UFC Lightweight Joe Lauzon’s first fight in the UFC eight years ago was vs. former lightweight champion Jens Pulver; his contracted purse was for 3/3 ($3,000 to show and an additional $3,000 to win). After the fight, someone handed him a check for an additional $15,000. Lauzon would eventually earn $585,000 over contracted pay, receiving a bonus in 75% of his fights, and tying Anderson Silva for most performance bonuses in UFC history.
In an interview with Steven Marrocco for MMAJunkie, the fighter detailed how the bonus system changed his life.
The UFC is unique in how it incentivizes its athletes to put on better performances. With no traditional seasons in which to set benchmarks for pay, the promotion puts extra money up for grabs each and every event, and fighters such as Lauzon, who wow the crowd with finishes and exciting bouts, stand to benefit the most.
It’s made him more comfortable, where he hasn’t had to worry so much about the income from his gym, or from another job, says Chris Palmquist, Lauzon’s training partner and friend. Starting out without bonuses, you don’t make enough to support yourself. It’s allowed him to focus on his fight career.
Lightweight James Krause, who started on MMA’s smaller circuits (where paydays can be as little as a couple hundred dollars), had never received anything beyond his agreed pay when he signed on to fight on short notice at UFC 161 in 2013. He submitted Sam Stout in the waning seconds of a three-round thriller, and because he was the only person on the card to tap out his opponent, he picked up $50,000 bonuses for Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night.
It was, and is, the best moment of my life, Krause says. It changed everything for me. All the ups and downs finally paid off. I reinvested it and bought the MMA gym I was training in and allowed me to make more money back.
As Lauzon found out, the money wasn’t just a source of stability. It helped him save his son’s life.
Shortly after Joey Lauzon came into the world in January, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a common pediatric cancer. His father saw the bill for his first day in the hospital. It was $140,000.
It definitely helped having extra money to deal with this, Joe Lauzon says. With hospital bills and health insurance, it’s been really tough, and we’ve spent way too much money on all that. But I would trade it all to have Joey healthy and happy. All the bonuses definitely helped.
Support Joe Lauzon’s Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund walk charity on Sept. 21, to help raise money for cancer research and patient care at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Lauzon fights Mike Chiesa Friday, on the main card of UFN 50, live on Fox Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET.
