The Ultimate Fighting Championship was purchased by Station Casinos’ executives Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta as well as their friend/business partner Dana White for approximately 2 million dollars in January 2001 and created Zuffa, LLC as the parent entity thus creating the Zuffa Era which has recently come to a close. In June of this year, WME|IMG purchased the UFC for a mind boggling 4 billion dollars!
When a company which employs the world’s top mixed martial arts athletes is sold for that kind of money the question has to be asked, How much do these athletes get paid to fight? The list below answers just such a question as we take a look at the top five highest pay days for a single fight in the UFC.
*The numbers listed below are only the disclosed fighter purse as required by athletic commissions and does not include any bonuses, sponsorship pay, PPV percentages, or compensation of any kind outside of the contracted obligation.
5) Mark Hunt
On July 9, 2016 the historic UFC 200 took place at the T-Mobile arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. Riddled with fight card issues from the beginning, a heavyweight super fight took place between former Heavyweight and WWE World Champion Brock Lesnar and the Super Samoan Mark Hunt which became part of the main event. Stepping up on relatively short notice to save this super card, the Super Samoan, who is known to literally be willing to fight anyone, received $700,000 for his services.
4) Anderson Silva
From a hardcore fight fan’s perspective, one of the most anticipated fights in recent history took place at UFC 183 when the future hall of famer Anderson Silva took on the infamous Nick Diaz. This was Silva’s first fight back in over a year since his gruesome leg injury in a title bout against Chris Weidman at UFC 168. Anderson Silva won a 5 round decision which was unfortunately overturned by the NSAC due to a failed urinalysis however; the Spider still received what Lyoto Machida referred to as Anderson Silva money taking home a cool $800,000.
3) Dan Henderson
The main event of UFC 199 saw Michael Bisping shock the world when he upset Luke Rockhold on short notice in the main event to win the UFC Middleweight title however; the highest paid fighter on this card was a couple fights before that. As the second fight on the main card, Dan Henderson, who forever immortalized Bisping as the guy who ended up on the wrong end of a highlight reel, showed that at 45 years old he does indeed have the infamous old-man strength knocking out Hector Lombard 1 minute and 27 seconds into the second round earning him a payday of $800,000!
2) Conor McGregor
In one of the most talked about fights in the history of the UFC, Nate Diaz took on Conor McGregor on a mere 10 days’ notice and proceeded to absolutely shock the world by choking out the Irishman at 4 minutes and 12 seconds of the second round. McGregor, the consummate salesman and self-promoter, is so skilled in his craft that as far as his bank account is concerned he doesn’t even have to put on a show in the octagon to get paid; he merely has to show up. For simply making the walk as they say, McGregor received a smooth million…that’s right 1 million dollars, a record setting number at the time.
1) Brock Lesnar
The notorious heel that mixed martial arts and professional wrestling fans alike love to hate made a triumphant ‘one night and one night only’ appearance on the UFC’s most historic card to date, UFC 200. The former UFC World Champion, WWE World Champion, and NCAA Wrestling Champion was victorious in his return winning a unanimous decision over Mark Hunt, who made this list at #5, earning him a record setting 2.5 million dollars! For all of you mathematicians out there that is an astounding $166,666.67 per minute he was paid!
