Tag: ufc salaries

UFC 171 Salaries: Four Fighters Clear Six Figures, Hector Lombard Continues to Make a Killing


(“I’m only making HOW MUCH for this?!” Photo via Getty.)

MMAManifesto released the complete list of disclosed salaries for UFC 171 earlier today, and the biggest takeaway seems to be that former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard continues to make six times more money to show with a 3-2 octagon record than current welterweight champion Johny Hendricks does with an 11-2 record. But hey, at least his decision win over Jake Shields last weekend was a goddamn barnburner, amiright?

Of course, being that the Texas Boxing and Wrestling Authority has decided against releasing the actual salary figures for UFC 171 (a choice typically left up to the discretion of the presiding athletic commission), the numbers you will see after the jump are more an estimate based on the fighters past earnings more than anything else. These figures are also likely to change when the TBWA informs us that a handful of these fighters were high as shit at UFC 171 three months from now.

Hector Lombard: $300,000
Johny Hendricks: $150,000 ($50,000 to show, $50,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Robbie Lawler: $133,000 ($83,000 to show, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Tyron Woodley: $104,000 ($52,000 to show, $52,000 win bonus)


(“I’m only making HOW MUCH for this?!” Photo via Getty.)

MMAManifesto released the complete list of disclosed salaries for UFC 171 earlier today, and the biggest takeaway seems to be that former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard continues to make six times more money to show with a 3-2 octagon record than current welterweight champion Johny Hendricks does with an 11-2 record. But hey, at least his decision win over Jake Shields last weekend was a goddamn barnburner, amiright?

Of course, being that the Texas Boxing and Wrestling Authority has decided against releasing the actual salary figures for UFC 171 (a choice typically left up to the discretion of the presiding athletic commission), the numbers you will see after the jump are more an estimate based on the fighters past earnings more than anything else. These figures are also likely to change when the TBWA informs us that a handful of these fighters were high as shit at UFC 171 three months from now.

Hector Lombard: $300,000
Johny Hendricks: $150,000 ($50,000 to show, $50,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Robbie Lawler: $133,000 ($83,000 to show, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Tyron Woodley: $104,000 ($52,000 to show, $52,000 win bonus)
Ovince St. Preux: $96,000 ($23,000 to show, $23,000 win bonus, $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus)
Dennis Bermudez: $78,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 win bonus, $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus)
Jake Shields: $75,000
Diego Sanchez: $60,000
Carlos Condit: $55,000
Rick Story: $27,000
Frank Trevino: $17,600 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus, $1,600 from Forte for missing weight)
Myles Jury: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)
Kelvin Gastelum: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)
Jessica Andrade: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)
Alex Garcia: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)
Justin Scoggins: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)
Sean Strickland: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)
Robert Whiteford: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)
Daniel Pineda: $15,000
Will Campuzano: $10,000
Nikita Krylov: $8,000
Raquel Pennington: $8,000
Jimy Hettes: $8,000
Sean Spencer: $8,000
Robert McDaniel: $8,000
Renee Forte: $6,400 ($8,000 to show, $1,600 to Trevino for missing weight)

Overpaid: Given the current pay-scale of today’s top MMA fighters, it would be hard to argue that Hector Lombard is *not* the most overpaid fighter in the UFC, and possibly all of MMA. He seems to have found his groove at welterweight, sure, and made a statement in his own right by coasting to victory over a former (Strikeforce) champion in Jake Shields last weekend. But for a guy who made $700,000 for his first underwhelming fight in the UFC and continues to make 300K per fight to date, Lombard has yet to truly put in three decent rounds of fighting. Consecutively, at least.

Underpaid: I could just take the easy route here and say “everyone below Diego Sanchez,” but I’m going to focus on one guy in particular: Dennis Bermudez. The former is currently riding a six-fight win streak over solid competition, and hasn’t dropped a fight since coming up short in the TUF 14 Finale, but he’s still making just a 14K/14K split? Then again, maybe that’s the point of these new “Performance Bonuses” — you pay each guy so little that they have no option but to fight like their life is on the line. Because it is. Touche, UFC. Touche.

Oh yeah, and Carlos Condit at $55,000 to show seems downright criminal considering how exciting and consistent a fighter he is (his past few losses aside), but we’d like to imagine that the former WEC champ is really making his bank in undisclosed, locker room bonuses and dose sweet HEADRUSH monies. We have to believe that to get out of bed each morning and continue writing about this crazy, crazy sport, really.

One final thing of note: Does anyone find it odd that Dana White raked Alistair Overeem over the coals for his tactical dismantling of Frank Mir, yet when Lombard turns on autopilot for two rounds, he praises him? A little consistency is all we’re asking for, Dearest Overlord of MMA Media.

