The UFC championship belt stands as the ultimate symbol of achievement in mixed martial arts, a coveted prize that signifies a fighter’s dominance in their respective weight class. Yet, beyond its immense sporting prestige, the actual monetary value of these iconic titles has long been a subject of intrigue and debate, particularly following a significant design change in 2019.
For nearly two decades, from 2001 until January 2019, fighters such as Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva competed for what is now known as the ‘Classic’ UFC championship belt. During this era, the UFC had a practice of awarding a brand new belt for every successful title defense.
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, who held the 185lb title between June 2016 and November 2017, shed some light on the perceived value of these older belts. On a 2019 episode of his ‘Believe You Me’ podcast, Bisping recounted a conversation between UFC President Dana White and former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.
“Rashad Evans, former champion, has a belt at home. He was having a conversation with Dana White and Dana told him that the old belts, the ones that we have, are worth $300,000 each. That’s what he told Rashad. Mine’s just been gathering dust back there,” Bisping stated, adding, “If I’d known they were worth $600,000 between them, I might have gotten them insured and then reported them stolen… I’m joking.” Bisping, who owns two ‘Classic’ belts (one for his title win over Luke Rockhold and another for his defense against Dan Henderson), expressed his surprise at White’s valuation.
Read also: Chelsea: How much Liam Rosenior could receive in compensation after sacking
However, the real-world market for these ‘Classic’ belts suggests a different figure. According to CBC.ca, Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight championship belt, awarded for his victory over B.J. Penn at UFC 94, was acquired by the Canadian Museum of History for $55,527.
The modern ‘Legacy’ championship
In January 2019, the UFC introduced a new design, the ‘Legacy’ championship belt, which top contenders now compete for. This modern title comes with a reported value of $330,000, as detailed by Sportskeeda. The ‘Legacy’ belt boasts impressive specifications:
- Measures 50 inches in length
- Weighs 5.5 pounds
- Contains two pounds of precious metals, including a UFC logo crafted from high-polished gold
- Held together by 16 brass straps
With the introduction of the ‘Legacy’ belt, the UFC also changed its policy regarding title defenses. Instead of awarding a new belt for each successful defense, subsequent championship wins in the same division are now represented by red stones added to the side plates of the belt. Fighters who win titles in multiple weight classes will still receive a separate belt for each division.
The UFC officially announced the new policy, cited by GiveMeSport, stating, “Athletes who win UFC championship bouts will be awarded a UFC Legacy Championship Belt, which will be used during the duration of their professional MMA career. Subsequent championship wins in their respective division will be represented by red stones on the side plates of the belt. Athletes who win titles across multiple weight classes will be awarded one belt per division.”
Read also: The Open: No spot for Donald Trump’s Turnberry as Royal Lytham lands 2028 Open
The discrepancy between the perceived value of the ‘Classic’ belts, as suggested by Dana White, and the actual sale price of a legendary champion’s belt, coupled with the high reported worth of the new ‘Legacy’ design, continues to fuel fascination with these ultimate prizes in combat sports.
Sources: www.givemesport.com
Read also: Four ways to fix football’s frustrating ‘tactical time-out’
