As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Also, you probably heard about Proper Twelve. Its important to note that opposing fighters do NOT have the same pay structure. Despite losing the fight against Leon Edwards, Nate Diaz took home $250,000 for his performance, more than Edwards earned from his win. However, fighters who get a five-figure purse mostly try to deliver a phenomenal performance, so that they can earn various event bonuses. This was a major source of income for fighters and it all changed with the Reebok deal. Former UFC Champion Michael Bisping for example has what is likely a lucrative sponsorship deal with the boxing and Jiu Jitsu equipment Sanabul, through which he promotes their boxing gloves and Muay Thai gear. At the other end of the scale however, the lowest paid fighters took just $2,500. The main source of income for UFC fighters in the past was salaries from the fighting. He was followed closely by Alistair Overeem, who earns $6.9 million per fight, and Mark Hunt, who earns $5.5 million per fight. Information for bonuses from PPVs is often undisclosed. Then, we took the top and bottom earners for each division and compared them. Making money is a part of being an MMA fighter, but so too is getting hit in the head. This site is a go-to resource for MMA, Boxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu enthusiasts. Depending on the size of their fan base and the tier that they fall into, theyll take home their base earnings. Heavyweight fighters had lower averages for both, with 492 average career strikes taken and 212 average career strikes to the head. UFC giving their champions a percentage of PPVs sold is a perfect business model. The most popular companies that give UFC fighters endorsements are Monster, Burger King, Bud Light, and many others. Last year, Conor said that he excepts as much as $80,000,000 from his fight with Cowboy Cerrone on UFC 246. The lowest paid UFC fighters are the ones that just signed (assuming they werent big names in other promotions before) with the UFC. Lets take you deeper into how it all works. How Much Do Lowest Paid UFC Fighters Earn? Conor McGregor is such an example. Rough deal, right! Sometimes some will throw some grit your way, but thats something that comes later on. That fight earned him an extraordinary amount of $100,000,000 putting him in the Forbes no.4 place of highest paid athletes in a calendar year. In 2018, McGregor also showed up when he fought Khabib in biggest the biggest UFC fight of all time (and the third biggest fight of all time in combat sports history). Reebok did pay the athletes based on the number of fights they had under the UFCs banner: These numbers pale in comparison to what fighters were making from sponsors who were eager to put their logo on a fighters shorts: I've made six figures in sponsorship in each of my last 6 fights https://t.co/gotToaSDJh. In 2019, Conor didnt fight, but that probably didnt stop him from earning millions and millions from his Proper Twelve sales. Flyweight fighters experienced the least, with 128 over a career. Conor McGregor came in tops in the top 10 earners per fight, where he nabs a nifty $9.5 million per match. Nicco Montano, a flyweight fighter, had the highest average head strikes taken per fight at 112, which is quite a bit more than the woman who came in second (bantamweight Irene Aldana with 71). Reports claim that last year, more than 200 fighters (36%) in the UFC made less than $45,000, which is an average household income in the US. Happy #IndependenceDay to all my American friends and fans pic.twitter.com/C81vFe6hkz, Prior to 2015, UFC fighters were allowed to wear the logos of any sponsors they wanted on their fight gear. Sponsorships and endorsements are also a huge source of earning potential for MMA fighters. Then, we looked at average strikes per fight. Fighter earning data was pulled October 2018 and reflects money earned up to this point. Some commissions don't report fighter's salary info, so some earnings have been estimated based on what the fighter had earned in their other fights. It's not an easy job, and it takes a lot of skill to climb the ranks for an MMA fighter. biggest the biggest UFC fight of all time. According to the MMA Manifesto, while fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor take home millions per fight, there are some fighters who only get around $10,000 per fight, which shows a drastic difference in UFCs controversial pay scale. Prize fighting is temporary, Martial Arts is forever. I try my best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you. The highest-paid UFC fighter in 2021 that wasnt a champion was Conor McGregor with $10,022,000 (without PPV bonuses). 2013 - 2022 OnlineGambling.ca All rights reserved. Thats $52,000,000 in two fights. They make BJJ gis, MMA shorts, and all sorts of fighting equipment that Dern uses in her training camps. For example, Conor McGregor has made $10 million in just two fights so far this year! Why trust us? This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. She is a fan of the WWEs pay structure, where wrestlers are immediately put on salary. In 2020, the average UFC fighter made approximately $154,622. The principal way UFC fighters make money is through fights and the paychecks they receive from each. These events feature fights between UFCs biggest stars and Championship fights. Are you keen to share this content with your followers, but you're not sure if it's AOK? Whatever the outcome is (unless they dont make the weight; then they have to give up 20% of the purse), they will get paid what is in their contract for the fight. For example, at UFC 263 on (June 12th, 2011), Leon Edwards was paid $110,000 to show plus an additional $110,000 to win, for