A UFC belt is the ultimate symbol of prestige and greatness for an MMA fighter. But have you ever wondered how much is UFC belt worth? Thankfully I’m here to answer that question and give you all the information you need.
Along with looking at the cost of a UFC belt, I’ll also look at some other key questions such as what it’s made from, who makes it, and how the belts have changed over the years. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
How Much Does the UFC Belt Cost?
I’ve seen many people parroting the $330,000 cost of a UFC belt even though there’s no evidence of a belt ever being that expensive to make.
The claim that UFC belts cost more than $300,000 comes from Michael Bisping, who said that former UFC champion Rashad Evans was told by Dana White that it would cost them $300,000 to make a classic UFC belt.
Since this conversation was off the record, Bisping’s claims are not credible, especially when Dana White revealed during the BMF UFC belt’s introduction that it cost them $50,000 to make, and that it was the most expensive belt they’ve made to date.
Although UFC belts have diamond-like gemstones in them, they are not actual diamonds. The belts are also gold-plated instead of using solid gold.
Add to that the difference between the classic, legacy, and BMF belts, it’s hard to give an exact general price. If I were to guess, I’d say we’re talking about several thousand dollars and nowhere near the hundreds of thousands often mentioned.
How Much is a UFC Belt Worth?
The value of a UFC belt will depend on its history. A new belt that hasn’t been awarded is just worth the money it cost to make, which isn’t officially disclosed but it’s unlikely to be anywhere near the $300k mythical figure that is often spoken about.
The worth of a used belt can skyrocket depending on its history, and it’s hard to give an exact figure. George St-Pierre once auctioned one of his belts for over $50k but if one of the modern belts were auctioned today from one of the top champions, it would be worth much more.
Who Makes the UFC Belt?
The classic gold-plated UFC belts were designed and made by Dave Millican, the owner of the Ace of Belts and Dave Millican Belts companies. Dave has been making championship belts for decades, he has previously made belts for WWE and other pro-wrestling federations.
For the new legacy belts, UFC decided to design, coordinate, and direct the belt-making process by themselves. They employed the help of the championship belt designer Brad Flaherty and Jae El Manufacturing to create the new belt.
Every legacy belt is customized for the champion and includes a serial number alongside the UFC president’s signature for authenticity on the back of the main plate. You can purchase a UFC replica belt on the official UFC website.
Classic UFC Belts
The classic UFC belts were awarded to the UFC champions between the years 2001-2018. This period was tough for UFC financially since MMA fights were not as popular back then. During this time, a new classic UFC belt was made for every title match. The winner would be awarded the new belt even if they already had a title belt previously.
Still, the classic belt era had some controversies of its own such as the case of Demetrious Johnson who only had a single belt despite having to fight his 10th flyweight title defense. The UFC eventually sent Johnson nine classic belts after he defended his title. He later went on to defend his title for the 11th time for one more belt.
The important takeaway here was that UFC was not attracting a lot of money between 2001-2018, making it difficult for them to fund an expensive UFC belt. It’s hard to know the exact cost of making a classic belt but it’s likely not more than $16,000 as a reasonable estimate.
Legacy UFC Belts
Starting from 2019, UFC introduced the legacy UFC belts celebrating their 25th year. The legacy belt changed the rules so that every champion could only have one such belt. The belt is made from alligator leather and is embedded with gold-plated octagons and a UFC emblem made of polished gold.
What’s the Difference Between Old and New UFC Belt?
Compared to the classic UFC belts, the legacy belts cost at least three times more. The name of the champion, the country they represent, and the name of the UFC title match are all added on the belt’s left plate as well. This makes a legacy belt unique and customized to suit the champion.
The legacy belt has three octagonal plates, unlike the circular plates on the classic belts. The belt has 25 total white stones embedded into the main plate that represent the 25 years of UFC history. The eight flags on the main plate represent the countries of the first eight UFC champions.
If the champion manages to successfully defend their title, the legacy UFC belt is modified by swapping a white gemstone on the left plate with a red gemstone to commemorate a title defense. After 8 title defenses, the right plate of the belt will hold the new red stones commemorating the 9th-16th title defense.
Since every champion only gets a single belt unlike the classical belts, they will probably never be sold during the champion’s lifetime. Therefore, it is hard to say how much it would go for. You can, however, buy a replica of the legacy belt on UFC’s official website for around $900.
BMF UFC Belts
The BMF belt is a bit special, it isn’t a traditional belt like the legacy or the classic belt since it was a belt specifically made for the 500th UFC event at UFC 244. The belt was created after Nate Diaz challenged Jorge Masvidal to a fight during the UFC 241 post-fight speech.
What Is the BMF UFC Belt?
The name ‘BMF’ was taken from Nate Diaz’s declaration of being the “Baddest motherf***er in the game” during the UFC 241 post-fight speech while provoking Masvidal.
Dana White and UFC organizers decided to turn Diaz’s claim into an actual title for the fight after seeing extreme interest by fans in the event. The BMF belt is similar to the legacy belt design-wise except it is colored black and white with ‘BMF’ engraved on the main plate.
The Return of the BMF Belt
The BMF belt was initially planned to be a one-time thing. However, after Masvidal’s retirement, the BMF title was vacant. In May 2023, UFC announced the return of the BMF title, the candidates for the title being Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier. On July 29th, 2023, Justin Gaethje won the second BMF title.
How Much Is the BMF Belt Worth?
The belt was reported to be the most expensive belt the UFC organizers have made to date. Dana White said during a press talk that the BMF belt cost them $50,000 to make. He also said that this was the fastest belt they’ve made, adding to the cost.
Since there are only 2 BMF belts made to date, you can expect these belts to fetch a high price as a collector’s item in an auction. Still, the only way to know for certain is if the belt ever gets put up for auction in the future.
FAQs
What Is the UFC Belt Made of?
Many ask is the UFC belt real gold? But the answer is not really. Legacy UFC belts are made of alligator leather and polished gold octagonal plates and buttons. Legacy belts also have clear stones embedded in them. These stones are not diamonds but are made to look like them. The red title defense gems are assumed to be rubies. Classic UFC belts were made using synthetic leather and gold-plated metals.
How Much Does the UFC Belt Weigh?
The UFC belt for males is 10.45 lbs in weight and 50×12 inches in length and height. According to the UFC official announcement, the UFC belt for females is slightly smaller than the male variant however it is identical in everything except the size.
Do UFC Fighters Keep Their Belts?
Yes, all UFC fighters keep their belts. During the classic belt era, a defending champion would keep his old belt as well as the new belt leading to things like Demetrious Johnson and his 11 UFC belts. According to the legacy belt rules, each champion keeps a single belt that would be upgraded with rubies after every successful title defense.
How Much Did Muhammad Ali Belt Sell For?
Muhammad Ali’s ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ title belt sold for $6.18 million in July 2022. This belt was previously sold in a 2016 auction at a much lower price.