In recent years, combat sports have become increasingly popular, with MMA and professional wrestling surpassing boxing as the most profitable sectors. According to Mike Ozanian and Justin Teitelbaum of Forbes, the UFC leads the way as the most valuable combat sports promotion in 2024, valued at $11.3 billion. Following closely behind is WWE at $6.8 billion and AEW at $2 billion.
The UFC recently held their milestone UFC 300 pay-per-view event, generating a gate of $16.5 million, making it the third-highest-grossing event in company history. This growth is evident in the monumental increase in value from when the Fertitta brothers bought the UFC for $2 million in 2001 and sold it for $4 billion to Endeavor in 2016, resulting in a 72 percent annual return on investment during their ownership.
Just under a year ago, the UFC and WWE joined forces under the name TKO Holdings as one IPO. With media rights revenues exceeding $800 million for both companies, they topped the list compiled by Ozanian and Teitelbaum, surpassing the combined revenue of all other promotions. Among boxing promotions, Matchroom Boxing emerged as the most valuable at $850 million, followed by Top Rank Boxing, Premier Boxing Championship, and Golden Boy Promotions.
While MMA fighters may not make up some of the highest-paid athletes on Forbes’ list like Canelo Alvarez and Anthony Joshua do in boxing, there are still some notable names like Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov that command high salaries within their respective sport organizations. The recent settlement requiring the UFC to pay $335 million to former fighters alleging pay restrictions aims to address this disparity between boxers and MMA fighters while improving conditions for those involved in combat sports industry.
Overall, combat sports have come a long way from just being a niche sport into becoming one of the most profitable sectors today with ongoing growth potential ahead of them with more events coming up every week that generate millions of dollars for promotion companies like UFC or WWE among others while also providing entertainment for fans around