Lightweight fighters salaries dominate UFC’s earning landscape. Conor McGregor built a $200 million empire from this division. Khabib Nurmagomedov retired undefeated with $62 million. Charles Oliveira commands $2 million per fight.
The 155-pound weight class produces more PPV stars than any other division. Championship purses exceed $1 million while top contenders still bank six figures.
| Name | Nationality | MMA Record |
| Jim Miller | United States | 38–19 (1 NC) |
| Charles Oliveira | Brazil | 35–10 (1 NC) |
| Dustin Poirier | United States | 30–9 (1 NC) |
| Jeremy Stephens | United States | 29–22 (1 NC) |
| Michael Johnson | United States | 23–19 |
| King Green | United States | 32–17–1 (1 NC) |
| Drew Dober | United States | 27–15 (1 NC) |
| Kurt Holobaugh | United States | 21–10 |
| Beneil Dariush | Iran | 22–6–1 |
| Dan Hooker | New Zealand | 24–12 |
| Carlos Diego Ferreira | Brazil | 19–6 |
| Renato Moicano | Brazil | 20–6–1 |
| Islam Makhachev | Russia | 27–1 |
| Joaquim Silva | Brazil | 13–5 |
| Damir Hadžović | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 14–8 |
| Claudio Puelles | Peru | 12–4 |
| Drakkar Klose | United States | 15–3–1 |
| Jared Gordon | United States | 21–7 (1 NC) |
| Justin Gaethje | United States | 26–5 |
| Lando Vannata | United States | 12–7–2 |
| Alex Reyes | United States | 13–5 |
| Nasrat Haqparast | Germany | 18–5 |
| Matt Frevola | United States | 11–5–1 |
| Alexander Hernandez | United States | 16–8 |
| Thiago Moisés | Brazil | 19–9 |
| Sodiq Yusuff | Nigeria | 13–5 |
| Joel Álvarez | Spain | 22–3 |
| Grant Dawson | United States | 23–2–1 |
| Rafael Fiziev | Azerbaijan | 13–4 |
| Arman Tsarukyan | Armenia | 22–3 |
| Mike Davis | United States | 11–3 |
| Austin Hubbard | United States | 16–9 |
| Farès Ziam | France | 17–4 |
| Jamie Mullarkey | Australia | 17–8 |
| Ottman Azaitar | Morocco | 13–3 |
| Brad Riddell | New Zealand | 10–4 |
| Chase Hooper | United States | 16–3–1 |
| Gabriel Green | United States | 12–5 |
| Jai Herbert | England | 13–6–1 |
| Ľudovít Klein | Slovakia | 23–5–1 |
| Mateusz Gamrot | Poland | 25–3 (1 NC) |
| Jordan Leavitt | United States | 12–3 |
| Michael Chandler | United States | 23–10 |
| Rafa García | Spain | 16–4 |
| Ignacio Bahamondes | Chile | 17–6 |
| Rong Zhu | China | 26–6 |
| Kyle Prepolec | Canada | 18–9 |
| Terrance McKinney | United States | 14–7 |
| Nikolas Motta | Brazil | 15–6 (1 NC) |
| Trey Ogden | United States | 17–7 (1 NC) |
| Evan Elder | United States | 10–2 |
| Manuel Torres | Mexico | 16–3 |
| Hayisaer Maheshate | China | 10–4 |
| Daniel Zellhuber | Mexico | 15–2 |
| Mateusz Rębecki | Poland | 20–2 |
| Ismael Bonfim | Brazil | 20–5 |
| Anshul Jubli | India | 7–2 |
| Elves Brener | Brazil | 16–5 |
| Nazim Sadykhov | Azerbaijan | 11–1–1 |
| Nurullo Aliev | Tajikistan | 9–0 |
| Victor Martinez | United States | 13–6 |
| Trevor Peek | United States | 9–3 (1 NC) |
| Esteban Ribovics | Argentina | 14–2 |
| Loik Radzhabov | Russia | 18–5–1 |
| Yanal Ashmouz | Germany | 8–2 |
| Chris Duncan | Canada | 13–1 |
| Rolando Bedoya | Peru | 14–4 |
| Dennis Buzukja | United States | 12–5 |