–J. Jones

Nate Diaz Lands Gig at NASA, Requests to Be Released From UFC Contract via Twitter


(Well, at least he didn’t call anyone a fag. Via Diaz’s Twitter.)

If we know anything about the members of Team Cesar Gracie, it’s that they’re a tightly-wound, fiercely loyal bunch. So when the news broke that Gilbert Melendez and the UFC had failed to reach an agreement on his new contract, prompting “El Nino” to sorta sign with Bellator, we figured it was only a matter of time before his Cesar Gracie counterparts jumped ship as well.

Of course, being that Melendez *was* able to reach an agreement with the UFC after calling their bluff, it comes as something of a surprise that former lightweight title challenger Nate Diaz is now asking to be released from his contract. But that’s what happened yesterday, unless Diaz’s Twitter was somehow hacked. Diaz sent out the above tweet last night, stating “It’s time for me to be on my way…?” This of course, can only mean one of four things:


(Well, at least he didn’t call anyone a fag. Via Diaz’s Twitter.)

If we know anything about the members of Team Cesar Gracie, it’s that they’re a tightly-wound, fiercely loyal bunch. So when the news broke that Gilbert Melendez and the UFC had failed to reach an agreement on his new contract, prompting “El Nino” to sorta sign with Bellator, we figured it was only a matter of time before his Cesar Gracie counterparts jumped ship as well.

Of course, being that Melendez *was* able to reach an agreement with the UFC after calling their bluff, it comes as something of a surprise that former lightweight title challenger Nate Diaz is now asking to be released from his contract. But that’s what happened yesterday, unless Diaz’s Twitter was somehow hacked. Diaz sent out the above tweet last night, stating “It’s time for me to be on my way…?” This of course, can only mean one of four things:

-Nate finally landed that aerospace engineering gig at NASA

-Realizing that Melendez is destined to be the lightweight champion, Nate has decided to step back and devote himself full time to training/coaching his buddy to greatness

-”No, you know I…there gonna suspend me, you know, for that sh*t, and uh, you know I’m like ‘I don’t even, I don’t give, I don’t even know why I do this.’”

-Like Melendez before him, Diaz is attempting to up his value in the UFC by threatening to jump ship.

Personally, I’m going with option 4 as the most likely scenario (hence his use of the question mark at the end of his statement), in which case, all the power to Diaz. His listed salary for his last fight was a measly $15,000 to show, and while it’s obvious that Diaz is making more than that in undisclosed bonuses, there’s no denying that a former title challenger and TUF winner (you know, when that actually meant something) deserves a much higher base rate to get his head smashed in than that.

Hell, I honestly believe that the minimum show rate for any UFC fighter should be $50,000 per fight, no matter how many G5′s the UFC’s head honchos are forced to pay off in installments instead of one down payment because of it. So take to the streets in protest, Nate! THE POTATO NATION HAS YOUR BACK!!

As of this write-up, the UFC has offered no response to Diaz’s request, but expect Dana White to publicly rake Diaz over the coals for being “a f*cking dummy who I’ve already made a millionaire” any second now.

–J. Jones

UFC 170 Salaries + Bonuses: Ronda Rousey and Daniel Cormier Both Earn $160,000 in Disclosed Pay


(Cormier spent more on Popeye’s delivery that night than Durkins made for getting his ass kicked. / Props: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports, via MMAJunkie)

The UFC paid out $843,000 in disclosed salaries to the fighters who competed at UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann, according to figures released today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, in addition to $200,000 in performance bonuses.

Before we get into the numbers, let’s take a moment to point out that they’re basically meaningless, since the UFC doesn’t reveal how much its fighters earn from undisclosed “locker room bonuses” and pay-per-view incentives. (And sometimes, the show/win figure itself is rather suspicious.) For example, UFC 170 headliner Ronda Rousey made just $160,000 in disclosed money for her delightfully controversial TKO of Sara McMann, but everybody knows that she really makes more that GSP, Anderson, and Lesnar combined.

The full UFC 170 salary list is below…

Ronda Rousey ($110,000, including $55,000 win bonus and $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus)
def. Sara McMann ($16,000)

Daniel Cormier ($160,000, including $80,000 win bonus)
def. Patrick Cummins ($8,000)

Rory MacDonald ($150,000, including $50,000 win bonus and $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
def. Demian Maia ($114,000, including $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)


(Cormier spent more on Popeye’s delivery that night than Durkins made for getting his ass kicked. / Props: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports, via MMAJunkie)

The UFC paid out $843,000 in disclosed salaries to the fighters who competed at UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann, according to figures released today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, in addition to $200,000 in performance bonuses.