a total of $220,000 when he won a 5-round decision against Nate Diaz. They get between $10,000 and $30,000 per fight. [1]. Boxing So, there is a lot of question about how, and how much do UFC fighters get paid. You left out something very important, which is the lowest purse a UFC fighter gets. Finally, we looked to see where the biggest earnings disparities were found. Conor McGregor and Junior Dos Santos were at the second and third spot, taking home $3,060,0003 and $1,560,000, respectively. But, in recent years, there were some changes in sources of income for the fighters. The 33-year-old Irish fighter made a name for himself in the UFC, but thanks to a lot of endorsements he has received and his Proper 12 Irish Whiskey brand, he became one of the highest paid UFC fighters. How Much Do UFC Fighters Make from Sponsorships? When we looked through the stats to see how much a punch to the head generated moneywise, we found that lightweights and not heavyweights were the ones who took the most hits. With MMA being the fastest growing sport globally (you can check who earns more, UFC fighters or boxers), the global popularity of UFC Fighters has skyrocketed. Next, we looked at average strikes for a UFC Men's Division fighter. But, there are also some other promotions where MMA fighters can earn significant money: Although the UFC fighters can earn the biggest amount of money, other MMA promotions are listed above where fighters can earn a significant amount of money. The 2 headliners took home many millions of dollars each. Thats a solid win bonus! His last fight before that was in January 2020, in which he earned $30,000,000 for knocking out Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. Sponsorship usually just throw you gear. Additionally, whoever wins earns an additional prize, which is sometimes double their base pay, though that typically only applies to the first two tiers. Here, we're looking at the (considerably lower) earnings of women in the UFC. Viewers who want to watch PPV events have to pay an additional amount of money ($65 at the time of writing). Their fanbase on social networks is going all the way up. The thing to keep in mind here is the vast majority of the sponsorship money business allocate toward fighters, is for the cream of the crop. Because they get a percentage of it, it is a perfect model for fighters to do their best when promoting the fight. The more viewers they pull in for the UFC and the more fans they have, UFC fighters can earn as much as half a million dollars to three million per fight, if not more. UFC and grappling legend Dean Lister has made some videos for Jiu Jitsu training websites like BJJ Fanatics. In addition to the payments for showing and winning, the UFC also hands out discretionary bonuses for highlight reel performances. Bigger payouts are there for fighters who are top-ranked, but the path is anything but a smooth and simple ride. Its crazy, man. 256 fighters (42%)earned six-figuresin 2021, up from 219 fighters (38%) in 2020. Is Israel Adesanya Gay, Bisex, Or Straight? Rebecca Norris is a full-time freelance writer living in the DC metro area. Each fighter signs a contract for a certain amount of fights, and they are paid a fixed amount of money each time they step inside the Octagon. There is a piece of what they are paid that goes on taxes, coaches, managers, etc. In 2016, he reportedly said the he excepts earnings of about $40,000,000. UFC, on the other hand, is an institution that organizes MMA fights, and one that has gained much popularity over the years for both the fights and the fighters. PPV (pay per view) events are UFCs biggest type of events. According to MMA Manifesto, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was the highest-paid athlete of 2020, making $6,090,000 from his fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, The 24 Hottest Romance Novels of All Time, The Queen Is Once Again Pissed at Wills and Kate, Ant Anstead Shares Photo With Girlfriend Rene, ICYMI, Carrie Underwood Rocked The Tonight Show, 'NCIS' Fans Are in a Heated Debate About Gibbs, Paulina Porizkova, 57, Stuns in Hot Pink Bikini, 40 Absolutely Terrifying Netflix Horror Movies, Lady Gaga Dyed Her Eyebrows And Looks So Different, Alexandra Breckenridge & Her Hubby Are Smitten, Frank Sinatra Was My Enemy Until We Had Dinner. MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world today, and the popularity of the UFC and its fighters has skyrocketed over the years. It does to me. In 2018, just before the Khabib fight, Conor McGregor launched his own whiskey, called Proper Twelve. Top earners in the UFC Women's Divisions were Joanna Jedrzejczyk ($1.8 million per fight), Holly Holm ($1.6 million), Amanda Nunes ($1.2 million), and Rose Namajunas ($987,500). When I talk about UFC fighters payout, it is very important to mention that not all of the money goes directly to them. It's also roughly double what the third fighter on this list took (flyweight Roxanne Modafferi with an average of 55 per fight). While sometimes mistaken, both fight participants actually take home cash. The deal obligated all of the UFC fighters to wear Venum equipment exclusively during the fights. Being a UFC Champion or main eventing the UFC PPV event means that there is a chance that a fighter can have a special item in their contract on which they will receive a percentage of all the sold PPVs. Disclaimer: The aforementioned fighter salaries and UFC pay structure information is sourced from various websites and media reports. As you can see, the amount an MMA fighter makes REALLY depends on where they are in the card. The UFC signed a 5 year, $1.5 billion deal with ESPN to broadcast tons of UFC events every year on ESPN and ESPNs streaming platform ESPN+. Reebok is