UFC fighters' pay.

[NightCrawler]

UFC 68:Randy Couture def. Tim Sylvia

Randy Couture - $250,000
Tim Sylvia - $100,000
Martin Kampmann def. Drew McFedries

Martin Kampmann - $20,000
Drew McFedries - $5,000
Rich Franklin def. Jason MacDonald

Rich Franklin - $42,000
Jason MacDonald - $14,000
Matt Hughes def. Chris Lytle

Matt Hughes - $150,000
Chris Lytle - $10,000
Jason Lambert def. Renato “Babaluâ€￾ Sobral

Jason Lambert - $18,000
Renato Sobral - $ 21,000
Matt Hamill def. Rex Holman

Matt Hamill - $10,000
Rex Holman - $3,000
Jon Fitch def. Luigi Fioravanti

Jon Fitch - $28,000
Luigi Fioravanti - $8,000
Gleison Tibau def. Jason Dent

Gleison Tibau - $6,000
Jason Dent - $3,000
Jamie Varner def. Jason Gilliam

Jamie Varner - $6,000
Jason Gilliam - $3,000


UFC Fight Night 8--- January 25, 2007

Main Event Fighters

-Rashad Evans: $24,000 (5th fight in UFC; defeated Sean Salmon)

-Sean Salmon: $3,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Rashad Evans)


Main Card Fighters

-Heath Herring: $60,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Jake O'Brien)

-Hermes Franca: $24,000 (7th fight in UFC; defeated Spencer Fisher)

-Jake O'Brien: $18,000 (3rd fight in UFC; defeated Heath Herring)

-Spencer Fisher: $13,000 (6th fight in UFC; lost to Hermes Franca)


Preliminary Match Fighters

-Nathan Marquardt: $44,000 (4th fight in UFC; defeated Dean Lister)

-Ed Herman: $24,000 (3rd fight in UFC; defeated Chris Price)

-Din Thomas: $24,000 (6th fight in UFC; defeated Clay Guida)

-Rich Clementi: $20,000 (3rd fight in UFC; defeated Ross Pointon)

-Josh Burkman: $14,000 (5th fight in UFC; defeated Chad Reiner)

-Dean Lister: $11,000 (3rd fight in UFC; lost to Nathan Marquardt)

-Chris Price: $7,000 (2nd fight in UFC; lost to Ed Herman)

-Ross Pointon: $5,000 (2nd fight in UFC; lost to Rich Clementi)

-Clay Guida: $5,000 (2nd fight in UFC; lost to Din Thomas)

-Chad Reiner: $3,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Josh Burkman)


UFC 57
Event took place on February 4, 2006 and aired on PPV
-Chuck Liddell: $250,000 (defeated Randy Couture in main event)
-Randy Couture: $225,000 (lost to Chuck Liddell in main event)
-Renato "Babalu" Sobral: $32,000 (defeated Mike Van Arsdale)
-Frank Mir: $26,000 (lost to Marcio Cruz)
-Paul Buentello: $22,000 (beat Gilbert Aldana)
-Joe Riggs: $20,000 (defeated Nick Diaz)
-Mike Van Arsdale: $16,000 (lost to Renato Sobral)
-Keith Jardine: $10,000 (defeated Mike Whitehead)
-Nick Diaz: $10,000 (lost to Joe Riggs)
-Alessio Sakara: $10,000 (defeated Elvis Sinosic)
-Brandon Vera: $10,000 (defeated Justin Eilers)
-Marcio Cruz: $8,000 (defeated Frank Mir)
-Elvis Sinosic: $6,000 (lost to Alessio Sakara)
-Jeff Monson: $6,000 (defeated Branden Lee Hinkle)
-Mike Whitehead: $5,000 (lost to Keith Jardine)
-Justin Eilers: $5,000 (lost to Brandon Vera)
-Branden Lee Hinkle: $4,000 (lost to Jeff Monson)
-Gilbert Aldana: $2,000 (lost to Paul Buentello)

UFC 58
Event took place on March 4, 2006 and aired on PPV
-Georges St. Pierre: $48,000 (defeated BJ Penn)
-Rich Franklin: $32,000 (defeated David Loiseau in main event)
-Nathan Marquardt: $30,000 (defeated Joe Doerksen)
-BJ Penn: $25,000 (lost to Georges St. Pierre)
-Tom Murphy: $10,000 (defeated Icho Larenas)
-Mike Swick: $10,000 (defeated Steve Vigneault)
-David Loiseau: $9,000 (lost to Rich Franklin in main event)
-Spencer Fisher: $8,000 (lost to Sam Stout)
-Yves Edwards: $8,000 (lost to Mark Hominick)
-Rob Macdonald: $5,000 (lost to Jason Lambert)
-Joe Doerksen: $5,000 (lost to Nathan Marquardt)
-Jason Lambert: $4,000 (defeated Jason Macdonald)
-Mark Hominick: $4,000 (defeated Yves Edwards)
-Sam Stout: $4,000 (defeated Spencer Fisher)
-Icho Larenas: $3,000 (lost to Tom Murphy)
-Steve Vigneault: $2,000 (lost to Mike Swick)

