Mixed Martial Arts continues to struggle when it comes to pay, as evident in the latest 100 best-paid athletes list for 2024, which does not feature a single MMA star. Meanwhile, boxing, a sport often criticized for its chaotic structure, boasts multiple entries on the list, including Tyson Fury ($147M), Oleksandr Usyk ($122M), Canelo Álvarez ($73M), Anthony Joshua ($60M), Jake Paul ($48M), and Naoya Inoue ($42M).
This stark contrast raises the question: Is the UFC’s business model sustainable when even mid-tier boxers are pulling in more money than UFC champions? The pay disparity has long been a contentious issue, with UFC stars typically earning a maximum of 20% of the promotion’s revenue, compared to boxers who, under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, often receive a far greater share.
Change might be on the horizon, but not necessarily in MMA’s favor. TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of both UFC and WWE, is now looking to expand into boxing. CEO Ari Emanuel recently stated on The Pat McAfee Show that TKO is “starting to talk about boxing” and considering a more serious entry into the space. He noted the challenges posed by the Ali Act, which prevents promoters from controlling fighters the way the UFC does, but hinted that Dana White has a plan for boxing nonetheless.
Historically, White has criticized boxing’s financial structure, dismissing claims that fighters like Francis Ngannou make significantly more outside the UFC. “That’s the bulls— publicly that people believe, but that’s not the truth. Total bulls—,” White said in response to Ngannou’s payday for his bout against Tyson Fury.
Yet, reality contradicts White’s claims. Ngannou’s own coach confirmed making life-changing money cornering him in boxing, despite frequently coaching UFC stars for far less. The numbers speak for themselves, with top boxers securing paydays that dwarf even the biggest UFC purses.
If TKO successfully enters boxing, it could either further expose the UFC’s restrictive pay structure or force the organization to reconsider its model. Currently, MMA stars lack the bargaining power and contractual freedom enjoyed by boxers, but an increased focus on boxing might highlight these disparities even more.
For now, the best-paid athletes list for 2024 makes one thing clear: MMA stars are still on the outside looking in when it comes to major earnings. Whether that changes in the near future remains to be seen, but with TKO’s newfound interest in boxing, the sport of MMA might be in for some unexpected shakeups.
Meanwhile Alex Pereira delivered 3 knock out main events and wasn’t even close to making the list.
It’s not just MMA – There’s also no Women on highest paid athlete list
Despite a record-breaking year for women’s sports in 2024, featuring unprecedented attendance, TV ratings, and franchise sales, female athletes remain notably absent from the list of the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes for the second consecutive year, according to Sportico’s latest report.
The disparity comes even as the top 15 female athletes collectively earned an estimated $221 million last year, marking a 27% increase from the previous year. Eleven women surpassed the $10 million earnings mark in 2024, nearly double the number from 2023.
Tennis star Coco Gauff, who topped the female athletes’ earnings list at $30.4 million, still fell short of the $37.5 million threshold needed to make the overall top 100. The 20-year-old American would have ranked approximately 125th in an extended list. Freeskier Eileen Gu, the second-highest-paid female athlete at $22.1 million, would likely place outside the top 250.
The gap between male and female earnings in sports continues to widen, primarily driven by escalating TV deals that have boosted salary caps in male-dominated leagues like the NFL and NBA. These two leagues accounted for nearly 60% of the top 100 earners in 2024.
The earnings structure also differs significantly between male and female athletes. While the top 100 male athletes derive 77% of their income from salaries and prize money, female athletes rely heavily on endorsements, with only 29% of their earnings coming from competition.
Women’s professional leagues face substantial revenue disparities compared to their male counterparts. The WNBA, despite having a record year in 2024 with team revenue of approximately $200 million, still generates only about 1/60th of the NBA’s revenue.
Tennis remains the most promising path for female athletes to break into the top 100. Nine of the top 15 female sports earners in 2024 were tennis players. Rising stars like China’s Zheng Qinwen, who earned an estimated $20.6 million last year and secured an Olympic gold medal in Paris, represent the potential for growth in women’s sports earnings through both athletic achievement and endorsement opportunities.
The landscape of top-earning athletes has historically included few women, with no more than three female athletes making the list in any given year since 2010. Previous female entrants were exclusively tennis players: Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Li Na, and Naomi Osaka, with only Osaka still actively competing professionally.
