Fighting at the biggest MMA promotion in the world does come with a lot of fame. This is why several UFC fighters have become household names all over the world. But in this era of information technology, fame has become synonymous with social media followers. Numerous UFC stars boast over a million followers on Mark Zuckerberg’s platform, Instagram. Here’s a look at which current male UFC stars top the list when it comes to Instagram followers.
#5 Khamzat Chimaev
There’s hardly any other UFC fighter who had a meteoric rise like the Chechen, Khamzat Chimaev. Fans love ‘Borz’ for his extreme fight readiness at any point of time. His undefeated record also accounts for numerous fans cheering him every time he takes to the octagon. ‘Borz’ has amassed a massive Instagram following of 7.8M although his UFC career started just three and a half years back.
Chimaev is just 29 currently. Hence, it won’t be wrong to expect that he will gain a lot more accolades and followers with his future in-octagon showdowns.
#4 Islam Makhachev
The current UFC lightweight champ, Islam Makhachev, has proved his haters wrong and also turned many of them into his fans. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s bosom friend is currently on a 13-fight win streak, which is enough to prove his prowess in the octagon. Along with Makahchev’s victories, the amount of people following him on Instagram also took a major boost. A look at his profile will reveal that he boasts an insane 8.1M followers currently.
With two title defenses and the coveted accolade of ‘Fighter of the Year’ in 2023, Makahchev’s force inside the octagon can’t be expected to decrease anytime soon. This is why he stands a chance to gain a lot more fame and followers from his fights yet to come.
#3 Jon Jones
The noted Jon ‘Bones’ Jones is undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters to ever set foot inside the octagon. It won’t be wrong to say that ‘Bones’ legacy will remain forever in the UFC. Most fans don’t need much introduction about Jones. But the count of his followers on Instagram may have them saying that he deserves a lot more. However, Jones also has been into several illegal acts to date, which might have taken a toll on his Instagram following. Currently, the former UFC light heavyweight champ and reigning UFC heavyweight champ boasts 8.2M followers on Instagram.
But, it’s quite apparent that Jones is nearing the end of his UFC career. He may not stand a chance to gain a lot of followers anymore. But numerous fans considering him as the GOAT of MMA is a mark of the irreplaceable respect that he has earned from the UFC fanbase.
#2 Israel Adesanya
Despite being criticized by a plethora of fans, the noted former UFC middleweight champ, Israel Adesanya, is still one of the most popular fighters on the current UFC roster. It won’t be wrong to say that fans love to watch the character that ‘Izzy’ becomes during his fights. His flashy fighting style, unique victory celebrations, and anime references have got a massive chunk of the UFC fans falling for him. His Instagram account also bears good testimony to this. ‘The Last Stylebender’ currently boasts a whopping 8.6M followers on Instagram.
‘Izzy’ is currently on a hiatus. But he also has the reputation of being one of the most active fighters who always wants to stay in action. It won’t be wrong to expect that he will go on a similar run once he makes a comeback. His unique style also implies that he has every chance to regain his lost title and amass even more followers on Instagram.
#1 Conor McGregor
Most fans may have already guessed the topper of this list before arriving at this part. Well, they are absolutely right. It’s none other than the most noted UFC star, Conor McGregor, who is currently the most-followed male UFC fighter on Instagram. However, the gap by which ‘Mystic Mac’ beats the #2-rank holder ‘Izzy’, draws a clear picture of his insane popularity among the UFC fanbase.
It won’t be wrong to say that almost every MMA fan today has heard about the 35-year-old Irish who is also an aspiring President of his country. This is why McGregor boasts almost six times the following that the #2-ranked ‘Izzy’ has on Instagram. To be specific, McGregor currently boasts a whopping 47.2M followers on ‘Zuck’s platform.
McGregor also made his Hollywood entry with ‘Road House’ recently. Hence, it’s quite apparent that he will be gaining a lot more wealth and followers with his involvement in such ventures. The UFC community is also awaiting McGregor’s return to the octagon, which he said will happen on 29 June this year.
Several fans were predicting that McGregor may headline the coveted UFC 300. But a recent announcement from the UFC CEO, Dana White, revealed that his return will happen at his previously mentioned timeline only.
Well, the world of social media is a highly uncertain place where stars are created and destroyed overnight. Hence, it won’t be wrong to expect that this list might go through several major changes in the future.
