Liverpool’s Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett has emerged as one of Britain’s top-earning combat sports athletes, securing substantial paydays that place him among the nation’s elite sporting earners in 2026.
According to sources, the UFC lightweight star has collected impressive purses from two headline bouts this year. His January clash with Justin Gaethje at UFC 324, though resulting in a loss, earned him £1.1 million (around $14,60,000).
Just months later, his submission victory over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329 brought in upwards of £636,000 ($8,44,000), with an additional £100,000 ($1,30,000) Performance of the Night bonus padding his already considerable earnings.
Pimblett’s combat sports colleague Anthony Joshua continues to dominate Britain’s boxing pay scale, despite not currently featuring in world title conversations. The heavyweight’s Matchroom contract reportedly pulls in upwards of £33 million ($4,38,00,000) annually, while his stable of endorsement deals with brands including Under Armour, Hugo Boss, and Beats by Dre contributes approximately £8.3 million ($1,10,00,000) more.
His comeback bout against Kristian Prenga following his serious car accident netted roughly £4 million ($53,09,000), keeping him ahead of both Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois in the earnings rankings.
Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton, described as “arguably the greatest driver of all-time,” commands a salary befitting his seven world championships. Ferrari pays the 41-year-old £45 million {$5,97,00,000) per year as the iconic Italian team chases its first Drivers’ Championship since 2007 and Constructors’ Championship since 2008.
Football’s highest earners remain firmly in the Premier League, where Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Manchester City’s Phil Foden share the honour of being the highest-paid British footballers after signing £300,000-per-week ($3,90,000) deals in 2025. They match Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, whose contract has two years remaining.
Standing “head and shoulders above the rest” is Foden’s Manchester City teammate Erling Haaland, whose contract commands an “eye-watering £525,000-per-week,” some £175,000 ($2,32,000) more than the league’s joint second-highest earners, Enzo Fernandez and Virgil van Dijk.
British Sport’s Highest-Paid Stars
- Lewis Hamilton: Formula 1 — £45 million ($59.9 million) per year
- Rory McIlroy: Golf — £41.2 million ($54.8 million) in off-course earnings
- Anthony Joshua: Boxing — £33 million+ ($43.9 million+) per year from his Matchroom contract
- Erling Haaland: Football — £525,000 ($696,000) per week
- Bukayo Saka: Football — £300,000 ($397,000) per week
- Phil Foden: Football — £300,000 ($397,000) per week
- Marcus Rashford: Football — £300,000 ($397,000) per week
- Jos Buttler: Cricket — £2.45 million+ ($3.26 million+) per year
- Luke Littler: Darts — £3 million ($3.99 million) in prize money in 2026
- Keely Hodgkinson: Athletics — estimated £4 million ($5.32 million) net worth
- Emma Raducanu: Tennis — £453,000 ($600,000) in prize money in 2026
- Paddy Pimblett: MMA — £1.1 million ($1.46 million) from UFC 324
- Mark Selby: Snooker — £330,000 ($437,000) in 2026/27 prize money so far
- Finn Russell: Rugby Union — £1 million ($1.33 million) per year
- Maro Itoje: Rugby Union — £800,000 ($1.06 million) per year
- George Williams: Rugby League — around £350,000 ($464,000) per year
- Brodie Croft: Rugby League — around £350,000 ($464,000) per year
