The UFC’s Memorial Day weekend event, UFC 160 has wrapped up from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and Cain Velasquez made short work of Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in defending his UFC heavyweight title. Silva looked like he might have had a chance early when he stopped two Velasquez takedowns. Velasquez, more than […]
The UFC’s Memorial Day weekend event, UFC 160 has wrapped up from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and Cain Velasquez made short work of Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in defending his UFC heavyweight title. Silva looked like he might have had a chance early when he stopped two Velasquez takedowns. Velasquez, more than […]
(Anderson Silva’s knees and GSP’s shorts — no can defend. / Photo via Getty Images)
According to information released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the UFC paid out $708,500 in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the 24 fighters who competed at the Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale on Saturday. Main-eventer Urijah Faber was the only fighter to crack six-figures. (If you don’t include end-of-night bonuses, he was also the only fighter to earn over $50,000 in show/win money.) Check out the full payout list below, and keep in mind that these numbers don’t include additional revenue from sponsorships or undisclosed “locker room bonuses,” or deductions from taxes, insurance, and licensing fees.
Kelvin Gastelum: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus; he also won a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a glass thing)
def. Uriah Hall: $8,000
Cat Zingano*: $64,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
def. Miesha Tate: $78,000 (includes $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Travis Browne: $90,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus, $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)
def. Gabriel Gonzaga: $24,000
(Anderson Silva’s knees and GSP’s shorts — no can defend. / Photo via Getty Images)
According to information released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the UFC paid out $708,500 in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the 24 fighters who competed at the Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale on Saturday. Main-eventer Urijah Faber was the only fighter to crack six-figures. (If you don’t include end-of-night bonuses, he was also the only fighter to earn over $50,000 in show/win money.) Check out the full payout list below, and keep in mind that these numbers don’t include additional revenue from sponsorships or undisclosed “locker room bonuses,” or deductions from taxes, insurance, and licensing fees.
Kelvin Gastelum: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus; he also won a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a glass thing)
def. Uriah Hall: $8,000
Cat Zingano*: $64,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
def. Miesha Tate: $78,000 (includes $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Travis Browne: $90,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus, $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)
def. Gabriel Gonzaga: $24,000
Daniel Pineda: $76,000 (includes $13,000 win bonus, $50,000 Submission of the Night bonus)
def. Justin Lawrence: $8,000
* Note:Cat Zingano‘s $7,000 to-show salary was $1,000 less than the lowest-earning male fighters on the lineup. In other words, a main-card fighter who was potentially one fight away from a title shot against Ronda Rousey was guaranteed 87.5% of the salary of TUF 17 castmembers like Kevin Casey, Collin Hart, Gilbert Smith, and Jimmy Quinlan, who will likely be released after losing their fights on Saturday. It’s hard to avoid thinking about the gender wage gap when an undefeated female prospect is conspicuously paid less than everybody else. (Here’s the part where you call me a liberal pussy, girls are lucky to be on the card in the first place, Joe Rogan Podcast all day.)
