UFC 139 Salaries: Somehow, Cung Le Out-Earns Everybody

Cung Le wife Suzanne fist pose UFC MMA photos
(Dear fist-posing douchebag: You were not supposed to be part of this picture.)

The UFC paid out nearly $2 million in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the fighters who competed at UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson, according to figures released yesterday by the California State Athletic Commission.

Though we don’t know what kind of undisclosed “locker room bonuses” were thrown around after the fights, Cung Le was officially the biggest earner of the night, making over $400,000 for his second-round TKO loss to Wanderlei Silva. Seriously. On paper, that’s almost twice what Shogun took home. Then again, Le’s a local hero in San Jose (which made him particularly valuable for this event) with a movie career to attend to (which puts his time at a premium these days). For the record, Dana White isn’t sure if he’ll be back.

The full list of disclosed UFC 139 payouts is below…

Dan Henderson: $320,000 (includes $70,000 Fight of the Night bonus; no win bonus)
def. Mauricio Rua: $235,000 (includes $70,000 Fight of the Night bonus)

Cung Le wife Suzanne fist pose UFC MMA photos
(Dear fist-posing douchebag: You were not supposed to be part of this picture.)

The UFC paid out nearly $2 million in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the fighters who competed at UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson, according to figures released yesterday by the California State Athletic Commission.

Though we don’t know what kind of undisclosed “locker room bonuses” were thrown around after the fights, Cung Le was officially the biggest earner of the night, making over $400,000 for his second-round TKO loss to Wanderlei Silva. Seriously. On paper, that’s almost twice what Shogun took home. Then again, Le’s a local hero in San Jose (which made him particularly valuable for this event) with a movie career to attend to (which puts his time at a premium these days). For the record, Dana White isn’t sure if he’ll be back.

The full list of disclosed UFC 139 payouts is below…

Dan Henderson: $320,000 (includes $70,000 Fight of the Night bonus; no win bonus)
def. Mauricio Rua: $235,000 (includes $70,000 Fight of the Night bonus)

Wanderlei Silva: $270,000 (includes $70,000 Fight of the Night bonus; no win bonus)
def. Cung Le: $420,000 (includes $70,000 Fight of the Night bonus)

Urijah Faber: $134,000 (includes $32,000 win bonus, $70,000 Submission of the Night bonus)
def. Brian Bowles: $19,000

Martin Kampmann: $58,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus)
def. Rick Story: $19,000

Stephan Bonnar: $68,000 (includes $34,000 win bonus)
def. Kyle Kingsbury: $10,000

Ryan Bader: $48,000 (includes $24,00 win bonus)
def. Jason Brilz: $13,000

Michael McDonald: $84,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus, $70,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)
Alex Soto: $6,000

Chris Weidman: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. Tom Lawlor: $12,000

Gleison Tibau: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
def. Rafael Dos Anjos: $16,000

Miguel Torres: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
def. Nick Pace: $4,000

Seth Baczynski: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Matt Brown: $12,000

Danny Castillo: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
def. Shamar Bailey: $8,000

Notes

— When Dan Henderson left the UFC in late 2009, he was making $100,000 to show and $150,000 to win. At his new home in Strikeforce, Henderson initially earned a $250,000 flat fee per fight, but for his final appearance against Fedor Emelianenko, that figure skyrocketed to $800,000. Now that he’s back under a Zuffa contract, his salary has fallen back to earth. But again, who knows what the UFC is paying him under the table. Hopefully it’s a lot, because my God does he deserve it.

— Meanwhile, Cung Le’s $350,000 flat rate in the UFC is a major upgrade for him, considering his salaries were actually decreasing in Strikeforce. Le made $200k for beating up Frank Shamrock in March 2008, $150k for his first fight against Scott Smith in 2009, and $100k for the rematch in 2010.

UFC 125 Salaries: Edgar, Guida, Maynard, Silva Top Six Figures

(Sit back there and say Clay Guida’s hair ain’t luxurious, when you know it is, bitch. / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting)
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has released the payout list for UFC 125, with the total fighter payroll topping out at $1,11…

Clay Guida Takanori Gomi UFC 125 MMA photos
(Sit back there and say Clay Guida’s hair ain’t luxurious, when you know it is, bitch. / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting)

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has released the payout list for UFC 125, with the total fighter payroll topping out at $1,112,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses. MMA Junkie reports that despite the main event ending in a draw, both Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard were given their win bonus money — which insured that they were two of the night’s top earners, since they also picked up the event’s Fight of the Night bonuses.

Other six-figure earners included Clay Guida ($122,000) and Thiago Silva ($110,000). The complete UFC 125 salary list is below, and continues after the jump. Keep in mind that the figures do not include additional income from sponsorships or undisclosed "locker room bonuses," or deductions for taxes, insurance, and licensing fees.

