UFC
Dominant UFC Lightweight King Islam Makhachev Sits On £5 Million Net Worth Thanks To Lucrative Endorsements & UFC Career Earnings
Having worked in the sports journalism and sports betting writing industry for several years now, Paul has gained vital skill, knowledge and expertise in a variety of different sports and industries. Paul is confident and competent at writing in-depth stories, features and betting predictions on a regular basis for SportsCasting. Having worked in the sports media industry ever since graduating from Liverpool John Moores University in 2020, where he attained a First Class Honours Degree in Sports Journalism, Paul has jumped at the opportunity to attend numerous live sporting events on a regular basis. This includes working at some high calibre boxing, darts, UFC and football events over the years. Paul has covered a whole host of sports for BBC Sport, as well as being a consistent and regular contributor at ESBR Boxing for several years before becoming a Director in March 2024. Paul’s expertise lies in a wide range of sports, but he is particularly specialised in boxing, MMA, golf, football, darts and horse racing. He is also well-rounded in various sports which he may be less familiar with. Working in sports he is less familiar with helps him learn new skills, as well as nurturing the ability to adapt and overcome potential obstacles. Being a sports fanatic, Paul relishes the opportunity at taking on new challenges and is happy to try his hand at anything. During his time studying at university, Paul had the opportunity to gain some vital work experience at both Everton Football Club and BBC Radio 1. This has helped Paul master his knowledge of sports writing, as well as learning new skills with competence and proficiency.
Get to know Paul Kelly betterPublished20 Jan 2025
As the dominant UFC Lightweight Champion and pound-for-pound king, here at SportsCasting we have decided to take an in-depth look at the career of Islam Makhachev. This includes his net worth, career earnings and endorsement deals.
Islam Makhachev Net Worth Estimated At £5 Million
Islam Makhachev was last seen in action at UFC 311, submitting Renato Moicano to successfully defend his UFC Lightweight Title. Makhachev was a huge favourite with the best UK bookmakers to defend his 155-pound belt, which he did with a destructive submission in Round 1.
In the aftermath of the bout, SportsCasting have taken an in-depth look at Islam Makhachev’s net worth, career earnings and endorsement deals. The UFC Lightweight Champion’s net worth is estimated to be in the region of £5 million.
The 33-year-old is worth a rather low amount given his credibility in the UFC, but has earned some highly lucrative purses throughout his UFC career. Islam Makhachev’s record is an impressive 27-1 currently, with his last five bouts being UFC Title victories.
His only loss in the UFC came during his second fight with the organisation, losing by knockout to Adriano Martins in 2015. Makhachev was a huge favourite with the best UFC betting sites in the UK to win, but was surprisingly defeated.
Celebrity Net Worth now estimates his net worth to be at least £5 million, based on his lifetime earnings. Being a close teammate to one of the best fighters in UFC history, Khabib Nurmagomedov, has boosted the Russian’s profile.
Since winning on his UFC debut back in May 2015, Islam Makhachev has earned millions of dollars, which we will go into detail with later. He is an incredibly rich man and won’t be worrying about his bank balance anytime soon, that is for sure.
The 33-year-old’s net worth has seen a huge increase from ventures outside of the UFC cage, as his other main earners outside of MMA are through a variety of endorsements.
Islam Makhachev Career Earnings
The 1991-born MMA fighter has seemingly earned far more money since signing for Dana White and the UFC, particularly after winning the UFC Lightweight Title in October 2022.
For his crowning night when he defeated Charlies Oliveira at UFC 280, Islam Makhachev reported earned a $532,000 purse. His base purse for that fight was $450,000 for that fight, but received a $50,000 performance bonus and $32,000 in sponsorship.
That was the biggest purse of his MMA career by quite some distance, up until he began defending his 155-pound crown. For his first title defence against Alexander Volkanovski, the Dagestani MMA phenom reportedly earned his first seven-figure payday of $1,492,000.
The rematch with Volkanovski remains the biggest purse of his career. Makhachev took home $2,542,000 for his Round 1 demolition of the former pound-for-pound UFC king, before then backing that up with another seven-figure purse in his last defence against Dustin Poirier ($1,842,000).
With his long and successful career in the UFC, this means that Islam Makhachev’s total career earnings inside the octagon equates to roughly $8 million (£6.5m). This is lower than fighters such as Conor McGregor and Jon Jones, but is still a lot of money.
Makhachev will continue to earn millions of pounds as a UFC fighter going forward, with some potentially huge fights on the horizon for him in 2025 and beyond. He will have his sights set on potentially moving up to 170-pounds and winning the UFC Welterweight Title.
Below is a list of the last 10 of Makhachev’s UFC fight and how much he earned (in dollars) in each fight.
Islam Makhachev UFC Fight Purses (Last 10):
| Fight | Fight Purse |
|---|---|
| Makhachev vs Moicano – UFC 311 | TBC |
| Makhachev vs Poirier – UFC 302 | $1,842,000 |
| Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2 – UFC 294 | $2,542,000 |
| Makhachev vs Volkanovski – UFC 284 | $1,492,000 |
| Makhachev vs Oliveira – UFC 280 | $532,000 |
| Makhachev vs Green – UFC Fight Night | $211,000 |
| Makhachev vs Hooker – UFC 267 | $211,000 |
| Makhachev vs Moises – UFC Fight Night | $186,000 |
| Makhachev vs Dober – UFC 259 | $151,000 |
| Makhachev vs Ramos – UFC 242 | $66,000 |
All career earnings info per MMA Salaries
RELATED: Who Is Islam Makhachev’s Wife?
Islam Makhachev Endorsements & Sponsorship Deals
Another reason why Islam Makhachev has a reported net worth of £5 million and has earned upward of $8 million in his MMA career is due to his various sponsors and endorsement deals.
Makhachev has of course gained the majority of his wealth from mixed martial arts, but he does have some lucrative brand deals as well. The fighter is endorsed by Venum, Gorilla Energy Drink, Monster Energy, YoungLA and Wahed Invest.
These sponsors are a big help in Makhachev being the success he is today. Having long-term endorsement deals helps fighters pay for their training camps, bring in the best sparring partners and ensure they are fully prepared for their upcoming fight.
The Russian has earned over $7.5 million during his time in the UFC and is now one of the faces of Dana White’s organisation. He has also earned a fortune outside of the octagon from endorsements. However, an exact figure is unknown on how much the Dagestani MMA phenom has earned outside of the cage.
Be sure to claim the various UFC betting offers and free bet deals available on the SportsCasting site ahead of Islam Makhachev’s next fight.