Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva led the reported $1,872,000 payroll for UFC 168, earning $600,000 despite suffering a gruesome leg break in the second round of his main event rematch against UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, according to figures released to MMAFighting.com by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Weidman dominated the first round, nearly finishing Silva, before the disastrous injury brought UFC 168’s headlining bout to a sudden halt. Weidman, who initially defeated Silva via second-round KO in July, pocketed $400,000 for the first defense of his belt.
Elsewhere on the night’s main card, heavyweight contender Josh Barnett and UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey led the remaining payroll. Barnett took home $170,000 in a losing effort after suffering a brutal one-minute knockout loss to Travis Browne ($56,000), while Rousey earned $100,000 for the second official defense of her UFC title, defeating Miesha Tate ($28,000) via third-round armbar.
Longtime UFC veterans Dennis Siver and Chris Leben headed the night’s undercard. Siver pocketed $66,000 in victory over Manny Gamburyan, while Leben took home $51,000 in defeat against Uriah Hall.
UFC 168 took place December 28, 2013 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. As always, the entire UFC 168 payroll can be seen below, although these figures do not represent a fighter’s total earnings, as sponsorship money and discretionary post-fight bonuses are not publicly disclosed.
Additionally, Rousey (x2), Tate, and Browne earned $75,000 post-fight bonuses for their work.
Main Card (Pay-per-view)
Chris Weidman ($200,000 + $200,000 = $400,000) def. Anderson Silva ($600,000)
Ronda Rousey ($50,000 + $50,000 = $100,000) def. Miesha Tate ($28,000)
Travis Browne ($28,000 + $28,000 = $56,000) def. Josh Barnett ($170,000)
Jim Miller ($46,000 + $46,000 = $92,000) def. Fabricio Camoes ($8,000)
Dustin Poirier ($23,000 + $23,000 = $46,000) def. Diego Brandao ($20,000)
Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1)
Uriah Hall ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Chris Leben ($51,000)
Michael Johnson ($18,000 + $18,000 = $36,000) def. Gleison Tibau ($39,000)
Dennis Siver ($33,000 + $33,000 = $66,000) def. Manny Gamburyan ($25,000)
John Howard ($16,000 + $16,000 = $32,000) def. Siyar Bahadurzada ($17,000)
Preliminary Card (YouTube/Facebook)
William Macario ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Bobby Voelker ($12,000)
Robert Peralta ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Estevan Payan ($10,000)