remaining the UFCs official footwear partner, and the Venum deal will last for 3 years. In 2018, after his bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov, he said that he got around $50,000,000 out of UFC 229 PPVs. Because PPV events feature the best fights the UFC can offer, these types of events get the most views; thus, they generate by far the most money. We then did the math to figure out which women earned the most per strike taken to the head. Prior to UFC 227, former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt unleashed on UFC fighter pay, saying: They get their ass beat and make what, $10,000? We then calculated approximately how much money each fighter earns per head punch. The fighters usually sign a contract for a certain amount of fights for a fixed amount of money each time they step inside the Octagon. Your email address will not be published. I will take UFC 229 as an example (just the five main fights). The popularity of MMA will continue to rise, I believe the ESPN deal with the UFC is just the beginning. One other popular way fighters in the UFC and other organizations make money is through partnerships with martial arts gear companies, as well as supplement brands. Youve got NHL players and MLB players making millions and millions and millions and were the fastest growing sport in the world. How Much Do UFC Fighters Earn from the Actual Fights? While you might think that only the winner would be paid, both fight participants actually take home cash. 500 bucks, and than a percentage of ticket sales, though, be sure to know that ticket sales percentage are commonly not honored. For that, all UFC fighters are getting payouts from Venum sponsorship every time they fight. A fighter has to promote a companys product on social networks, and for that they receive paychecks. Does this seem odd to you? People must understand that not every fighter competes to become the richest fighter of all time, many fighters compete because they simply love MMA. We do have a favor to ask first, though but don't worry, it's not a punch to the head. UFC 262 fight card, tickets and Chandler vs Oliveira preview, Kamaru Usman wants Biggest Fight in UFC History vs Khabib, but doubts it will happen, Highest paid UFC fighter and champion in 2020: Khabib Nurmagomedov ($6 million), Highest paid non-UFC champion in 2020: Conor McGregor ($3 million), Lowest paid UFC champion in 2020: Petr Yan ($230,000), Lowest paid UFC fighter in 2020: Cole Williams ($9,500). With nearly 45% of those strikes taken to the head, they also lead the way in that category with an average of 296 during their career. At UFC 263, a total of $200,000 was dished out as bonus money: The bottom line is how much money a UFC fighter makes all depends on how many fights theyve had previously, how popular they are as a fighter, and how often they fight every year. Here is a breakdown of the UFC and Venum deal: As time goes by, UFC fighters are becoming more and more popular. With the explosion of popularity in MMA thanks to fighters like Conor McGregor over the past few years, fighter pay has substantially risen. Amanda Nunes came out on top here, earning $8,469 per head punch, followed by Julianna Pena at $7,711 and Valentina Shevchenko at $7,361. How Much Money Do MMA Fighters Outside of the UFC Make? There are a ton of different companies that have deals with the UFC fighters. Getting a bonus from PPV sales is a win-win situation for both the UFC fighters and the UFC. Jared Cannonier happy with new six-figure contract, believes UFC fighters should be paid like NFL, NBA athletes https://t.co/fG1hWqDYFa pic.twitter.com/IHZPtY9NYj. It is a perfect way for UFC fighters to cash in their popularity and for the companies to place their products in front of millions and millions of fan eyes. I feel by the time 2016 closes out, Ill be closing in on $40 million. UFC Salary Structure: How Are UFC Fighters Getting Paid? However, this does not impact my reviews and comparisons. Lets take a look at how much the highest paid UFC fighters took home in 2020. Compare that to Boxing. In general, fighters were pretty upset about this. The biggest difference was found among lightweight fighters, where the lowest earners earned a fraction of what their top-ranked counterparts took home over an $830,000 difference between the two. Some numbers were somewhat public. Getting into a sport where victory relies on repeated blows can definitely be risky. I started training Muay Thai in 2013 and fell in love with many other forms of Martial Arts ever since, so much so that I decided to create this website to share my love of the martial arts. BJJ Hi, Im The MMA Guru. Now that you know how UFC fighters earn their money, lets see how much money the UFC fighters got paid in 2021. the highest-paid athlete in the world. The average household income in the U.S. is around $25,000 per year, and 19% of the UFC roster made less (116 fighters to be precise). (& What Was His Record), Do Height And Reach Matter In MMA & UFC (And How Much), 15 Best UFC Games For PC, PS, Xbox, Android & iOS, Fight of the Night: Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis, Performance of the Night: Derrick Lewis and Aspen Ladd, Fighters who have between 1 and 3 fights will receive $4,000, Fighters who have either 4 or 5 fights will receive $4,500 per fight, Fighters who have between 6 and 10 fights will receive $6,000 per fight, Fighters who have between 11 and 15 fights will receive $11,000 per fight, Fighters who have between 16 and 20 fights will receive $16,000 per fight, Fighters who have 21 or more fights will receive $21,000 per fight, Fighters challenging for the UFC title will receive $32,000 for that fight, Fighters that are champions will receive $42,000 per fight.