Before we get into the numbers, let’s take a moment to point out that they’re basically meaningless, since the UFC doesn’t reveal how much its fighters earn from undisclosed “locker room bonuses” and pay-per-view incentives. (And sometimes, the show/win figure itself is rather suspicious.) For example, UFC 170 headliner Ronda Rousey made just $160,000 in disclosed money for her delightfully controversial TKO of Sara McMann, but everybody knows that she really makes more that GSP, Anderson, and Lesnar combined.

The full UFC 170 salary list is below…

Ronda Rousey ($110,000, including $55,000 win bonus and $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus)
def. Sara McMann ($16,000)

Daniel Cormier ($160,000, including $80,000 win bonus)
def. Patrick Cummins ($8,000)

Rory MacDonald ($150,000, including $50,000 win bonus and $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
def. Demian Maia ($114,000, including $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)

Mike Pyle ($96,000, including $48,000 win bonus)
def. T.J. Waldburger ($18,000)

Stephen Thompson ($78,000, including $14,000 win bonus and $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus)
def. Robert Whittaker ($15,000)

Alexis Davis ($30,000, including $15,000 win bonus)
def. Jessica Eye ($8,000)

Raphael Assunção ($56,000, including $28,000 win bonus)
def. Pedro Muhnoz ($8,000)

Aljamain Sterling ($16,000, including $8,000 win bonus)
def. Cody Gibson ($8,000)

Zach Makovsky ($24,000, including $12,000 win bonus)
def. Josh Sampo ($10,000)

Erik Koch ($30,000, including $15,000 win bonus)
def. Rafaello Oliveira ($14,000)

Ernest Chavez ($16,000, including $8,000 win bonus)
def. Yosdenis Cedeno ($8,000)

Not sure if underpaid or overpaid: Let’s be real, Patrick Cummins could have been killed in there. On the other hand, would you rather take a 79-second ass-whuppin’ from Daniel Cormier, or work for 800 hours in a coffee shop making hot drinks for assholes at $10/hour? Cummins got an opportunity that most up-and-coming fighters would probably take for free, sadly.

I’d say that Cummins is “not ready for the UFC” at this point, but of course he is. At 4-1, he’s more than qualified to compete on the prelims of an international Fight Pass event, where he’d face off against another too-green prospect for the opportunity to fight on future Fight Pass cards.

That’s the best case scenario for Cummins right now, because he accepted an invite to the big show too soon. In the UFC, you’re either a fighter the promotion wants to develop, or the meat that gets fed to them. Maybe two or three years from now Patrick Cummins could have been a prospect that the UFC was actually interested in. Instead, he chose to be the meat, after being fooled by one of the biggest lies in the MMA promoter’s handbook: Anything can happen in this sport.

UFC 169 Salaries: Alistair Overeem Craps His Way to $400K, Aldo, Mir, Faber and Trujillo Also Clear Six Figures


(“What are you doing out there, Alistair? Quit playing around and put a *real* hurting on this guy!” Photo via Getty.)

The official salaries for UFC 169 were released earlier today, and despite being panned by 100% of Dana Whites across the globe, Alistair Overeem and Jose Aldo managed to walk away with the two highest salaries of the evening, banking $407,143 and $240,000, respectively. In a slight departure from what we have come to expect, three other fighters also cleared six figures at UFC 169, although in the case of Abe Trujillo, it was thanks greatly in part to the pair of “end of the night” bonuses he picked up for his second round KO of Jamie Varner to open up the main card.

The full list of salaries for UFC 169 is below, so follow us after the jump and take a gander, then entertain us as we yell at a wall.

Alistair Overeem: $407,143 ($285,714 to show, $121,429 win bonus)
Jose Aldo: $240,000 ($120,000 to show, $120,000 win bonus)


(“What are you doing out there, Alistair? Quit playing around and put a *real* hurting on this guy!” Photo via Getty.)

The official salaries for UFC 169 were released earlier today, and despite being panned by 100% of Dana Whites across the globe, Alistair Overeem and Jose Aldo managed to walk away with the two highest salaries of the evening, banking $407,143 and $240,000, respectively. In a slight departure from what we have come to expect, three other fighters also cleared six figures at UFC 169, although in the case of Abe/ Trujillo, it was thanks greatly in part to the pair of “end of the night” bonuses he picked up for his second round KO of Jamie Varner to open up the main card.

The full list of salaries for UFC 169 is below, so follow us after the jump and take a gander, then entertain us as we yell at a wall.

