Unveiling the Earnings of UFC’s Elite: A Deep Dive into Fighter Payouts
The UFC antitrust lawsuit documents have shed light on the financial aspects of the sport, revealing the full payouts of some of its biggest stars. A deeper analysis by Bloody Elbow into the “Internal Zuffa Bout Compensation” list has brought to the fore the earnings of several former UFC champions, sparking discussions among fight enthusiasts about the financial dynamics of the sport.
Deciphering UFC Fighter Payouts
Methodology Behind the Numbers
An appendix from Roger D. Blair’s expert report, part of the unsealed lawsuit documents, listed payouts to UFC fighters from 2011 to 2016. Although individual names weren’t explicitly mentioned, the report included details like the number of bouts and the number of fighters receiving specific payouts, which helped identify many top earners.
For instance, the report made it easier to deduce that a UFC debutant in 2016 with a $1,042,736 payout was likely CM Punk, or that Anderson Silva was the probable candidate for a $4,374,326 payout in his 18th UFC fight in 2013.
Cross-Referencing for Accuracy
Bloody Elbow’s business expert John Nash, utilizing disclosed purses from lawsuits and athletic commissions, helped further pin down these figures. While some discrepancies and human errors exist in the data, like Cain Velasquez’s payout for his 14th UFC fight mistakenly listed as his 15th, the overall analysis provides a more comprehensive view of fighter compensations.
The Financial Landscape of UFC from 2011-2016
Analyzing Payout Trends Over the Years
John S. Nash compiled intriguing statistics on overall payouts during the class period of 2011-2016, revealing:
- A total of 5004 bout compensations.
- The total compensation amounting to $505,028,484.
- The lowest pay being $4,000 for one fighter in 2011.
- The highest pay reaching $8,000,000 for Brock Lesnar in 2016.
- The mean average payout per bout was $100,925, while the median average was $29,000.
A Year-by-Year Breakdown of UFC Payouts
2011: Establishing a Baseline
- Total Bout Compensations: 600
- Total Compensation: $65,315,210
- Mean Average Payout: $108,859
- Median Average Payout: $14,500
The year 2011 set a baseline for UFC fighter payouts. While the mean average was relatively high, the median average indicated that the bulk of fighters earned significantly less.
2012: A Shift in Dynamics
- Total Bout Compensations: 682
- Total Compensation: $59,996,307
- Mean Average Payout: $87,971
- Median Average Payout: $25,000
In 2012, there was an increase in the number of total bout compensations, but the total compensation and mean average payout saw a decrease, reflecting a shift in the UFC’s payout structure.
2013: An Upward Trend
- Total Bout Compensations: 773
- Total Compensation: $82,064,874
- Mean Average Payout: $106,164
- Median Average Payout: $20,000
2013 marked an upward trend in both the number of bouts and total compensation, indicating a growing financial stature of the UFC.
2014: More Fights, Varied Earnings
- Total Bout Compensations: 1018
- Total Compensation: $62,722,405
- Mean Average Payout: $61,613
- Median Average Payout: $25,000
2014 saw a significant increase in the number of fights, although the mean average payout dipped, suggesting a broader distribution of financial resources among fighters.
2015: Continuing the Growth
- Total Bout Compensations: 945
- Total Compensation: $98,346,976
- Mean Average Payout: $104,071
- Median Average Payout: $29,000
The year 2015 continued the upward trajectory in terms of total compensation, with both mean and median averages showing healthy increases.
2016: Peak Financial Year
- Total Bout Compensations: 986
- Total Compensation: $136,582,712
- Mean Average Payout: $138,522
- Median Average Payout: $36,000
2016 stood out as the peak year financially, with the highest mean and median averages, reflecting the UFC’s growing commercial success and its impact on fighter compensations.
Specific Earnings of Former UFC Champions
High Profile Payouts
The analysis revealed significant payouts for several former champions, including:
Heavyweight
Stipe Miocic
- Vs. Junior dos Santos: $125,000 (Disclosed purse: $80,000; 30K+50K bonus)
- Vs. Alistair Overeem: $692,736 (Disclosed purse: $650,000; 600K+50K bonus)
Cain Velasquez
- Vs. Antonio Silva 2: $475,000 or $1,119,166 (Disclosed purse: $400,000)
- Vs. Travis Browne: $350,000 (Disclosed purse: $350,000; 300K+50K bonus)
- Note: Listed as 15th fight but should be 14th.
