Mixed martial arts saw a drastic increase in popularity in the past years and the Ultimate Fighting Championship is considered the most elite MMA promotion. Since 1993 when UFC was founded, the company has grown into a multi-billion dollar entity. Here are the five most influential people in mixed martial arts:
5. Brock Lesnar
When Lesnar changed scenery from the World Wrestling Entertainment to the UFC, he needed just three fights to win the UFC heavyweight championship. He defended his title twice against Frank Mir and Shane Carwin and those fights registered a combined 2,660,000 pay per view buys.
4. Ronda Rousey
To say the least, Rousey was the sole reason why there is a women's division in the UFC. She quickly turned to fame by a series of first rounds submission finishes en route to the bantamweight title. However, 'Rowdy' suffered back-to-back losses and many consider her MMA career over. Amanda Nunes, the one who knocked out Rousey in the first round at UFC 207 in December 2016, believes otherwise, saying she could still make a comeback, Daily Star reported.
3. Conor McGregor
The Irish fighter is basically the biggest star in the UFC right now and the promotion's cash cow. With his charisma and knack to draw the media and fans, his fight against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in November 2015 broke the Madison Square Garden record of gate attendance with more than 20,000 spectators. In his last three fights, he has a combined pay per view buys of roughly 4.5 million in his last three fights. McGregor also had a billion social media impressions before, during and after UFC 205, the most in company history, Forbes.com reported.
4. Dana White
White, together with the Fertitta brothers, saved a dying UFC organization into the biggest thing in combat sports. Under White's presidency, the UFC turned to a billion dollar company and he has the power over anything concerning it. He is the reason why McGregor, Rousey and Lesnar had been MMA stars with his savvy in promoting big events. White reportedly has a net worth of $500 million.
5. Ari Emanuel
Emanuel is the co-CEO of WME-IMG which owns the rights of the UFC, meaning, he has supremacy over White, making him the most influential person in the UFC.
Watch the video below for the five most dangerous fighters in the UFC: