Regarding sports that pay the most, there’s no doubt that combat sports occupy the top spot. The popularity of these sports has grown significantly over the years, leading to a growth in the number of fights and tournaments getting hosted.
Combat sports are some of the most lucrative, from boxing and kickboxing to mixed martial arts and wrestling. As you prepare for the latest MMA odds, we’ll be looking at some of the highest-paying combat sports in the world and why they pay so well.
Table of Contents
Boxing
Boxing is one of the oldest forms of combat sports and has been around for centuries. It requires two opponents to use different techniques to find a way to outwit the other. Punches, counter-attacks, movement, and defensive postures are all involved in boxing.
It’s also one of the highest-paying sports in the world, with top professionals earning millions of dollars in purses and endorsements.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing doesn’t have the same long history as boxing but has been around since the 1950s. In kickboxing, competitors use punches and kicks to defeat their opponents. There are two different versions of kickboxing, traditional and full-contact.
Traditional kickboxing is a sport where competitors score points for landing kicks and punches. In contrast, full-contact kickboxing is a competitive sport that focuses on full-contact strikes, including headshots and knockouts.
Top professional kickboxing fighters can earn millions through sponsorships, purses, and endorsements.
Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is arguably the most popular combat sport today. Combining submission holds and striking, MMA can be physically and mentally challenging and requires competitors to have a great deal of skill and technique.
Battles fought inside the cage have become big attractions, with major shows like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pulling in millions of viewers. It is an incredibly lucrative sport, and as the popularity of MMA continues to grow, so will the payouts for top professionals.
Karate
Karate is another martial arts fight sport that has been around for centuries. It focuses on punches and kicks with varying levels of lethality, depending on the style. Karate practitioners participate in karate tournaments to increase success and gain confidence in their techniques.
It’s a relatively low-paying sport compared to others, but top karate fighters can still earn tens of thousands of dollars per fight.
Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the oldest combat sports ever since ancient times. Two wrestlers grapple each other to force their opponent to surrender, touch the ground, or get pinned. Wrestling is physically demanding and requires a lot of strength, technique, and energy.
It’s divided into amateur and professional levels, with professional wrestling being one of the highest-paying combat sports. Top wrestlers can earn millions in salaries, endorsements, and other payments.
Jiu-Jitsu
Jiu-Jitsu is an up-and-coming martial art focusing on submission holds and ground fighting. Its popularity has risen over the past few years, becoming popular on both amateur and professional levels.
It’s a sport that’s easy to learn, and as such, it’s drawn many newcomers looking for a way to supplement their income. Professional Jiu-Jitsu fighters can make anywhere from a few thousand dollars for a small tournament to several hundred thousand for highly-regarded competitions.
Sumo
Sumo is a traditional Japanese martial art that originated centuries ago in the country’s history. Two sumo wrestlers line up in the ring before pushing and pulling each other to be the ones to force their opponent out of the ring.
It’s a sport that requires strength, technique, and strategy and is often seen as one of the most iconic combat sports. Professional sumo wrestlers are incredibly well-paid, with top wrestlers earning millions in salaries, licensing, and sponsorship deals.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a striking-based martial art that originated in Thailand over 1000 years ago. It’s a fast-paced combat sport involving punches, kicks, elbows, and knees to defeat an opponent.
Muay Thai has become popular worldwide, and as a result, many professional competitors can earn large sums of money for their fights. The biggest paydays come from high-level tournament fights, but sponsorships and endorsements can also prove lucrative for top fighters.
Verdict
Combat sports have become increasingly popular over the years, and with that popularity has increased the amount of money getting made. The sport from the list makes up some of the highest-paying in terms of purses and endorsement deals, and for many.
It’s seen as an opportunity to make a good living. As more people continue to take up combat sports, the top levels of competition will likely become even more lucrative.