| Charlie Campbell | Ireland | 9–2 |
| Mohammad Yahya | Afghanistan | 12–5 |
| Kauê Fernandes | Brazil | 10–2 |
| Myktybek Orolbai | Kyrgyzstan | 14–2–1 |
| Tom Nolan | Australia | 9–1 |
| MarQuel Mederos | United States | 11–1 |
| Bolaji Oki | Nigeria | 10–2 |
| Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady | Palestine | 15–4 |
| Mitch Ramirez | United States | 8–2 |
| Chris Padilla | United States | 16–6 |
| Maurício Ruffy | Brazil | 12–1 |
| Jordan Vucenic | Australia | 13–4 |
| Mairon Santos | Brazil | 16–1 |
| Quillan Salkilld | Australia | 9–1 |
| Kody Steele | United States | 7–1 |
| Gauge Young | United States | 9–3 |
| Matheus Camilo | Brazil | 13–2 |
| Michael Dufort | Canadian | 14-6-0 |
| Daniel Vega | Mexican | 12-7-2001 |
| Phillipe Nover | American | 12-10-2001 |
| Gilbert Melendez | American | 22-8-0 |
| Jason Novelli | American | 12-3-2001 |
| Tyson Griffin | American | 18-8-0 |
| Clay Collard | American | 25-15-1 (1 NC) |
| Alvaro Herrera | Mexican | 9-3-2000 |
| Sam Stout | Canadian | 20-12-1 |
| Michel Prazeres | Brazilian | 28-3-0 |
| Wendell Oliveira | Brazilian | 23-9-0 |
| Abel Trujillo | American | 15-10-0 |
| Alexander Jacobsen | Norwegian | 9-4-2000 |
| Damir Hadzovic | Bosnian | 14-7-0 |
| Myles Jury | American | 17-6-0 |
| Jason Saggo | Canadian | 13-4-0 |
| Reza Madadi | Iranian-Swedish | 14-6-0 |
| Akbarh Arreola | Mexican | 28-12-1 |
| Rod Staader | Australian | Data unavailable |
| Jeff Cox | American | 10-7-2000 |
| Richie Smullen | Irish | 14-3-1 |
| Nate Mohr | American | 9-7-2000 |
| Nik Lentz | American | 30-12-2 (1 NC) |
| Nobutatsu Suzuki | Japanese | 11-3-2002 |
| Noah Thomas | American | 14-8-0 |
| James Moontasri | American | 9-5-2000 |
10 Highest Paid UFC Fighters in Lightweight Division Ranked
Lightweight has created more millionaire fighters than any UFC division through consistent PPV main events and global marketability that drives massive purses.
| Rank | Fighter | Net Worth | Career Earnings | Active/Retired | Championships |
| 1 | Conor McGregor | $200M | $115M | Active | 1 Lightweight Title |
| 2 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | $62M | $40M | Retired | 1 Lightweight Title |
| 3 | Dustin Poirier | $10M | $12M | Active | 0 UFC Titles |
| 4 | Justin Gaethje | $6M | $8M | Active | 0 UFC Titles |
| 9 | Charles Oliveira | $8M | $11M | Active | 1 Lightweight Title |
| 6 | Tony Ferguson | $3M | $6M | Active | 0 UFC Titles |
| 7 | Michael Chandler | $6M | $7.5M | Active | 0 UFC Titles |
| 8 | Islam Makhachev | $7M | $6M | Active | 1 Lightweight Title |
| 9 | Rafael dos Anjos | $2M | $5M | Active | 1 Lightweight Title |
| 10 | Eddie Alvarez | $8M | $9M | Retired | 1 Lightweight Title |
Conor McGregor stands untouchable at $200 million net worth. His Proper No. Twelve whiskey sale netted approximately $100 million personally from the $600 million deal, dwarfing his $30 million UFC earnings.
Khabib Nurmagomedov retired undefeated at $62 million. His UFC 229 victory over McGregor earned $2 million base plus estimated $8-10 million from PPV points, making it his biggest payday.
