Jul 12, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Conor McGregor draws a reaction from the crowd as he speaks during a world tour press conference to promote the upcoming Mayweather vs McGregor boxing fight at Budweiser Stage. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

mma

Top 5 Fighters Who Changed The UFC Business – Feat Conor McGregor, Brock Lesnar And More!

The UFC wasn’t always the billion-dollar empire everyone knows today. Back in the early 2000s, the sport was banned in most states and barely surviving financially. Politicians called it barbaric. Mainstream media ignored it. The organization was bleeding money fast. Then something shifted. A few special fighters came along who didn’t just win championships. They changed the entire business model and proved that MMA could be mainstream entertainment.

These weren’t just great athletes. They were cultural phenomena who brought new audiences, broke PPV records, and forced the world to take MMA seriously. Some did it through pure dominance while others brought crossover appeal that opened doors the UFC never imagined. Let’s look at five fighters who fundamentally transformed the UFC into the global powerhouse it is today.

5. Chuck Liddell

‘The Iceman’ became the first UFC fighter to truly break into mainstream American culture. His mohawk, tattoos, and cold stare made him instantly recognizable outside MMA circles. Liddell defended the light heavyweight championship multiple times during the mid-2000s when the UFC desperately needed a star.

Chuck Liddell KO’ing young Alistair Overeem in Pride with Dana White losing his mind ringside is a clip that doesn’t even seem real. pic.twitter.com/qQZiVp4Bne
— MacMally 🍀 (@MacMallyMMA) August 10, 2025

What made Chuck special was his knockout power combined with perfect timing. The UFC put him on magazine covers like ESPN The Magazine in 2007. He appeared on late-night talk shows and television series when most people still thought MMA was underground cage fighting. His rivalry with Tito Ortiz generated over one million PPV buys at UFC 66. Liddell showed sponsors and networks that UFC fighters could be marketable celebrities. Without Liddell’s mainstream appeal during those crucial growth years, the UFC might never have secured the TV deals that followed.

4. Ronda Rousey

Rousey didn’t just open doors for women in MMA. She kicked them completely off the hinges. Before Rousey, Dana White repeatedly said women would never fight in the UFC. Then she came along and made that statement look ridiculous. She became the UFC’s first female champion and immediately became one of the biggest stars in combat sports.

. @RondaRousey wins in 14 seconds at #UFC184. Fastest title defense ever in @UFC history! Beauty in #BeastMode. pic.twitter.com/C5LDej816c
— ArmbarNation (@ArmbarNation) March 1, 2015

Her dominance was scary. Rousey finished her first six UFC opponents in a combined total of under 11 minutes. She armbarred everyone and made it look easy. But what changed the business was her crossover appeal beyond fighting. Ronda appeared in movies, hosted Saturday Night Live, and graced mainstream magazine covers. She drew casual fans who had never watched MMA before. Her fights regularly broke UFC records and proved that women could be just as big a draw as men. She expanded the UFC’s potential audience and revenue streams in ways nobody predicted.

3. Brock Lesnar

Lesnar brought WWE’s massive fanbase directly into the UFC octagon. When Lesnar left professional wrestling in 2007 to pursue MMA, skeptics laughed. Then he won the UFC heavyweight championship in just his fourth professional fight. His crossover from entertainment wrestling to legitimate fighting was unprecedented.

UFC 100 was on this day 13 years ago, Brock Lesnar absolutely smashed Frank Mir that day. pic.twitter.com/QWaXVdiXyf
— Brock’s Load (@_MMAMindset) July 11, 2022

Lesnar’s drawing power shattered records. His fight against Frank Mir at UFC 100 helped that event become the highest-grossing UFC event at the time. His rematch with Shane Carwin pulled massive numbers. Even his 2016 return at UFC 200 against Mark Hunt generated enormous buzz and PPV buys. The financial impact was undeniable. Lesnar brought an entirely new demographic of WWE fans who had never considered watching real fighting.

2. Royce Gracie

The original UFC game-changer. Royce Gracie didn’t look like a fighter when he entered UFC 1 in 1993. He was skinny compared to bigger opponents. But his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu completely revolutionized martial arts understanding in America. Gracie submitted three opponents in one night to win the first-ever UFC tournament.

"But Bakugo can tank an all-might puch"

Like a soviet assassin won't be trained in wrestling, judo, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Need I remind you people what Royce Gracie did at UFC 1 and and UFC 2? https://t.co/HQQRqnKiHw pic.twitter.com/V976de5LFO
— VolpeIsKing (@Volpe_Is_King) October 30, 2025

His impact went beyond winning. Royce proved that technique could overcome size and strength. He beat strikers, wrestlers, and martial artists from various disciplines using submissions nobody had seen before. This forced every serious fighter to learn ground fighting. The evolution of MMA from single-discipline specialists to well-rounded fighters started with Gracie’s dominance.

The UFC itself survived its early controversial years partly because Royce’s technical brilliance gave the sport credibility as a legitimate martial art rather than just street fighting. Without Gracie’s early success proving that skill and strategy mattered, the UFC might have remained a brutal spectacle that never gained mainstream acceptance. He laid the foundation that every fighter who came after built upon.

1. Conor McGregor

‘The Notorious’ transformed the UFC into a true global brand. This Irish fighter combined devastating knockout power with elite trash talk that created must-see television. McGregor didn’t just promote his fights. He created cultural moments that transcended sports. His confidence bordered on arrogance but he backed it up by winning championships in two different weight classes.

Conor Mcgregor’s trash talk i will always love you 🕊️💔 https://t.co/ddK6ebrY1W pic.twitter.com/97Odn7lo3P
— 𝒆𝒗 💽 (@vebeentrill) December 11, 2024

The numbers tell the story. UFC 229 featuring McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov generated approximately 2.4 million PPV buys, the highest in UFC history. His boxing match against Floyd Mayweather brought MMA into boxing conversations and mainstream sports debates. McGregor’s popularity in Europe and especially Ireland opened international markets the UFC had struggled to penetrate. He proved that personality and promotion mattered as much as fighting skill. His success led to fighters understanding the business side of MMA and promoting themselves more aggressively. He changed what it meant to be a UFC fighter from just an athlete to a complete brand.

(Image Credit: Tom Szczerbowski – Imagn Images)

Brock Lesnar

Chuck Liddell

Conor McGregor

Ronda Rosuey

Royce Gracie

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!