Alistair Overeem: $407,143 ($285,714 to show, $121,429 win bonus)
Jose Aldo: $240,000 ($120,000 to show, $120,000 win bonus)
Frank Mir: $200,000
Abel Trujillo: $145,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 win bonus, $75,000 FOTN bonus, $50,000 KOTN bonus)
Urijah Faber: $100,000
Jamie Varner: $92,000 ($17,000 to show, $75,000 FOTN bonus)
Nick Catone: $26,000 ($13,000 to show, $13,000 win bonus)
Chris Cariaso: $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 win bonus)
Renan Barao: $22,000 ($11,000 to show, $11,000 win bonus)
Ali Bagautinov: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 win bonus)
Al Iaquinta: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 win bonus)
Alan Patrick: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)
Clint Hester: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)
Rashid Magomedov: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)
Neil Magny: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)

John Makdessi: $12,000
Ricardo Lamas: $10,000
John Lineker: $8,000
Danny Martinez: $8,000
Tom Watson: $8,000
Kevin Lee: $8,000
Andy Enz: $8,000
Tony Martin: $8,000
Gasan Umalatov: $8,000

Per usual, we should inform you that these figures are absent of any undisclosed locker room bonuses, training fees, etc.

Underpaid: Once you realize that former WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner only makes 17k to show after 11 years in the game, you start to understand why he’s so willing to put it all on the line, even if it means walking face first into his opponent’s fists, to secure an “end of the night” bonus. We’re not saying he’s underpaid per se, considering he’s dropped 3 out of his past 4 fights, we’re just saying that it sucks to see how undervalued he is.

Who else? Let’s scan down the list here an-RENAN BARAO ONLY MADE 22K R U SRS BRO?! RICARDO LAMAS MADE 10K TO FIGHT FOR A TITLE?!! GAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Overpaid: 

–J. Jones

Fight Night 35 Salaries: Luke Rockhold, Cole Miller (?!) Top a Half Million Dollar Payroll


(Now that Cole is financially better off, maybe he can afford to stop stealing his fight trunks from Cody McKenzie’s dresser. Photo via Getty.)

About midway through the Fight Night 35 main card, I headed to a local bar with some friends for trivia night, my intention being to halfheartedly watch the card to completion whilst shoveling down pull pork nachos and trying to figure out who the 14th President of the United States was without using the smartphone I don’t even have.

Amidst a crowd of heavily inebriated Bostonians, I attempted to get the bartender to change one of the 15 plasma screen televisions surrounding me to FOX Sports 1. She changed it to FOX, at the exact moment American Idol was starting, which drew some strange reactions from the bar patrons that in turn forced me to hang my head in shame until she made it back around. When she finally did, and after a brief back and forth about what FS1 exactly was, she informed me that “we don’t play fights here” before switching to CNN.

This intolerance left me cold inside, colder than any amount of nachos could ever hope to warm. But I tried, dammit. I really tried…

What does any of this have to do with the Fight Night 35 salaries? Nothing, I guess. I just thought it would interest you to know that MMA bias is still alive and rampant, even in some of the sport’s most gung-ho cities. Join us after the jump to see the saddening result of this intolerance.


(Now that Cole is financially better off, maybe he can afford to stop stealing his fight trunks from Cody McKenzie’s dresser. Photo via Getty.)

About midway through the Fight Night 35 main card, I headed to a local bar with some friends for trivia night, my intention being to halfheartedly watch the card to completion whilst shoveling down pull pork nachos and trying to figure out who the 14th President of the United States was without using the smartphone I don’t even have.

Amidst a crowd of heavily inebriated Bostonians, I attempted to get the bartender to change one of the 15 plasma screen televisions surrounding me to FOX Sports 1. She changed it to FOX, at the exact moment American Idol was starting, which drew some strange reactions from the bar patrons that in turn forced me to hang my head in shame until she made it back around. When she finally did, and after a brief back and forth about what FS1 exactly was, she informed me that “we don’t play fights here” before switching to CNN.

This intolerance left me cold inside, colder than any amount of nachos could ever hope to warm. But I tried, dammit. I really tried…

What does any of this have to do with the Fight Night 35 salaries? Nothing, I guess. I just thought it would interest you to know that MMA bias is still alive and rampant, even in some of the sport’s most gung-ho cities. Join us after the jump to see the saddening result of this intolerance.

