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UFC championship belt photo by Andrius Petrucenia –

How much do UFC Fighters make?

MMA is the world’s fastest-growing sport today, and the UFC and its fighters’ popularity has skyrocketed over the years. As a result, there are many questions about how and how much UFC fighters are paid. Fighter pay has been a hotly debated topic in the UFC for several years. Athletes receive thousands of dollars for each Ultimate Fighting Championship match. We are certain of that. The match’s salary, however, only tells half the picture, just like with every other high-profile sport. 

Because the UFC is by far the most popular mixed martial arts organization in the area, fighters are required to maintain an omertà-like quiet on their contracts and exact salary. But even though the UFC and its athletes don’t share many financial details, there are plenty of leaks in the dam that let regular fans calculate how much their favourite fighters are making and how little they’re making.

Amounts may be published by state commissions that approve bouts within their boundaries, although sometimes information is leaked. But regardless of whether we ever obtain the full picture, here is what we can be certain of Although UFC fighters’ salaries may appear to be high, they can vary widely, and no two compete for the same sum. A UFC fighter can be paid in three different pay bands.

Although one might assume that only the victor would receive payment, both fighters do. They will receive their base pay plus if they win, an additional bonus, depending on the tier they fall into, which is mostly influenced by the size of their fan base. International Business Times claims that although this usually only applies to the first two tiers, such rewards could occasionally almost treble their base pay. Let’s delve a bit more into how everything functions.

Salary Structure in UFC

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At their core, UFC fighters sign contracts that promise them a specific sum per fight for a specific number of fights over an extended period. Based on lineage, the experience inside and outside of the UFC, projections, and investment, some fighters claim six figures or more each bout, while others claim four figures. Consider it similar to a waiter’s base salary: It’s something, yes, but not something to brag about and, frequently, not enough to live comfortably. 

In the past, the money received from competing served as UFC fighters’ primary source of revenue. However, there have been some changes in the fighters’ financial sources in recent years. The global appeal of UFC fighters has increased dramatically as MMA becomes the sport with the quickest rate of growth. The most well-known UFC competitors today have a sizable global following on social media. They are therefore the ideal group for sponsors and advertisers. More and more UFC fighters are earning substantial sums of money from each of these streams of revenue as well as from regular payments over time.

How much money do UFC fighters make?

UFC fighter Yoshiyuki Yoshida kicks his opponent, Josh Koscheck, during the UFC’s Fight for the Troops event photo by Spc. Christopher Grammer –

UFC fighters make the majority of their money through fights and the pay they receive from each. Each time a fighter steps inside the Octagon, they usually sign a contract for a set number of fights for a set amount of money. The three tiers are low, medium, and high, with the lowest earning $10,000 to $30,000 per fight and the highest earning $500,000 to $3,000,000 per fight.

When new fighters sign with the UFC, they usually get the Lowest Tier contract. After a few wins and establishing a reputation inside the Octagon, a better contract, ranging from $80,000 to $250,000 per fight, is signed. The rewards each fighter earns can range from tens of thousands of dollars to a few hundred thousand dollars depending on their popularity and previous performances.

The best contract tier, the highest Tier, pays between $500,000 and $3,000,000 per fight to UFC Champions and athletes with the largest fan bases. UFC athletes can make up to $3 million every bout, if not more, depending on how many viewers and fans they can attract to the organization.

Payout Tiers in UFC:

• Lowest Tier: $10,000 to $30,000 per fight. When a new fighter joins the UFC, they typically receive a contract of this nature.
• Middle Tier: a fight can cost between $80,000 and $250,000. New fighters typically have a lot better deal after picking up a few victories, making a name for themselves inside the Octagon, or breaking new ground in the sport. Payouts are determined by the popularity of the fighter and recent performances. According to such terms, the payments for each fight vary from a few hundred thousand dollars to the north of tens of thousands of dollars.
• Highest Tier: $3,000,000 to $500,000 each fight. The best contracts go to UFC champions and athletes with the largest fan bases. They can make between $500,000 and $3,000,000 (or perhaps much more) every fight, depending on their popularity with the audience and the number of viewers they attract for the UFC.

UFC Bonuses for Performance and Fight of the Night

Fight Win Bonus

In addition to the fight’s guaranteed prize, a boxer who prevails will also receive a win bonus in the same amount (doubling the amount of money they get). It’s important to note that the victory bonus only applies to lower- and middle-tier contracts, therefore UFC Champions often don’t receive a win bonus that doubles their winnings.

Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night

Additionally, UFC makes sure that the two competitors who take part in the finest and most exciting match of the evening get a $50,000 prize. A $50,000 prize is also given to the two combatants who put on the finest show at the competition.

