UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw led the reported payroll for UFC 177, pocketing $100,000 for his fifth-round TKO victory — and first successful title defense — over 24-hour notice replacement Joe Soto, according to figures released by the California State Athletic Commission.
Dillashaw was initially expected to fight former champion Renan Barao in the pay-per-view’s main event, however complications cutting weight led to Barao’s hospitalization as well as his last-second removal from the card. UFC newcomer Joe Soto stepped up to fill Barao’s shoes on one day’s notice, and because his willingness to accept the fight, Soto earned $20,000 for his losing efforts — a salary that more than doubles the usual $8,000 show/win split for promotional rookies.
According to UFC President Dana White, Barao received no earnings for his failure to make weight and fight on the card.
Veteran middleweight Derek Brunson led the remainder of the night’s salary list, taking home $44,000 for his undercard victory over Lorenz Larkin ($28,000), which aired live on FOX Sports 1.
UFC 177 took place August 30, 2014 at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California.
As always, the entire UFC 177 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, Dillashaw, Carlos Diego Ferreira, Ramsey Nijem, and Yancy Medeiros all earned $50,000 post-fight bonuses for their work, while Scott Jorgensen and Anthony Birchak were both awarded their show/win purses as a result of last-second card changes.
Main Card (Pay-per-view)
T.J. Dillashaw ($50,000 + $50,000 = $100,000) def. Joe Soto ($20,000)
Tony Ferguson ($20,000 + $20,000 = $40,000) def. Danny Castillo ($36,000)
Bethe Correia ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Shayna Baszler ($8,000)
Carlos Diego Ferreira ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Ramsey Nijem ($18,000)
Yancy Medeiros ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Damon Jackson ($8,000)
Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1)
Derek Brunson ($22,000 + $22,000 = $44,000) def. Lorenz Larkin ($28,000)
Anthony Hamilton ($8,000 + $8,000 = $16,000) def. Ruan Potts ($10,000)
Chris Wade ($8,000 + $8,000 = $16,000) def. Cain Carrizosa ($8,000)