One of the hottest topics following any UFC fight card is who made how much money. For some reason, fans love to discuss the salaries of fighters when they are released by the various athletic commissions. Mostly, they love to opine about how badly “Fighter X” was underpaid as compared to how “Fighter Y” was […]
One of the hottest topics following any UFC fight card is who made how much money. For some reason, fans love to discuss the salaries of fighters when they are released by the various athletic commissions. Mostly, they love to opine about how badly “Fighter X” was underpaid as compared to how “Fighter Y” was […]
UFC 157 took place on Saturday, February 23 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. The event featured a first for the promotion, as Ronda Rousey put her UFC women’s bantamweight title on the line against Liz Carmouche in the first-ever women’s mixed martial arts contest in the UFC. Leading up to the fight, Rousey […]
UFC 157 took place on Saturday, February 23 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. The event featured a first for the promotion, as Ronda Rousey put her UFC women’s bantamweight title on the line against Liz Carmouche in the first-ever women’s mixed martial arts contest in the UFC. Leading up to the fight, Rousey […]
The UFC closed out 2012 on Saturday night with UFC 155. The events saw a new UFC heavyweight champion crowned as Cain Velasquez wrested the title away from Junior dos Santos with a dominant five round performance, while in the co-main event Jim Miller returned to the win column with a “Fight of the Night” […]
The UFC closed out 2012 on Saturday night with UFC 155. The events saw a new UFC heavyweight champion crowned as Cain Velasquez wrested the title away from Junior dos Santos with a dominant five round performance, while in the co-main event Jim Miller returned to the win column with a “Fight of the Night” […]
You know, it really speaks volumes about what The Ultimate Fighter has become when the greatest display of MMA from the past season came during an event that featured next to none of the show’s participants. Add in the fact that the Ricci/Smith “finale” was the MMA equivalent of watching two illiterates play Scrabble (BRYNDEX is so a word!) and that should give you a good indication of the Tijuana back-alley abortion that TUF 16 truly was. Hell, 12 of the show’s 16 contestants have already been cut from the UFC’s roster and even the coaches couldn’t care less.
What does this all add up to? Mainly, a payout that is as abysmal as the show itself, save a few exceptions. Granted, the money almost seems fair considering the talent levels of the guys involved, but we’ll be damned if it isn’t semi-depressing to look at all the same. So check out the salaries along with our thoughts after the jump and let us know who you think got royally screwed.
You know, it really speaks volumes about what The Ultimate Fighter has become when the greatest display of MMA from the past season came during an event that featured next to none of the show’s participants. Add in the fact that the Ricci/Smith “finale” was the MMA equivalent of watching two illiterates play Scrabble (BRYNDEX is so a word!) and that should give you a good indication of the Tijuana back-alley abortion that TUF 16 truly was. Hell, 12 of the show’s 16 contestants have already been cut from the UFC’s roster and even the coaches couldn’t care less.
What does this all add up to? Mainly, a payout that is as abysmal as the show itself, save a few exceptions. Granted, the money almost seems fair considering the talent levels of the guys involved, but we’ll be damned if it isn’t semi-depressing to look at all the same. So check out the salaries along with our thoughts after the jump and let us know who you think got royally screwed.
Johnny Bedford: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Marcos Vinicius: $8,000
Rustam Khabilov: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Vinc Pichel: $8,000
T.J. Waldburger: $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win)
Nick Catone: $13,000
Hugo Viana: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Reuben Duran: $8,000
Mike Rio: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
John Cofer: $6,000
Tim Elliott: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 to win)
Jared Papazian: $6,000
Thoughts…
Underpaid: Who would have guessed that being a constant thorn in Dana White’s ass would backfire on Roy Nelson? Here we have both a TUF winner and coach who makes just four grand more to show than Shane del Rosario, a relatively unknown heavyweight who has now had his ass thoroughly kicked in both of his UFC contests. Let’s put it this way: If Roy Nelson were a troll (which, let’s be honest, is what he has basically become), that toll wouldn’t even be enough to get into a boy’s hole soul. No wonder Nelson enjoys Burger King so much; with that kind of payday it’s probably all he can afford to eat. Then again, Nelson fought 3 times in 2012, so maybe he’s just a fatass who enjoys terrible food.
The same goes literally double for Matt Mitrione, who despite putting together a five fight win streak from 2009-2011 that included four highlight reel finishes, is somehow getting paid less than Jonathan Brookins, who should be locked into the same TUF contract. “Meathead” is even making less to show than Nick Catone, who is a whopping 2-4 in his last six fights. Shit happens when you refuse to fight Daniel Cormier on short notice.
Overpaid: I can’t really claim that anyone on this list is overpaid, but the fact that Jamie Varner made 12 grand to vomit backstage really makes me question why my prostitute is charging me double that to do the same thing to her every other Tuesday. Looks like somebody is getting fleeced.