Cristiano Ronaldo ($260M) – Soccer
Stephen Curry ($153.8M) – Basketball
Tyson Fury ($147M) – Boxing
Lionel Messi ($135M) – Soccer
LeBron James ($133.2M) – Basketball
Neymar ($133M) – Soccer
Oleksandr Usyk ($122M) – Boxing
Karim Benzema ($116M) – Soccer
Kylian Mbappé ($110M) – Soccer
Jon Rahm ($105.8M) – Golf
Scottie Scheffler ($104.3M) – Golf
Dak Prescott ($100.4M) – Football
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($97.8M) – Basketball
Kevin Durant ($93.1M) – Basketball
Jared Goff ($85.8M) – Football
Jordan Love ($81.6M) – Football
Rory McIlroy ($79.8M) – Golf
Max Verstappen ($76M) – Racing
Patrick Mahomes ($73.1M) – Football
Canelo Álvarez ($73M) – Boxing
Shohei Ohtani ($72.5M) – Baseball
Lewis Hamilton ($60.1M) – Racing
Joe Burrow ($70.7M) – Football
Erling Haaland ($70M) – Soccer
Justin Herbert ($67.6M) – Football
Damian Lillard ($65.8M) – Basketball
Kirk Cousins ($65M) – Football
Tiger Woods ($62.1M) – Golf
Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($61M) – Baseball
Anthony Joshua ($60M) – Boxing
Joel Embiid ($58.4M) – Basketball
Nikola Jokic ($57.5M) – Basketball
Jimmy Butler ($56.9M) – Basketball
Luka Dončić ($55.9M) – Basketball
Bradley Beal ($55.9M) – Basketball
Paul George ($55.8M) – Basketball
Xander Schauffele ($55.8M) – Golf
Mohamed Salah ($55M) – Soccer
Vinícius Júnior ($55M) – Soccer
Kawhi Leonard ($54.8M) – Basketball
Max Scherzer ($54M) – Baseball
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($52.9M) – Basketball
Jannik Sinner ($52.3M) – Tennis
Riyad Mahrez ($52M) – Soccer
James Harden ($51.8M) – Basketball
Devin Booker ($51.1M) – Basketball
Zion Williamson ($50.3M) – Basketball
Kyrie Irving ($49.8M) – Basketball
Trevor Lawrence ($49M) – Football
Klay Thompson ($48.8M) – Basketball
Jayson Tatum ($48.6M) – Basketball
Jake Paul ($48M) – Boxing
Trae Young ($47.7M) – Basketball
Travis Kelce ($47.4M) – Football
Aaron Judge ($47.4M) – Baseball
Aaron Rodgers ($47.2M) – Football
Tyrrell Hatton ($47.1M) – Golf
Josh Allen ($47.1M) – Football
Russell Wilson ($47M) – Football
Anthony Davis ($46.9M) – Basketball
Deshaun Watson ($46.8M) – Football
Anthony Edwards ($46.8M) – Basketball
Tua Tagovailoa ($46.7M) – Football
Zach LaVine ($46.4M) – Basketball
Jalen Hurts ($46.1M) – Football
Joaquin Niemann ($45.9M) – Golf
Sadio Mané ($45.5M) – Soccer
Justin Jefferson ($45.3M) – Football
Karl-Anthony Towns ($45.1M) – Basketball
Justin Verlander ($44.5M) – Baseball
CeeDee Lamb ($44.3M) – Football
Rudy Gobert ($44M) – Basketball
Brian Burns ($43.9M) – Football
Donovan Mitchell ($43.8M) – Basketball
Jaylen Brown ($43.7M) – Basketball
Jose Altuve ($43.6M) – Baseball
Ja Morant ($43.2M) – Basketball
Collin Morikawa ($43.1M) – Golf
Fred VanVleet ($42.6M) – Basketball
Kyler Murray ($42.4M) – Football
Naoya Inoue ($42M) – Boxing
Harry Kane ($42M) – Soccer
Pascal Siakam ($42M) – Basketball
Jrue Holiday ($41.2M) – Basketball
Ben Simmons ($41M) – Basketball
Mike Trout ($40.5M) – Baseball
Carlos Alcaraz ($40.4M) – Tennis
Jacob deGrom ($40.3M) – Baseball
Matthew Stafford ($39.5M) – Football
Kevin De Bruyne ($39.5M) – Soccer
Jamal Murray ($38.9M) – Basketball
CJ McCollum ($38.7M) – Basketball
De’Aaron Fox ($38.6M) – Basketball
Corey Seager ($38.5M) – Baseball
Gerrit Cole ($38.4M) – Baseball
Anthony Rendon ($38.3M) – Baseball
Bryson DeChambeau ($38.2M) – Golf
Michael Porter Jr. ($37.7M) – Basketball
Baker Mayfield ($37.6M) – Football
Daniel Jones ($37.5M) – Football