Junior dos Santos
- Vs. Cain Velasquez 2: $450,000 or $762,251 (Disclosed purse: $400,000)
- Vs. Stipe Miocic: $335,000 (Disclosed purse: $310,000; 130K/130K+50K bonus)
Frank Mir
- Vs. Roy Nelson: $400,000 or $475,000 (Disclosed purse: $250,000; 125K/125K)
- Vs. Junior dos Santos: $480,000 or $583,377 (Disclosed purse: $200,000)
- Vs. Daniel Cormier: $415,000 (Disclosed purse: $200,000)
- Vs. Josh Barnett: $415,000 (Disclosed purse: $200,000)
- Vs. Alistair Overeem: $415,000
- Vs. Antonio Silva: $450,000 or $470,000 (Disclosed purse: $200,000)
- Vs. Todd Duffee: $475,000 (Disclosed purse: $250,000; 200K+50K bonus)
- Vs. Andrei Arlovski: $110,000
- Vs. Mark Hunt: $400,000
Andrei Arlovski
- Vs. Frank Mir: $225,000 (Disclosed purse: $225,000)
- Vs. Stipe Miocic: $250,000 or $260,000 (Disclosed purse: $250,000)
- Vs. Alistair Overeem: $275,000
Josh Barnett
- Vs. Roy Nelson: $220,000
Light Heavyweight
Randy Couture
- Vs. Lyoto Machida: $1,750,000 or $1,396,544
Tito Ortiz
- Vs. Ryan Bader: $820,370 (Disclosed purse: $525,000 – 450K+75K bonus)
- Vs. Rashad Evans: $1,221,632
- Vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: $1,396,544 or $1,750,000
- Vs. Forrest Griffin: $2,542,792 (Disclosed purse: $325,000 – 250K+75K bonus)
- Note: Griffin fight was part of the Sonnen vs. Silva 2 card.
Daniel Cormier
- Vs. Jon Jones 1: $1,140,000
- Vs. Anthony Johnson 1: $630,000 or 1,000,000 (Disclosed purse: $230,000 – 90K/90K+50K bonus)
- Vs. Alexander Gustafsson: $390,000 or $464,286
- Vs. Anderson Silva: $2,048,343 (Disclosed purse: $500,000)
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
- Vs. Matt Hamill: $862,850 or $1,176,108 (Disclosed purse: $250,000)
- Vs. Jon Jones: $857,143 or $1,705,969
- Vs. Fabio Maldonado: $1,100,000
Rashad Evans
- Vs. Jon Jones: $537,000 or $1,300,000 (Disclosed purse: $300,000)
- Vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: $300,000 (Disclosed purse: $300,000)
- Vs. Dan Henderson: $515,000
- Vs. Chael Sonnen: $550,000 (Disclosed purse: $250,000 – 125K/125K)
Forrest Griffin
- Vs. Rich Franklin: $500,000 (Disclosed purse: $275,000 – 125K/150K)
- Vs. Tito Ortiz: $575,000 (Disclosed purse: $350,000 – 125K/150K+75K bonus)
Shogun Rua
- Vs. James Te Huna: $600,000 or $1,000,000
- Vs. Dan Henderson 2: $285,000 or $530,000
- Vs. Ovince Saint Preux: $195,000 or $550,000
Lyoto Machida
- Vs. Randy Couture: $329,000
- Vs. Ryan Bader: $400,000 (Disclosed purse: $200,000)
- Vs. Phil Davis: $200,000
- Vs. Mark Munoz: $800,000
- Vs. Gegard Mousasi: $207,000 or $550,000
- Vs. Chris Weidman: $550,000 (Disclosed purse: $250,000 – 200K+50K bonus)
- Vs. CB Dollaway: $675,000
- Vs. Luke Rockhold: $525,000
- Vs. Yoel Romero: $200,000 or $500,000 (Disclosed purse: $200,000)
Vitor Belfort
- Vs. Jon Jones: $500,000
- Vs. Michael Bisping: $650,000
- Vs. Luke Rockhold: $750,000
- Vs. Dan Henderson: $850,000
Middleweight
Chris Weidman
- Vs. Anderson Silva 2: $1,967,908 (Disclosed purse: $500,000 – $300K/$200K)
- Vs. Lyoto Machida: $793,688 (Disclosed purse: $500,000 – $225K/$225K + $50K bonus)
- Vs. Vitor Belfort: $707,301 (Disclosed purse: $500,000 – $250K/$250K)
- Vs. Luke Rockhold: $2,073,083 (Disclosed purse: $325,000 – $275K + $50K bonus)
- Note: The Rockhold bout was part of the McGregor vs. Aldo card.
Luke Rockhold
- Vs. Costas Philippou: $155,000 or $250,000 (Disclosed purse: $130,000 – $40k/$40k + $50k bonus)
- Vs. Lyoto Machida: $225,000
- Vs. Chris Weidman: $630,000 or $1,000,000 (Disclosed purse: $210,000 – $80K/$80K + $50k bonus)
- Vs. Michael Bisping: $320,000 (Disclosed purse: $250,000)
Michael Bisping
- Vs. Jorge Rivera: $375,000 or $400,000
- Vs. Jason Miller: $425,000 (Disclosed purse: $425,000 – $275K/$150K)
- Vs. Chael Sonnen: $300,000
- Vs. Brian Stann: $425,000
- Vs. Vitor Belfort: $300,000
- Vs. Alan Belcher: $450,000
Welterweight
Matt Hughes
- Vs. Josh Koscheck: $1,833,000
- Note: The Koscheck bout was part of the Jones vs. Rampage event.
A Glimpse Into UFC’s Financial Realities
This in-depth analysis of UFC payouts offers a rare glimpse into the earnings of some of the sport’s most prominent figures. While these numbers reveal the substantial rewards at the top tier of the sport, they also highlight the disparity in earnings among fighters. As the UFC continues to grow, understanding these financial aspects becomes increasingly vital for fans and stakeholders alike.
