The prize money Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev earn from UFC 319

Khamzat Chimaev gave Dricus du Plessis no chance in his third defense of the middleweight title. The Chechen fighter became champion after dominating by unanimous decision (50-44) in the main event of UFC 319. UFC fighters can earn anywhere between $50,000 and $3 million per fight.

The UFC rarely discloses how much its athletes are paid, but there are rough figures depending on the importance of the bout, whether a belt is on the line, the fighter’s profile, and their tenure with the company. Salaries are essentially divided into three tiers – and not everyone on a UFC card walks away with the same purse.

How much do UFC stars get in prize money?

When fighters first sign, they agree to a set number of bouts with a fixed paycheck each time they step into the Octagon. The three salary levels are: low, medium and high. At the bottom end, purses range from $10,000 to $30,000. Many have spoken about the struggles of living on these payouts, often having to juggle training and fighting with other jobs. Flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja once worked as a food delivery driver, while bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili labored on construction sites.

In the middle tier – where fighters have already racked up some wins and begun to build a following – payouts climb to between $80,000 and $250,000. The more fans want to see them fight, the higher the stakes, especially if titles are involved.

At the top, the biggest names in the sport pocket between $500,000 and $3 million per bout. On top of that, there are performance bonuses of up to $50,000 awarded for Fight of the Night, knockout of the night, standout submission or simply the most impressive performance.

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