Lyoto Machida may have been on the losing side at UFC Fight Night 70, but he came away a winner in at least one category. The former UFC light heavyweight champion led the reported payroll for Saturday’s event, cashing in a $200,000 purse for his main event loss to Yoel Romero, according to information the Florida State Boxing Commission released to MMAFighting.com.
Machida started strong but ultimately fell victim to a brutal third-round TKO at the hands of Romero, marking a second straight loss for the 37-year-old. Romero, meanwhile, earned $66,000 for his winning effort.
Aside from Machida, no other fighter approached six-figure earnings. Burgeoning welterweight contender Lorenz Larkin came the closest, pocketing $66,000 for his co-main event TKO victory over Santiago Ponzinibbio.
UFC Fight Night 70 took place June 27 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL.
In addition to the reported salaries, Larkin joined Ponzinibbio in earning $50,000 in fight night bonuses, as did Romero and main card winner Thiago Santos.
A complete list of the UFC Fight Night 70 salaries can be seen below. As always, these figures do not represent a fighter’s total earnings, as sponsorship money, pay-per-view income, and discretionary post-fight bonuses are not publicly disclosed.
Main Card (FOX Sports 1)
Yoel Romero ($33,000 + $33,000 = $66,000) def. Lyoto Machida ($200,000)
Lorenz Larkin ($33,000 + $33,000 = $66,000) def. Santiago Ponzinibbio ($10,000)
Antonio Carlos Junior ($17,000 + $17,000 = $34,000) def. Eddie Gordon ($15,000)
Thiago Santos ($16,000 + $16,000 = $32,000) def. Steve Bosse ($10,000)
Hacran Dias ($13,000 + $13,000 = $26,000) def. Levan Makashvill ($12,000)
Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 2)
Alex Oliveira ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Joe Merritt ($10,000)
Leandro Silva ($13,000 + $13,000 + $2,000* = $28,000) def. Lewis Gonzalez ($8,000*)
Tony Sims ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Steve Montgomery ($10,000)
Sirwan Kakai ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Danny Martinez ($10,000)
*Silva foreited 20-percent of his purse to Gonzalez after missing weight