UFC Still Paying Fighters Just $10k

Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

Alistair Overeem scored a whopping $400,000 for his technical knockout victory over fellow UFC heavyweight Walt Harris (see it), who banked just $75,000 in the UFC on ESPN 8 main event last Sat. night (May 16, 2020) inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

That’s according to Florida State Boxing Commission (FSBC).

Elsewhere on the card, veteran strawweight and former title contender Claudia Gadelha collected $108,000 for outlasting Angela Hill ($54,000), while Edson Barboza and Eryk Anders took home $79,000 and $61,000 in defeat, respectively.

That may not sound like a tremendous amount, considering what pro fighters must endure inside the cage — not to mention the physical and mental rigors of fight camp. But it sure as hell beats the measly $10,000 UFC paid Don’Tale Mayes for his loss to Rodrigo Nascimento.

Mayes has two wins on Dana White’s “Contender Series” and two losses inside the Octagon. If the argument is, “he’s not worth more than $10k” … then why is he even competing for what is supposed to be the world’s preeminent MMA promotion?

It’s May 2020 folks, and a company now worth $7 billion should be better than this.

Check out the complete list of UFC on ESPN 8 payouts (courtesy MMA Fighting) below:

Alistair Overeem: $400,000
Walt Harris: $75,000

Claudia Gadelha: $108,000
Angela Hill: $54,000

Dan Ige: $100,000
Edson Barboza: $79,000

Krzysztof Jotko: $108,000
Eryk Anders: $61,000

Song Yadong: $96,000
Marlon Vera: $65,000

Miguel Baeza: $24,000
Matt Brown: $85,000

Kevin Holland: $52,000
Anthony Hernandez: $12,000

Giga Chikadze: $28,000
Irwin Rivera: $14,000

Nate Landwehr: $26,000
Darren Elkins: $62,000

Cortney Casey: $100,000
Mara Romero Borella: $20,000

Rodrigo Nascimento: $20,000
Don’Tale Mayes: $10,000

FSBC did not separate payouts by “win” and “show” purse but it stands to reason Nascimento also started at $10,000, doubled for his victory over Mayes. Anthony Hernandez — three fights into his UFC career — is only worth $12,000 per fight in the eyes of the promotion.

I know there are some fight fans who are reading this and thinking something akin to, “Nobody forced them to sign those contracts.” Be sure to remember that the next time you complain about being underpaid at your own job.

Keep in mind the payouts listed above do not include fight bonuses, Reebok sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc.

For example, the promotion often hands out extra cash for “Fight of the Night” and “Performance of the Night” bonuses, as well as the occasional (and undisclosed) locker room bonuses (see those here).

For complete UFC on ESPN 8 results and fight coverage click here.