Topuria Leads Combat Sports on SportsPro's Marketability List

Ilia Topuria is the highest-ranked combat sports athlete on SportsPro's list of the 150 most marketable athletes of 2026. The publication released it on October 28. Topuria sits at No. 41, and he is the only combat sports name in the top 50.

That places him above Max Verstappen, Novak Djokovic and recent Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane. Tennis player Aryna Sabalenka took the top spot. Anthony Joshua held it in 2017, the year he beat Wladimir Klitschko to retain his IBF heavyweight title and win the WBA and IBO belts.

Topuria lost for the first time as a professional in June, when he defended his lightweight title in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House. Some have questioned whether he will be the same fighter when he returns to the Octagon. SportsPro used evidence from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, so the aftermath of that loss may not have affected his position.

How the list is built

SportsPro starts with 1,202 athletes and whittles them down to 247. It then scores each one on 27 defined drivers, grouped into three pillars: brand equity, momentum and commercial trajectory.

Topuria scored 20.16 out of 45 for brand equity, 33.21 out of 40 for momentum and 7.74 out of 15 for commercial trajectory. His overall marketability score is 61.11 out of 100.

Other fighters on the list

Joshua was the closest combat sports star to Topuria, having narrowly missed the top 50 at No. 52 with 59.57. Canelo Alvarez ranks No. 61 with 58.45. Khamzat Chimaev is No. 62 with 58.29, which makes him the second most marketable star on the UFC roster.

Alexander Volkanovski is No. 93 with 53.20, Tyson Fury No. 100 with 52.86, Oleksandr Usyk No. 109 with 52.32 and Max Holloway No. 136 with 48.34. Topuria beat both Volkanovski and Holloway in UFC featherweight title fights.

Source: Bloody Elbow