Ilia Topuria lost his title in June, but his star power hasn’t taken a hit.
SportsPro published its list of the 150 most marketable athletes of 2026 on Oct. 28, and Topuria came in at No. 41. He was the only combat sports athlete in the top 50.
The ranking is built from 27 factors grouped into three areas: brand equity, momentum and commercial trajectory. Topuria scored 61.11 out of 100, powered by a momentum score of 33.21 out of 40.
SportsPro used data from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, so Topuria’s loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 may not be fully reflected.
Here’s where the combat sports names landed:
- Ilia Topuria: No. 41 (61.11)
- Anthony Joshua: No. 52 (59.57)
- Canelo Alvarez: No. 61 (58.45)
- Khamzat Chimaev: No. 62 (58.29)
- Alexander Volkanovski: No. 93 (53.20)
- Tyson Fury: No. 100 (52.86)
- Oleksandr Usyk: No. 109 (52.32)
- Max Holloway: No. 136 (48.34)
Joshua scored highest of anyone in combat sports for brand equity, but lagged in momentum and commercial trajectory. Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka took the top spot overall.
Volkanovski, the reigning featherweight champion, and Holloway are the two men Topuria beat in UFC featherweight title fights. Volkanovski has said he would like another shot at Topuria before he retires.
