The popularity of combat sports has been on the rise in recent years, with MMA and professional wrestling becoming increasingly profitable. According to Mike Ozanian and Justin Teitelbaum of Forbes, the UFC is currently the most valuable combat sports promotion in 2024, valued at $11.3 billion. Following closely behind is WWE at $6.8 billion, and then AEW at $2 billion.
The growth of the UFC is evident in their recent milestone UFC 300 pay-per-view event, which generated a gate of $16.5 million, making it the third-highest-grossing event in company history. This success can be attributed to the Fertitta brothers’ smart investment decisions during their ownership from 2001 to 2016, where they sold the company for $4 billion to Endeavor with a 72 percent annual return on investment.
In addition to the UFC and WWE, TKO Holdings was formed just under a year ago as a result of their merger. With media rights revenues exceeding $800 million for both companies combined, they surpassed all other promotions’ revenue list compiled by Ozanian and Teitelbaum. 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 promotions outshine boxing promotions in revenue, there is still a contentious issue surrounding fighter pay. Despite Canelo Alvarez and Anthony Joshua appearing as the highest-paid athletes on Forbes’ 2023 list, no MMA fighters made it to the cutoff point. However, a recent settlement requiring the UFC to pay $335 million to former fighters alleging pay restrictions aims to address this disparity and improve conditions for fighters.
Overall, combat sports have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their profitability and entertainment value. While there are still issues surrounding fighter pay within these organizations
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