List of 10 Greatest British UFC Fighters

10. Jimi Manuwa

Jimi Manuwa, nicknamed ‘Poster Boy’, was renowned for his knockout power and thrilling fights. He began his professional career with a rapid rise, winning the light heavyweight title at Ultimate Challenge MMA in just his fifth fight. Manuwa joined the UFC in 2012, winning his first three fights before his first defeat against Alexander Gustafsson. His most memorable victories include Jan Blachowicz, Ovince Saint Preux, and Corey Anderson. Manuwa retired in 2019, leaving a legacy as one of the greatest British UFC fighters.

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9. Paul Craig

Paul Craig, also called ‘Bearjew’, competed in the UFC for almost nine years and is regarded as one of Scotland’s finest. Known for his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills, Craig was especially dangerous on the ground. His career highlights include wins over Jamahal Hill, Shogun Rua, and Magomed Ankalaev. While his record was mixed, Craig is widely regarded as one of the greatest British UFC fighters, particularly for his grappling expertise.

8. Brad Pickett

Brad Pickett, nicknamed ‘One Punch’, is a pioneer of UK MMA and one of the greatest British UFC fighters. Before joining the UFC in 2011, he held a 20-5 record, including a win over Demetrious Johnson. Pickett fought across four weight divisions during his 39-fight career and was famous for his exciting, crowd-pleasing style. Dana White has called him one of the most entertaining fighters he has ever seen.

7. Dan Hardy

Dan Hardy, known as ‘The Outlaw’, became the first British fighter to challenge for a UFC title. Hardy started with a Cage Warriors welterweight championship before signing with the UFC in 2008. He defeated Akihiro Gono, Rory Markham, and Marcus Davis, earning a title shot after beating Mike Swick. Hardy lost to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 111 via unanimous decision. Today, he is recognized as one of the greatest British UFC fighters for paving the way for UK welterweights.

6. Darren Till

Darren Till had a strong start in the UFC, going 5-0 (including 1 NC) and defeating top opponents like Donald Cerrone and Stephen Thompson. He earned a welterweight title fight against Tyron Woodley at UFC 228 but lost by submission. Till faced several elite fighters, including Robert Whittaker, Jorge Masvidal, and Dricus du Plessis. Till is considered among the greatest British UFC fighters for his striking and early UFC success.

5. Lerone Murphy

Nicknamed ‘The Miracle’, Lerone Murphy remains undefeated and is considered a rising star among the greatest British UFC fighters. His career includes wins over Aaron Pico, Dan Ige, and Edson Barboza. Murphy’s story is inspirational, surviving a life-threatening incident in his youth. His skill and resilience make him a strong contender for a future featherweight title.

4. Paddy Pimblett

Paddy Pimblett, or ‘Paddy the Baddy’, is one of the UK’s most popular UFC fighters. He has defeated Tony Ferguson, King Green, and Michael Chandler. Pimblett is scheduled for an interim lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 324. Known for his charisma and fighting style, Pimblett is undoubtedly one of the greatest British UFC fighters of this generation.

3. Leon Edwards

Leon Edwards became the second British UFC champion by knocking out Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. Edwards also defeated Colby Covington and defended his title successfully against Usman. Despite losses to Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady, Edwards is a key figure among the greatest British UFC fighters, representing the UK at the highest level in MMA.

2. Tom Aspinall

Tom Aspinall, from Salford, is one of the most explosive heavyweights in UFC history. Known for finishing fights quickly, he has never gone past the second round in the UFC. Aspinall won the interim heavyweight title after knocking out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. Injuries and a no contest against Ciryl Gane slowed him down, but he is one of the greatest British UFC fighters currently active.

1. Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping, ‘The Count’, is the most decorated British UFC fighter and the only Brit in the UFC Hall of Fame. Bisping fought across two weight classes and won the middleweight title by defeating Luke Rockhold at UFC 199. He also defeated Anderson Silva and defended the belt against Dan Henderson. Bisping is widely regarded as the greatest of all time among greatest British UFC fighters.

