UFC 261 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Three title fights lead to high total

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 261 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $362,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 261 took place at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 261 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

Kamaru Usman: $42,000
def. Jorge Masvidal: $32,000

Rose Namajunas: $32,000
def. Zhang Weili: $42,000

Valentina Shevchenko: $42,000
def. Jessica Andrade: $32,000

Uriah Hall: $16,000
def. Chris Weidman: $16,000

Anthony Smith: $16,000
def. Jimmy Crute: $6,000

Randy Brown: $11,000
def. Alex Oliveira: $16,000

Dwight Grant: $4,500
def. Stefan Sekulic: $4,000

Brendan Allen: $4,500
def. Karl Roberson: $6,000

Patrick Sabatini: $4,000
def. Tristan Connelly: $4,000

Danaa Batgerel: $4,000
def. Kevin Natividad: $4,000

Kazula Vargas: $4,000
def. Rong Zhu: $4,000

Jeffrey Molina: $4,000
def. Qileng Aori: $4,000

Ariane Carnelossi: $4,000
def. Na Liang: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

• “UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2” – $362,000
• “UFC on ESPN 22: Whittaker vs. Gastelum” – $142,500
• “UFC on ABC 2: Vettori vs. Holland” – $182,500

Year-to-date total: $687,000
Program-to-date total: $687,000