Luke Rockhold: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus)
def. Constantinos Philippou: $23,000

Brad Tavares: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
def. Lorenz Larkin: $26,000

T.J. Dillashaw: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Mike Easton: $14,000

Yoel Romero: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Derek Brunson: $19,000

John Moraga: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
def. Dustin Ortiz: $10,000

Cole Miller: $56,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus)
def. Sam Sicilia: $10,000

Ramsey Nijem: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Justin Edwards: $10,000

Elias Silverio: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Isaac Vallie-Flagg: $12,000

Trevor Smith: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Brian Houston: $8,000

Louis Smolka: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Alptekin Ozkilic: $10,000

Vinc Pichel: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Garett Whiteley: $8,000

Beneil Dariush: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Charlie Brenneman: $10,000

Nothing too surprising here, although given their respective octagon records, it shocks me to learn that Costa Philippou makes less to show than Cole Miller. He may have lost his last two fights, but for a guy who was in talks of title convention prior to his recent skid, he sure ain’t making that much to show for it. Same goes for the Derek Brunson/John Moraga discrepancy. Guess it pays to eat your Wheaties, kids.

But seriously, the bartender might as well have told me that MMA fans are a bunch of psychopathic miscreants who hold no place in decent, basketball-watching, beer-chugging society. She said it with her eyes, anyways.

–J. Jones

UFC 168 Salaries: Silva Banks 600K Severance Package, Rousey Breaks Six Figures


(And he couldn’t be happier, ladies and gentleman! Author’s note: I am so going to hell. Photo via r/MMA)

It might seem disrespectful to discuss something as frivolous as money in these post-Silva-leg-break times, but the salaries for UFC 168 were released earlier today and it is our civic duty to inform you who made out like a bandit and who will be ringing in the New Year with a feast of Ramen noodles and cut up hot dogs (a.k.a “The Danga Delight”).

You’ll be pleased to know that despite shattering his leg to fuck on Saturday, Anderson Silva still made enough money to purchase a nice little villa in the Poconos and enjoy his (probable) retirement. It probably wasn’t the severance package he had in mind, but such is life in the fight game. Meanwhile, Corey Hill is still toiling away in obscurity and predicting when it will rain three days in advance.

The full list of disclosed salaries are after the jump. Per usual, they are absent of any “Of the Night” bonuses, training fees, etc.

Chris Weidman: $400,000 (includes $200,000 win bonus)
def. Anderson Silva: $600,000

Champ Ronda Rousey: $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus)
def. Miesha Tate: $28,000


(And he couldn’t be happier, ladies and gentleman! Author’s note: I am so going to hell. Photo via r/MMA)

It might seem disrespectful to discuss something as frivolous as money in these post-Silva-leg-break times, but the salaries for UFC 168 were released earlier today and it is our civic duty to inform you who made out like a bandit and who will be ringing in the New Year with a feast of Ramen noodles and cut up hot dogs (a.k.a “The Danga Delight”).

You’ll be pleased to know that despite shattering his leg to fuck on Saturday, Anderson Silva still made enough money to purchase a nice little villa in the Poconos and enjoy his (probable) retirement. It probably wasn’t the severance package he had in mind, but such is life in the fight game. Meanwhile, Corey Hill is still toiling away in obscurity and predicting when it will rain three days in advance.

The full list of disclosed salaries are after the jump. Per usual, they are absent of any “Of the Night” bonuses, training fees, etc.

Chris Weidman: $400,000 (includes $200,000 win bonus)
def. Anderson Silva: $600,000

Champ Ronda Rousey: $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus)
def. Miesha Tate: $28,000

Travis Browne: $56,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus)
def. Josh Barnett: $170,000

Jim Miller: $92,000 (includes $46,000 win bonus)
def. Fabricio Camoes: $8,000

Dustin Poirier: $46,000 (includes $23,000 win bonus)
def. Diego Brandao: $20,000*

Uriah Hall: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Chris Leben: $51,000

Michael Johnson: $36,000 (includes $18,000 win bonus)
def. Gleison Tibau: $39,000

Dennis Siver: $66,000 (includes $33,000 win bonus)
def. Manny Gamburyan: $25,000

John Howard: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
def. Siyar Bahadurzada: $17,000

William Macario: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Bobby Voelker: $12,000

Robert Peralta: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. Estevan Payan: $10,000

Rather than stick to our normal Overpaid-Underpaid method of analysis, I’d just like to repeat one thing: Fabricio Camoes made $8,000 to fight on the biggest main card of the year. I can only hope that some of the extra $5 we were all forced to pay for this card made it into his pocket, or we’ll surely be seeing his face pop up on one of those “Save the Children” commercials in the near future. “For only the price of a cup of (Starbucks) coffee a day, you can help a fighter who is being royally screwed over avoid starvation.”

–J. Jones