Ronda Rousey may have been the star attraction at UFC 170, but Daniel Cormier was the one who took home the bigger paycheck, according to the disclosed payroll numbers released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
MMAWeekly.com reported the numbers on Monday.
Rousey steamrolled fellow Olympian Sara McMann on Saturday night to record her third consecutive UFC title defense. The women’s bantamweight champ proved she was anything but a one-trick pony by forgoing the usual armbar finish and notching her first ever TKO stoppage.
McMann’s punching power had no effect on Rousey, who quickly closed the distance and roughed the wrestler up in the clinch with dirty boxing. Many truly believed McMann would serve as Rousey’s most difficult test in the Octagon, but a knee to the liver and a controversial TKO stoppage by referee Herb Dean at 66 seconds into the first round put that notion to rest rather quickly.
In the co-main event, former heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier made his light heavyweight debut against UFC newcomer Patrick Cummins.
Originally slated to fight Rashad Evans, Cormier accepted a late replacement bout against Cummins, one of his former training partners for the 2004 Olympic games. There was plenty of back-and-forth jawing between the two leading up to the bout, but the actual fight played out exactly the way one would expect on paper.
Cummins, a fighter drastically lacking in experience, was completely annihilated in an 89-second TKO loss to Cormier, who is arguably one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. The UFC marketing team definitely deserves a huge pat on the back for selling Cummins’ chances of pulling off a historical upset in an obvious mismatch.
Cormier tops the base salary list with a $160,000 purse, while Rousey comes in at a close second with $110,000.
The UFC also handed out $50,000 bonuses for “Performance of the Night” and “Fight of the Night.” Rousey and Steven “Wonderboy” Thompson both took home bonuses for top performances, and “Fight of the Night” went to the welterweight scrap between Rory MacDonald and Demian Maia.
Here is MMAWeekly’s full list of disclosed salaries from UFC 170. Keep in mind, this list doesn’t include sponsorship money or discretionary locker room bonuses that may have been given by the UFC.
Ronda Rousey: $110,000 (includes $55,000 win bonus)
def. Sara McMann: $16,000
Daniel Cormier: $160,000 (includes $80,000 win bonus)
def. Patrick Cummins: $8,000
Rory MacDonald: $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus)
def. Demian Maia: $64,000
Mike Pyle: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus)
def. TJ Waldburger: $18,000
Stephen Thompson: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Robert Whittaker: $15,000
Alexis Davis: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)
def. Jessica Eye: $8,000
Raphael Assuncao: $56,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus)
def. Pedro Munhoz: $8,000
Aljamain Sterling: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Cody Gibson: $8,000
Zach Makovsky: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. Josh Sampo: $10,000
Erik Koch: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)
def. Rafaello Oliveira: $14,000
Ernest Chavez: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Yosdenis Cedeno: $8,000
The total payroll for all 22 competitors at UFC 170, which took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, was $843,000.
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