UFC Fight Night 95 performance bonuses and highlights

Fighters in the UFC are compensated by the company via their contracted amount to show and win, plus Reebok money, and in addition sometimes get “locker room” bonuses of varying amounts that come in the mail. Further, four $50,000 performance bonuses are given at each event. And for the most elite fighters, there is a cut of the PPV that can run into millions.

The locker room bonuses are informal, and not public. The cut of the PPV, if any, is likewise private, although details have been made public via court cases more than once.

Most athletic commissions make public the show and win money, usually early in the following week, delaying reporting.

The four $50,000 performance bonuses are publicly announced. Usually, there is one bonus each to the fighters in the Fight of the Night, and then one each to winners in two outstanding fights. At UFC Fight Night 96, management decided to award four performance bonuses rather than two and a fight of the night. Main eventer John Lineker missed weight which disqualifies him from earning a performance bonus, so although the fight with Dodson was a fight of the year candidate, it did not get fight of the night.

$50,000 Performance of the Night
John Lineker beat John Dodson by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)

$50,000 Performance of the Night
Brandon Moreno beat Louis Smolka via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:23 of Round One

$50,000 Performance of the Night
Nate Marquardt beat Tamdan McCrory via knockout (head kick) at 4:44 of Round 2

$50,000 Performance of the Night
Curtis Blades beat Cody East via TKO (elbows) at 2:02 of Round 2

Performance bonuses often do not go to the most elite fighters. At UFN 96, two were from the main card, and two performance bonus went to UFC Fight Pass prelims.