Post-Fight Bonuses Increased To $75K For UFC 262

Fighters will be competing for a little extra cash later tonight (Sat., May 15, 2021) at UFC 262 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Toyota Center in Houston, Tex., which will be led by a lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler.

According to an original report by Combate, UFC officials have decided to increase the post-fight bonus awards to $75,000 instead of the typical $50,000. It is the first time in eight years that the promotion is dishing out some extra cash for “Performance of the Night” and “Fight of the Night.”

Believe it or not but UFC 262 fighters owe Tony Ferguson big time for this change. Ferguson, who meets Beneil Dariush in a lightweight co-main event, called for the bonus increase during UFC 262’s press-fight press conference on Thursday (see it HERE) and ultimately got his wish.

“(Last time when I fought in Houston), we were here for the performance-bonus meeting,” Ferguson said to UFC president Dana White at the presser. “(Travis Browne) said, ‘You know, everything is bigger in Texas, Dana, right?’ Right, you remember that? He said, ‘How about a bigger bonus?’ So, I’m going to ask you, Dana. Since we are here, like last time, can we have a bigger bonus this time?”

For now, UFC officials will be increasing the post-fight bonuses just for tonight’s event. But if things go swimmingly and the extra cash leads to more finishes the promotion may decide to do this more moving forward. Maybe it’s something that is reserved for PPV cards only.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 262 fight card HERE, starting with the early Fight Pass/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.