Dustin Poirier leads active non-champions at $10 million. His trilogy with McGregor generated approximately $6 million across their three fights, with UFC 264 alone paying over $2 million.
Who Is the Highest Paid Lightweight Fighter?
Conor McGregor earned approximately $115 million from UFC alone, making him the highest-paid lightweight in history. His UFC 229 bout against Khabib paid $3 million base salary plus estimated $47 million total including PPV revenue.
McGregor’s drawing power redefined lightweight pay structures. His fights consistently shattered PPV records, with UFC 229 selling 2.4 million buys and generating over $180 million in revenue.
Beyond fighting, his $600 million Proper No. Twelve whiskey sale created generational wealth. The deal gave him an estimated $100 million personal windfall while maintaining partial ownership for ongoing royalties.
His crossover boxing match against Floyd Mayweather netted approximately $100 million, though technically outside UFC. That payday alone exceeded most fighters’ lifetime earnings.
Lightweight Champion Earnings Evolution
| Fighter | 2020 Net Worth | 2023 Net Worth | 2025 Net Worth | Growth % | Key Income Sources |
| Conor McGregor | $120M | $180M | $200M | 67% | Whiskey sale, UFC purses, endorsements |
| Khabib Nurmagomedov | $40M | $55M | $62M | 55% | UFC earnings, Eagle FC, investments |
| Charles Oliveira | $5M | $7M | $8M | 60% | UFC purses ($11M), title reign |
| Islam Makhachev | $2M | $5M | $7M | 250% | Championship run, sponsorships |
| Dustin Poirier | $6M | $8M | $10M | 67% | McGregor trilogy, consistent PPV draws |
Islam Makhachev’s 250% growth represents the fastest active lightweight wealth accumulation. His championship earnings jumped from $500,000 per fight to over $1 million with PPV points for title defenses.
Charles Oliveira earned $2.4 million at UFC 280 losing to Makhachev. His title reign saw purses escalate from $875,000 winning the belt to consistently exceeding $1 million per defense.
Dustin Poirier’s McGregor trilogy changed his financial trajectory. UFC 257 paid approximately $1 million, UFC 264 exceeded $2 million, establishing him as a perennial seven-figure earner.
What Championship Fights Actually Pay
Current champion Islam Makhachev earns $500,000-$1 million base per title defense. His high-profile events with PPV points push total compensation above $2 million including bonuses and sponsorships.
Charles Oliveira commanded $800,000-$1 million during his championship reign. His UFC 280 loss to Makhachev still paid $1.2 million base plus estimated $1.2 million in bonuses.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s biggest purse came at UFC 229 with $2 million base. Total compensation including PPV revenue exceeded $10 million for defeating McGregor.
Title challengers earn substantially less. Justin Gaethje received $350,000 base fighting Tony Ferguson for the interim title, though bonuses pushed his total to $450,000.
Biggest Lightweight Purses Ever
Conor McGregor earned approximately $50 million total at UFC 229 including his $3 million base and massive PPV share. This remains the largest lightweight purse in history.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s UFC 229 payday topped $10 million with his $2 million base plus PPV revenue from 2.4 million buys.
Dustin Poirier’s UFC 264 bout paid over $2 million as base salary with total compensation potentially reaching $4 million including PPV points.
Charles Oliveira earned $2.4 million at UFC 280 despite losing his title to Islam Makhachev, representing his career-high single-fight purse.
FAQs
How much did Conor McGregor make fighting Khabib?
Conor McGregor earned approximately $50 million total at UFC 229 including his $3 million base salary and massive PPV revenue share from 2.4 million buys.
What’s Dustin Poirier’s biggest payday?
Dustin Poirier earned over $2 million at UFC 264 against Conor McGregor. His McGregor trilogy generated approximately $6 million combined across three fights.
How much does Islam Makhachev make per fight?
Islam Makhachev earns $500,000-$1 million base per title defense. With PPV points and bonuses, his total compensation exceeds $2 million for major championship events.
Did Khabib make more than Charles Oliveira?
Yes, Khabib earned $40 million in career earnings compared to Charles Oliveira’s $11 million, primarily due to Khabib’s massive UFC 229 payday against McGregor.