PPV Bonuses

UFC 103 Franklin vs. Belfort – American Airlines Center – Dallas, Texas September 2009. photo by Mark Richardson –

The largest type of event for UFC is pay-per-view events. PPV events require additional fees from viewers who want to watch them. These events include championship fights as well as matches involving the best UFC stars. The best fights the UFC has to offer are featured in PPV events, which attract the most viewers and make the most revenue. There is a chance that a fighter will have a specific clause in their contract on which they will receive a portion of all the sold PPVs if they are a UFC Champion or the main event of a UFC PPV event.

It’s the ideal approach for encouraging fighters to give their all during fight promotion because they receive a portion of the proceeds. The more people purchase PPV for that event, the more money they will make. The UFC’s champions receiving a cut of PPV sales is an excellent business strategy. More viewers will tune in to the fight as a result of the hype the fighters create, which will increase their financial gain. Gaining more money from PPV sales benefits the UFC fighters as well as the organization as a whole.

Here are ten reasons why you should watch MMA.

What other sources of income do MMA fighters have?

For MMA fighters, sponsorships and endorsements are other significant sources of potential income. It’s important to keep in mind that the majority of the sponsorship money that businesses provide to fighters goes to the best of the best. Francis Ngannou receiving a sizable salary from Nike in exchange for appearing in a commercial may make sense, but the company is unlikely to support a lesser-known fighter battling on undercards.

The costs involved in being a UFC fighter

Every UFC fighter has a committed group of supporters pushing them to victory. More experienced and skilled fighters typically have more team members, such as training partners, because they can afford it thanks to their fixed contract with the UFC. Fighters typically have up to 8 weeks’ notice before a fight to prepare. This transports them to their “training camp” where they prepare for their fight card. The following are factors that people hardly ever take into account when estimating how much money a UFC fighter makes:

Gym Fees 

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The majority of fighters will pay their gym dues on a per-fight basis. The gym will retain anywhere from 5 to 10% of the fight purse.

Medical expenses

Fighters of MMA photo by Vladyslav Lohvin –

What medical interventions are necessary and how much they will cost will depend on how the battle plays out. Injury sustained during competition is covered under the UFC’s insurance coverage.

Management Team

Management Team 20% of a fighter’s prize money is the typical management charge for the services management offers.

Coaching

Coaches are a part of the gym and are therefore covered by the 5–10% of fees the gym keeps. However, the essential private tutoring, for which coaches can bill up to $150 per hour, is not covered. Fighters preparing for a battle may require a significant amount of additional training time.

Here are some of the best trainers in MMA.

Transportation, lodging, and other expenses

The cost of nutritionists, massage therapists, vitamins, dieticians, visas, food, and accompanying your trainers and coaches to fights all add up. 

Taxes

Everybody has to pay taxes, including UFC competitors. The earnings from UFC fights are tax-free, much like those of contractors. After the fiscal year, fighters must pay the government an adequate tax payment would be about 30% of the fight price.

A freshly signed UFC fighter may perceive that fees and payments that must be distributed to third parties as part of their UFC career will substantially reduce their “take-home” fight pay. At the end of the day, fighters might have to provide their team with a backstage fee of between 10 and 20 per cent of their bout money. A fighter may only receive US$8000 in take-home pay before taxes, medical expenses, and private coaching if their contract with the UFC pays them US$20,000 per bout less the aforementioned approximations of fees. For many aspiring UFC fighters, this is the situation.

What exactly do UFC fighters earn?

Conor McGregor photo by Kremlin.ru –

Now that you are aware of how UFC fighters make their money, let’s look at how much they were paid in 2021.

The average UFC fighter earned $160,022 in 2021 compared to $146,673 on average in 2020. Up from 219 fighters (38%) in 2020, 256 fighters (42%) made six figures in 2021. 116 fighters (19%) earned less than the $25,000 median wage. Conor McGregor earned the most income in the UFC, earning $10,022,000. (without PPV bonuses). 

Here are some intriguing statistics (profits from PPV and endorsements aren’t included; this is only the money they received from fights, victory bonuses, fight and performance of the night bonuses, and partnerships). 

• The average UFC fighter compensation in 2021 is $160,022 (up from $147,965 in 2020).
• 256 UFC fighters, or 42% of the roster, made six figures in 2021, up from 38% the previous year.
• 19% of the UFC roster earned less than the $25,000 per year average household income in the United States (116 fighters to be precise).
• The highest-paid UFC champion in 2021 was Kamaru Usman, who earned $2,024,000. (without PPV bonuses).
• Alajamain Sterling earned $230,000, making him the lowest-paid UFC champion in 2021. (without PPV bonuses).
• Conor McGregor earned $10,022,000 in 2021, making him the highest-paid UFC fighter who wasn’t a champion (without PPV bonuses).

Don’t forget to also check out the top earners in boxing.