Islam Makhachev Or Jon Jones? Comparing UFC Icons Earnings And Net Worth In 2026

Islam Makhachev and Jon Jones arrived at the top of the UFC from opposite directions. They left very different financial trails behind them. In 2026, Jones has a net worth of $8 million, while Makhachev is worth $6 million. A gap of $2 million is unusually small for two fighters of this stature. The reason becomes clearer once you look at how each of them earned it. Jones built his money over 15 years in the two heaviest divisions. No MMA fighter had held sponsorships like his. Makhachev has done it in a shorter window, almost entirely on purses and bonuses. Both men also hit career landmarks recently. Jones retired in June 2025, while Makhachev broke the UFC's all-time consecutive-wins record in August 2026.

Islam Makhachev vs Jon Jones Net Worth In 2026

Jones holds the advantage on paper, though not by much. Makhachev's disclosed purse for his UFC 311 win over Renato Moicano was $200,000. That figure excluded pay-per-view participation and sponsorship income. Dana White, meanwhile, has said Jones lost between $15 million and $20 million in earnings to his suspensions. That goes a long way toward explaining why the gap is not far wider.

Islam Makhachev Vs Jon Jones Career Earnings: How They Built Their Fortunes

First and foremost, Makhachev's income has come from titles rather than crossover fame. He submitted Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 in October 2022 to win the lightweight belt. He then defended it four times, a divisional record, before vacating it in 2025 to move up. He beat Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 to take the welterweight title. He defended it against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in August 2026. That win gave him 17 straight UFC victories and broke Anderson Silva's long-standing record.

Let's settle this once and for all ????

Islam Makhachev vs. Jon Jones at the same weight. Who wins?#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/jIM5RKNwf1

— The Fight Fanatic (@FightFanatic_) August 26, 2026
 

Bonuses have topped up those purses. Makhachev has collected $50,000 awards for his 2019 fight with Arman Tsarukyan and for the Oliveira win. Both of his fights with Alexander Volkanovski paid the same. Submitting Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 brought another $100,000.

Jones, meanwhile, earned over a far longer stretch. He defended the light heavyweight title a record 11 times across two reigns. He moved up to heavyweight in March 2023 and took that belt by submitting Ciryl Gane in the first round. His final fight was a third-round stoppage of Stipe Miocic in November 2024.

Islam Makhachev Vs Jon Jones: Business Ventures And Investments

Jones broke commercial ground no fighter had reached. He became the first MMA fighter Nike sponsored internationally, launched his own shoe line and signed with Gatorade. Reebok and MuscleTech also backed him, though MuscleTech ended the relationship after his 2015 hit-and-run.

Makhachev, meanwhile, has kept his commercial profile narrow. He has worked with Monster Energy, the cryptocurrency project Saitama and the investment firm Elite Capital. None of them have made their terms public. His bigger platform is sambo, the sport he won a world title in back in 2016. Its federation named him a global ambassador in 2026.

Islam Makhachev Vs Jon Jones Lifestyle

Property tells most of the Jones story. He bought a house in Ithaca, New York, for $644,000 in 2012. He sold it for $713,000 five years later. In August 2024 he bought a 10,000-square-foot mansion on two acres in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The sale price stayed private, though the listing had been $4.3 million.

Makhachev's life looks nothing like that. He studied physical education at Dagestan State University and still trains with the Dagestani team Khabib Nurmagomedov coaches. He has also been decorated at home with the Order "For Merit to the Republic of Dagestan" and the Sali Suleiman Medal. At 34 and still holding a belt, he has time on his side.