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The UFC shifted from the pay-per-view model to a streaming deal with Paramount+ worth $7.7 billion, which officially started in early 2026. But in 2025, top fighters still earned huge payouts from base salaries, bonuses, and sponsorships.

List of 10 Richest UFC Fighters in 2026

10. Alexandre Pantoja

Alexandre Pantoja earned $2,472,000 in 2025, making him one of the richest UFC fighters in 2025. He was a dominant flyweight champion until late in the year. Pantoja held the flyweight title since July 2023 and was considered the fighter to beat at 125 lbs.

At UFC 317 in June, he submitted Kai Kara-France in the co-main event, earning his fourth consecutive title defense. Unfortunately, in December at UFC 323, he broke his arm only 26 seconds into the fight against Joshua Van, ending his title reign. Despite the loss, his earnings from two fights in 2025 kept him among the top earners.

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9. Jack Della Maddalena

Jack Della Maddalena earned $2,574,000, placing him among the richest UFC fighters in 2025. Initially scheduled to fight Leon Edwards at UFC London, he instead faced Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title at UFC 315 in May.

Jack won a unanimous decision against Muhammad, becoming the welterweight champion. His first title defense was against Islam Makhachev, where he lost by decision. Still, his championship win and fight payouts made 2025 a financially successful year.

8. Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev made $2,680,000 in 2025, despite fighting only once, earning him a spot among the richest UFC fighters in 2025.

Chimaev had chased a title for years and finally got a shot in August at UFC 319 against middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. He dominated the fight, winning a one-sided unanimous decision and claiming the middleweight title. His ability to generate hype and stay unbeaten made this single fight highly profitable.

7. Zhang Weili

Zhang Weili earned $3,374,000 in 2025, making her the highest-paid female fighter and one of the richest UFC fighters in 2025.

She began the year by defeating Tatiana Suarez via unanimous decision at UFC 312, marking her third consecutive strawweight title defense. In October, she vacated her belt to pursue a bigger challenge and moved up to fight Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title at UFC 322. Zhang lost, but her activity and earnings still made her one of the most financially successful fighters of the year.

6. Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria earned $3,540,000 in 2025 with just one fight, placing him among the richest UFC fighters in 2025.

He started the year as featherweight champion but vacated his belt to move to lightweight. Topuria challenged former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and knocked him out in less than half a round, winning another UFC title in a new division. This single fight brought him a huge payday.

5. Tom Aspinall

Tom Aspinall earned $3,542,000 in 2025, securing a place among the richest UFC fighters in 2025.

He spent most of the year inactive but was promoted from interim to full heavyweight champion after Jon Jones retired in June. Aspinall’s only fight was in October at UFC 321 against Ciryl Gane, which ended in a no contest due to an accidental eye poke. Despite this, he still earned a significant income.

4. Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev earned $3,582,000, ranking him among the richest UFC fighters in 2025.

He defended his lightweight title in January against Renato Moicano. Later, he moved to welterweight and defeated Jack Della Maddalena, capturing the welterweight championship. Makhachev’s success across two divisions ensured he was both a top performer and a top earner.

3. Alex Pereira

Alex Pereira earned $6,524,000 in 2025, making him one of the richest UFC fighters in 2025.

His year was defined by a rivalry with Magomed Ankalaev. Pereira lost to Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March but got revenge at UFC 320 in October by knocking him out in the first round. This win brought him massive earnings and settled their intense rivalry.

2. Merab Dvalishvili

Merab Dvalishvili earned $6,824,000, making him second on the richest UFC fighters in 2025 list.

Merab defended his bantamweight title four times in 2025. He beat Umar Nurmagomedov in January at UFC 311, submitted Sean O’Malley in June at UFC 316, and defeated Cory Sandhagen in October at UFC 320. His fourth defense ended in December with a loss to Petr Yan, but his overall earnings were huge.

1. Dricus du Plessis

Dricus du Plessis earned $7,142,000 in 2025, making him the richest UFC fighter in 2025.

He defeated Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in February, earning over $3.3 million. Later, at UFC 319, he fought Khamzat Chimaev and earned more than $3.8 million, though he lost the middleweight title. His total 2025 earnings topped the list, making him the year’s highest-paid UFC fighter.

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