(Rashad’s best days as a fighter may be behind him, but the man has mastered the art of walking away from fictional explosions.)
Despite what the title implies (or outright states, whatever), I don’t honestly think that Rashad Evans is making more than he is worth at this point in his UFC career. The man is a TUF winner, a former champion, and a relatively marketable draw who consistently resides in the upper-echelon of the division. That being said, when I came across the salary figures for UFC 156 and noticed that Evans had walked away from his unanimous decision loss to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira with an event high 300K, that was the first thought that entered my mind. I apologize for deceiving you and will see myself out.
But before I go, I’ll say this: The figures for UFC 156 were pretty standard, with everyone not named Chico Camus and oddly enough Ian McCall clearing five figures. I guess it’s hard to consider “Uncle Creepy” a UFC bust when the poor bastard’s making less than the average TUF alum to fight.
The full list of salaries is after the jump, along with our whimsical analysis, so check them out and let us know what you think in the comments section. Per usual, these numbers are void of any locker room bonuses, PPV cuts, training expenses, licensing fees, etc.
Jose Aldo: $240,000 ($120,000 purse/$120,000 win bonus)
Frankie Edgar: $120,000
Rashad Evans: $300,000
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: $174,000 ($107,000/$67,000)
Antonio Silva: $70,000 ($70,000 purse/$0 win bonus)
Alistair Overeem: $285,714.29
Demian Maia: $120,000 ($60,000/$60,000)
Jon Fitch: $66,000
Joseph Benavidez: $60,000 ($30,000/$30,000)
Ian McCall: $9,000
Evan Dunham: $46,000 ($23,000/$23,000)
Gleison Tibau: $33,000
Tyron Woodley: $87,000 ($43,500/$43,500)
Jay Hieron: $12,000
Bobby Green: $20,000 ($10,000/$10,000)
Jacob Volkmann: $22,000
Isaac Vallie-Flagg: $20,000 ($10,000/$10,000)
Yves Edwards: $21,000
Dustin Kimura: $16,000 ($8,000/$8,000)
Chico Camus: $8,000
Francisco Rivera: $16,000 ($8,000/$8,000)
Edwin Figueroa: $10,000
Overpaid: Overeem…more like OVER-GREEN, AMIRIGHT?! Seriously though, I’ve got one foot out the door.
I can’t really say that anyone on this list deserves the “overpaid” label (however, the Blackzilians might want to consider lowering their gym fees), although I sure hope Ben Henderson was able to get some of that Frankie Edgar money when he inked a new eight fight deal last month. Dude has been making less than 40K to show until now, and I need to complain about something here to satisfy my blogger-mandated quota. I’d also like to congratulate Tyron Woodley for pulling in damn near 50K to show despite nearly being decapitated in his last fight. Throw in his first exciting finish in over two years and it was a pretty good night for “The Chosen One,” which is apparently his nickname now.
Underpaid: What can I say about Ian McCall that everyone isn’t already thinking? On one hand, “Uncle Creepy” is 0-2-1 since entering the UFC, but at just 9K to show, how much can you really expect from the guy? Hard times, indeed. Speaking of hard times, let’s talk about Jay Hieron. Poor, poor Jay Hieron. “The Thoroughbred” netted just 12K to join the ranks of Tiki Ghosn and Seth Petruzelli on our list of the worst fighters in UFC history. If it’s any consolation prize, he’s probably the best fighter of that particular subcategory. Probably.