights paid significantly more than featherweight defenses, with lightweight challenges adding million-dollar bonuses.
Max Holloway consistently earns $500,000-$750,000 as top contender. His UFC 308 challenger purse paid $500,000 base with total compensation around $2.1 million including PPV points.
Biggest Featherweight Purses
Max Holloway’s $2.7 million UFC 300 BMF title win represents the largest non-McGregor featherweight purse. Two $300,000 special bonuses plus PPV revenue created his career-high payday.
Alexander Volkanovski earned $2.39 million at UFC 294 despite losing to Islam Makhachev. His $1.5 million base salary reflected his pound-for-pound status and drawing power.
Conor McGregor’s early featherweight purses seem modest now. His $1.3 million for knocking out Jose Aldo launched him into lightweight where his earnings exploded exponentially.
Jose Aldo’s $400,000 McGregor fight represented his peak featherweight earnings. Later bantamweight fights paid similarly, showing championship status maintains earning power across weight classes.
FAQs
How much did Conor McGregor make at featherweight?
Conor McGregor earned approximately $5-10 million during his featherweight run. His biggest featherweight purse was $1.3 million knocking out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds.
What’s Alexander Volkanovski’s biggest payday?
Alexander Volkanovski earned $2.39 million at UFC 294 fighting Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title, his career-high single-fight purse despite losing via knockout.
How much does Ilia Topuria make per fight?
Ilia Topuria earns $750,000 base as champion with total compensation exceeding $3 million for PPV title defenses including bonuses and revenue shares.
Did Max Holloway make more than Jose Aldo?
Max Holloway earned approximately $10 million in career earnings, matching Jose Aldo’s $10.3 million. Holloway’s BMF title win paid more than any Aldo fight.
