MMAPayout.com 2009 Power Rankings

MMA Payout compiles the top revenue generators for the UFC in 2008-2009:

Fighter Total Events

Brock Lesnar $112,782,143 4

BJ Penn $105,155,400 5

Frank Mir $98,631,998 4

Georges St-Pierre $92,870,447 4

Forrest Griffin $81,988,194 4

Rashad Evans $74,725,553 3

Anderson Silva $60,342,500 4

Rich Franklin $53,780,000 5

This really highlights how critical it is for the UFC that Lesnar recover enough to be able to fight in 2010. He only fought once in 2009 and very nearly matched his numbers from three events in 2008.

Lightheavyweight champ Lyoto Machida doesn’t make this list, but he came in 5th for 2009. If he can recover from his broken hand and beat Shogun Rua in the rematch, he should continue to emerge as a strong draw for the UFC. If Shogun wins, the mantle will likely pass to him.

Of the fighters on the 2008-2009 list, Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin are unlikely to maintain their past performance levels. Griffin’s destruction by Anderson Silva damaged him as a draw as the anemic performance of UFC 106 showed. Franklin’s interdivisional wandering and mixed results have also eroded his drawing power.

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