From knockout to cashout: Dricus du Plessis rakes in R40 million

Being kicked in the head has its consolations. Try several million of them in the case of Dricus du Plessis , who in 2024 pocketed around R40 million for two fights, including his UFC middleweight championship win against Sean Strickland in January. According to Clinton van der Berg’s Got Game website , the bulk of his earnings came via a base salary and win bonuses, but he’s hopped on the endorsement bandwagon too, rivalling the world champion Springboks as sponsorship gold.

He is far and away the first Mixed Martial Artist from South Africa to crack the rich list, although SA sport’s biggest earner in 2024 is Dean Burmester , whose affiliation with LIV golf saw his annual earnings rocket to a staggering R157 million. Gary Player , with a net worth estimated at $250 million, chiefly earned through golf course design, is comfortably among the all-time richest SA sportsmen. Ernie Els didn’t fare too badly either, pocketing a cool R43 million in winnings in 2024, thanks in part to 10 top 10 finishes.



Springboks in the money The Springbok superstars are also swimming in cash. Siya Kolisi’s total annual earnings, including endorsements and sponsorships, are believed to range between R60 million and R70 million. According to WalesOnline , Cheslin Kolbe was on a contract worth R21.

9 million with Tokyo Sungoliath. His Springbok contract adds several more million, making him among the top three earners in world rugby. Not far behind are Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard .

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