Featherweight UFC Fighter Salaries: Inside the Division’s $200M Earnings Gap

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 Rodríguez	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.