UFC Trumps Boxing, Named MVP Of Combat Sports

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the world’s most valuable combat sports promotion in 2024, valued at $11.3 billion with an annual revenue of $1.23 billion, according to a new list compiled by Forbes. The only other mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion to make the Top 5 was ONE Championship, ranked fourth at $1.3 billion with a 2023 revenue of $123 million. Professional Fighters League (PFL), which often brands itself as the “Co-leader of MMA,” was ranked sixth at $690 million with a 2023 revenue of $110 million.

Here’s the Top 10 list:

No. 1: UFC
$11.3 billion
2023 Revenue: $1.29 billion
Operator: Dana White
Top Draws: Israel Adesanya, Jon Jones, Sean O’Malley

No. 2: WWE
$6.8 billion
2023 Revenue: $1.33 billion
Operator: Nick Khan
Top Draws: Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley

No. 3: AEW
$2 billion
2023 Revenue: $250 million
Operator: Tony Khan
Top Draws: The Young Bucks, Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega

No. 4: ONE Championship
$1.3 billion
2023 Revenue: $140 million
Operator: Chatri Sityodtong
Top Draws: Christian Lee, Stamp Fairtex, Anatoly Malykhin

No. 5: Matchroom Boxing
$850 million
2023 Revenue: $134 million
Operator: Eddie Hearn
Top Draws: Anthony Joshua, Katie Taylor, Dmitry Bivol

No. 6: PFL
$690 million
2023 Revenue: $110 million
Operator: Donn Davis
Top Draws: Francis Ngannou, Impa Kasanganay

No. 7: Top Rank Boxing
$630 million
2023 Revenue: $100 million
Operator: Bob Arum
Top Draws: Tyson Fury, Naoya Inoue, Shakur Stevenson

No. 8: Premier Boxing Championship
$600 million
2023 Revenue: $95 million
Operator: Al Haymon
Top Draws: Canelo Alvarez, Gervonta Davis, Terence Crawford

No. 9: Golden Boy Promotions
$450 million
2023 Revenue: $70 million
Operator: Oscar de la Hoya
Top Draws: Ryan Garcia, Jaime Munguia, Marlen Esparza

No. 10: Combate Global
$120 million
2023 Revenue: $18 million
Operator: Campbell McLaren
Top Draws: Cristian Perez, Ramiro Jimenez, Gisela Luna

How did Forbes determine the value of each promotion?

“Forbes used public documents and interviewed industry and media experts and executives from various combat sports organizations. Promotion values are enterprise values (equity plus net debt) and all figures are in US dollars, based on exchange rates for the year ending June 30, 2023 where applicable.”

In unrelated news, Brendson Ribeiro was paid $9,790 for his fight at UFC 298 in Anaheim.