UFC is the biggest MMA promotion and just like many other combat sports, they have a wide payout range. When the fighters start fighting for the promotion, they aren’t paid much, but once they get some star power behind them, they can get massive paydays. In this article, we will have a look at some of the biggest payouts in promotion’s history.
10) Georges St-Pierre – $4,314,289 (UFC 129)
St-Pierre faced Jake Shields at UFC 129 to defend his welterweight championship. This was one of the biggest fights of GSP’s career. This fight took place in his home country of Canada. “RUSH” heavily dominated Shields and won via unanimous decision after five rounds. With this win, St-Pierre also broke the record for most consecutive UFC welterweight title defenses. He walked away with over $4,000,000, the highest payday of his career.
9) Nate Diaz – $4,315,490 (UFC 196)
Nate Diaz’s rivalry with Conor McGregor is one of the biggest rivalries in MMA history. In 2016, Diaz stepped in on short notice and made the Irishman submit at UFC 196. However, it was clear that things weren’t done between the two. Both men faced each other at UFC 202 once again, where MCGregor avenged his loss with a majority decision win. Despite the loss, “The Stockton Slugger“ walked out of the case with a whopping $4,315,490 from that bout.
8) Anderson Silva – $4,374,326 (UFC 168)
Anderson Silva faced Chris Weidman at UFC 168 for the middleweight championship. The event turned out to be one of the most devastating events in MMA history, as the fans had to see the dominant finish of Anderson Silva with a horrifying leg break in his rematch against “The All-American.” The only good thing for “The Spider” was that he received the highest payout of his career that day and earned over four million dollars.
7) Conor McGregor – $4,476,662 (194)
Conor McGregor faced Jose Aldo at UFC 194 for the featherweight title and ended the match within 13 seconds with a knockout punch. This was an iconic performance in his biggest fight to date, as he handed “Scarface” his first loss in a decade. “The Notorious” earned $4,476,662 from that massive victory, which was the highest payday of his career at the time.
6) Ronda Rousey – $4,536,932 (UFC 193)
Ronda Rousey is one of the pioneers of female fighters in the MMA world. She was the most dominant woman in the UFC at one point. However, everything changed in November 2015 when she faced Holly Holm at UFC 193 and suffered a knockout loss. While the defeat was the beginning of the end for “Rowdy,” she still received a hefty payout of over $4.5 million from the bout.
5) Ronda Rousey – $4,879,766 (UFC 207)
A year after suffering a knockout loss to Holly Holm, Ronda Rousey returned to the octagon in December 2016 to face Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. Everyone was hoping for Rousey’s comeback, but instead, the bout was the beginning of Amanda’s historic title reign. The Brazilian defeated “Rowdy” by TKO within 48 seconds of the first round. Rousey received a payout of more than $4.8 million for the bout, which was probably the last MMA fight of her iconic career.
4) Conor McGregor – $5,576,315 (UFC 196)
After claiming an iconic win over Jose Aldo, McGregor was set to face lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in March 2016 at UFC 196. Instead, he faced Nate Diaz, who stepped in on two weeks notice. As a result, Diaz scored one of the biggest upsets in UFC history and made “The Notorious” submit. However, McGregor earned more than $5 million from that match.
3) Conor McGregor – $5,615,490 (UFC 202)
Just a few months after suffering a loss to Nate Diaz, McGregor faced his rival again at UFC 202. This time, the Irishman had a much better and more composed game plan for the rematch. After five rounds of the bout, McGregor scored the majority decision victory over his opponent. Like the first bout, the event was one of the highest grossing in promotion’s history. “Mystic Mac” got a payout of over $5 million for this bout.
2) Conor McGregor – $6,812,374 (UFC 205)
2016 was one of the most spectacular years for McGregor. He started it with one of the biggest and most disappointing defeats ever. At the end of the year, he was headlining UFC 205. The Irishman faced Eddie Alvarez and dominated him totally, eventually winning the lightweight championship via TKO. Moreover, he earned more than $6 million from the fight.
1) Brock Lesnar – $8,000,000 (UFC 200)
2016 was arguably the biggest year ever in UFC history. Conor McGregor and Anderson Silva fought many times. Ronda Rousey fought as well and Brock Lesnar made his return. He made a remarkable comeback at UFC 200 and defeated Mark Hunt via unanimous decision. Although the decision was later overturned to a “no contest,” Lesnar received a massive payout of $8 million after his sudden return.
Also Read: 10 Most Horrifying Injuries In The History Of MMA