Frankie Edgar: $162,000 (includes $51,000 win bonus, $60,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
vs. Gray Maynard: $112,000 (includes $26,000 win bonus, $60,000 Fight of the Night bonus)

Brian Stann: $42,000 (includes $21,000 win bonus)
def. Chris Leben: $46,000

Thiago Silva: $110,000 (includes $55,000 win bonus)
def. Brandon Vera: $60,000

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Wednesday Morning MMA Link Club

(Where’s a loaded musket when you need one? Props: Fighters Only)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail [email protected] for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…
– Josh Koscheck, George…

Michael Bisping redcoat MMA UFC Fighters Only magazine cover
(Where’s a loaded musket when you need one? Props: Fighters Only)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail [email protected] for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

– Josh Koscheck, Georges St-Pierre Get UFC 124 Hype Officially Underway at Press Conference in Montreal (MMA Fighting)

– Diaz, Thomson Top 211K Fighter Payroll For Diaz vs. Noons II (Heavy.com/MMA)

– SB Nation Exclusive: UFC 120’s Mike Pyle Reflects on His Career in MMA (Watch Kalib Run)

– Why Dan Hardy vs Carlos Condit Should Be the Headline Fight at UFC 120 (Five Ounces of Pain)

– Joseph Benavidez vs. Wagnney Fabiano Booked for WEC 52 (Versus MMA Beat)

– Nick Diaz: How Do These Guys Expect to Beat Me? [VIDEO](FightMagazine)

– Comeback "Gracie Style": Exclusive interview with Daniel Gracie (LowKick)

– Antonio Silva vs. Valentijn Overeem Official For Strikeforce ‘Henderson vs. Babalu’ (MMA Convert)

– Classic Fight: Royler Gracie vs. Genki Sudo @ K-1 MMA Romanex 2004 (MMA Scraps)

– Marloes Coenen Gets a Hero’s Welcome in Amsterdam (MiddleEasy)

UFC 118 Salaries: James ‘Half-a-Milly’ Toney Gets the Last Laugh

(That’s actually ketchup on James’s head. Randy tackled him so quickly that he didn’t even have time to put down the hot dog he was eating. / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com)
The UFC paid out $1,608,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the figh…

James Toney Randy Couture UFC 118
(That’s actually ketchup on James’s head. Randy tackled him so quickly that he didn’t even have time to put down the hot dog he was eating. / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com)

The UFC paid out $1,608,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the fighters who competed at UFC 118, according to figures released by the Massachusetts State Athletic CommissionJames Toney‘s whopping $500,000 salary led the payroll, putting him well ahead of fellow headliners Randy Couture ($250,000) and BJ Penn ($150,000). For you math aficionados out there, Toney earned over $2,500 per second in his UFC debut, which ended due to submission at the 3:19 mark of round 1. (Now calculate how much money you make per second at your job. Isn’t that hilarious?)

Keep in mind that the figures below don’t include additional compensation from sponsorships, undisclosed "locker room" bonuses, or cuts of the pay-per-view revenue that some UFC stars have in their contracts, which means that Randy Couture could have theoretically ended up with a bigger paycheck than James Toney. You know, if that helps you sleep at night.

Frankie Edgar: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus)
def. B.J. Penn: $150,000

Randy Couture: $250,000
def. James Toney: $500,000

Demian Maia: $68,000
def. Mario Miranda: $8,000

Gray Maynard: $46,000 (includes $23,000 win bonus)
def. Kenny Florian: $65,000

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Takanori Gomi Leads ‘Jones vs. Matyushenko’ Salary List

("I deserve to be [*expletive*], FIRST! Before the [*expletive*] jacuzzi! I’ll burn the goddamn house down! But [*expletive*] me first! How DARE YOUUUUUU!!!" Photo courtesy of UFC.com)
The UFC shelled out $640,000 in dis…

Takanori Gomi UFC Live Versus photos Tyson Griffin Jones Matyushenko
("I deserve to be [*expletive*], FIRST! Before the [*expletive*] jacuzzi! I’ll burn the goddamn house down! But [*expletive*] me first! How DARE YOUUUUUU!!!" Photo courtesy of UFC.com)

The UFC shelled out $640,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the fighters at UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko, with Takanori Gomi coming out way in front of the pack; thanks to his win bonus and KO bonus, he was the only fighter on the card to break the six-figure mark. The numbers are below. Keep in mind that they don’t include additional income from sponsorships and those mysterious undisclosed "locker room bonuses," or deductions for taxes, insurance, licensing fees, and new sunglasses.

Jon Jones: $46,000 (includes $23,000 win bonus)
def. Vladimir Matyushenko: $31,000

Yushin Okami: $46,000 (includes $23,000 win bonus)
def. Mark Munoz: $22,000

Jake Ellenberger: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. John Howard: $15,000

Takanori Gomi: $120,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus, $40,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)
def. Tyson Griffin: $30,000

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Chris Leben, Keith Jardine Lead ‘TUF 11 Finale’ Paydays

(Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com)
The UFC paid out $506,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses for Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale event, with longtime Octagon veterans Chris Leben and Keith Jardine taking home the biggest checks. The co…

Chris Leben Aaron Simpson Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale
(Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com)

The UFC paid out $506,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses for Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale event, with longtime Octagon veterans Chris Leben and Keith Jardine taking home the biggest checks. The complete payout list is below; keep in mind that the numbers don’t include additional income from sponsorships and undisclosed "locker room bonuses," or deductions for taxes, insurance, licensing fees, and antibiotics.

Court McGee: $41,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus, $25,000 Submission of the Night bonus)
def. Kris McCray: $8,000

Matt Hamill: $77,000 (includes $26,000 win bonus, $25,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
def. Keith Jardine: $80,000 (includes $25,000 Fight of the Night bonus)

Chris Leben: $95,000 (includes $35,000 win bonus, $25,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)
def. Aaron Simpson: $13,000

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