UFC 59
Event took place on April 15, 2006 and aired on PPV
-Tito Ortiz: $200,000 (defeated Forrest Griffin in co-main event)
-Andrei Arlovski: $90,000 (lost to Tim Sylvia in co-main event)
-Tim Sylvia: $90,000 (defeated Andrei Arlovski in co-main event)
-Evan Tanner: $40,000 (defeated Justin Levens)
-Karo Parisyan: $16,000 (defeated Nick Thompson)
-Sean Sherk: $16,000 (defeated Nick Diaz)
-Forrest Griffin: $16,000 (lost to Tito Ortiz in co-main event)
-David Terrell: $12,000 (defeated Scott Smith)
-Nick Diaz: $10,000 (lost to Sean Sherk)
-Jeff Monson: $10,000 (defeated Marcio Cruz)
-Jason Lambert: $8,000 (defeated Terry Martin)
-Thiago Alves: $8,000 (defeated Derrick Noble)
-Justin Levens: $5,000 (lost to Evan Tanner)
-Nick Thompson: $5,000 (lost to Karo Parisyan)
-Marcio Cruz: $5,000 (lost to Jeff Monson)
-Derrick Noble: $3,000 (lost to Thiago Alves)
-Scott Smith: $3,000 (lost to David Terrell)
-Terry Martin: $2,000 (lost to Jason Lambert)

UFC 60 Fighter SalariesEvent took place on May 27, 2006 and aired on PPV
-Royce Gracie: $400,000 (lost to Matt Hughes in main event)
-Matt Hughes: $110,000 (defeated Royce Gracie in main event)
-Jeremy Horn: $70,000 (defeated Chael Sonnen)
-Brandon Vera: $32,000 (defeated Assuerio Silva)
-Diego Sanchez: $24,000 (defeated John Alessio)
-Mike Swick: $14,000 (defeated Joe Riggs)
-Spencer Fisher: $14,000 (defeated Matt Wiman)
-Joe Riggs: $12,000 (lost to Mike Swick)
-Gabriel Gonzaga: $10,000 (defeated Fabiano Scherner)
-Melvin Guillard: $10,000 (defeated Rick Davis)
-Alessio Sakara: $10,000 (lost to Dean Lister)
-Dean Lister: $10,000 (defeated Alessio Sakara)
-Assuerio Silva: $8,000 (lost to Brandon Vera)
-Chael Sonnen: $5,000 (lost to Jeremy Horn)
-Fabiano Scherner: $3,000 (lost to Gabriel Gonzaga)
-Matt Wiman: $3,000 (lost to Spencer Fisher)
-John Alessio: $3,000 (lost to Diego Sanchez)
-Rick Davis: $2,000 (lost to Melvin Guillard)

UFC 61 Fighter SalariesEvent took place on July 8, 2006 and aired on PPV
-Tito Ortiz: $210,000 (defeated Ken Shamrock in co-main event)
-Tim Sylvia: $120,000 (defeated Andrei Arlovski in co-main event)
-Ken Shamrock: $100,000 (lost to Tito Ortiz in co-main event)
-Andrei Arlovski: $90,000 (lost to Tim Sylvia in co-main event)
-Frank Mir: $56,000 (defeated Dan Christison)
-Joe Stevenson: $24,000 (defeated Yves Edwards)
-Jeff Monson: $20,000 (defeated Anthony Perosh)
-Drew Fickett: $12,000 (defeated Kurt Pellegrino)
-Josh Burkman: $10,000 (defeated Josh Neer)
-Hermes Franca: $8,000 (defeated Joe Jordan)
-Yves Edwards: $8,000 (lost to Joe Stevenson)
-Josh Neer: $6,000 (lost to Josh Burkman)
-Cheick Kongo: $6,000 (defeated Gilbert Aldana)
-Dan Christison: $5,000 (lost to Frank Mir)
-Joe Jordan: $4,000 (lost to Hermes Franca)
-Anthony Perosh: $3,000 (lost to Jeff Monson)
-Gilbert Aldana: $2,000 (lost to Cheick Kongo)
-Kurt Pellegrino: $2,000 (lost to Drew Fickett)

===================================
It looks like you have to be at the VERY top of the food chain to make a decent living in the UFC. Some of these guys are getting $2,000 to fight in PPV events. It sounds like good money for 15 minutes of work (if that), but how can these guys quit their jobs to train full-time? It's not like they fight once a week or even once a month ... some guys only fight 2 or 3 times a year. Guys like Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, and Matt Hughes can live off of 6 figures per fight. Heck, Royce Gracie made $400,000 in a fight he LOST to Matt Hughes.

But then you have outstanding fighters like Rich Franklin making $32,000 and Karo Parisyan making $16,000 ... WTF?

*EDIT*
Source = CLICK!!!

 

[Rylinkus]

It's a growing sport. As it gets bigger so will salaries. Hell, 16k for 15 minutes of work is not all that bad....... Karo can fight 3-4 times a year, giving him a 60k total. That's a lot more than a lot of people make.

 

[NightCrawler]

True, but what I'm saying is look how good of a fighter he is. There aren't too many guys in his division who can hang with him. Chances are those not quite on his level of performance won't be on his level of pay. I guess I just thought someone on his level would get more than that.

 

[Rylinkus]

Most of the guys that make more are more popular or more established. Heath Herring amazes me. 60k is a LOT for that guy IMO.

 

[TennBusa]

It may look like a lot, but don't forget to take out your expenses for all this training, flights, and so forth. Gym time and training personnel can run into large costs. I think that's why the Pride and K-1 arenas are more popular with the fighters themselves. The Japanese tend to pay better prizes for the fighters.

I enjoy very much my martial arts training, but I'd be hard pressed to chance my well being and family finances for the opportunity at these salaries. Even if I was a lot younger than I am now.

 

[BusaSamurai]

All your looking at is fight pay . You forgot about sponsor pay and franchise pay . Chuck Liddel for instance couild you imagine what he makes off of advertising alone . For the energy drink . The when you get sponsored like that you are no longer paying for your training they are . As far as lower ranked fighters go train for a little bit get out there and knock out a few people and pay goes up . Most of them in the lower ranks work for a living and do this as a part time job ...