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Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones' recent spat with Dana White has brought unfair fighter compensation to public attention. Although the UFC notoriously underpays the superstars on its roster, the promotion's lesser-known fighters are quite fairly compensated compared to fighters in other premier MMA organizations and combat sports in general.
According to a report by Way Of Martial Arts, the average UFC fighter made $147,965 in 2020. The report further estimates that 38% of the company's roster earned six figures in 2020. Among the champions, Khabib Nurmagomedov, who fought Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 last year, became the highest earner with a payout close to $6 million. Meanwhile, former champion Petr Yan was the lowest-paid champion, with a salary of $230,000. It's important to note that these are base salaries and do not include their share of PPV revenue.
The salary of an average fighter (excluding pay-per-view headliners) comprises the appearance fee and the win bonus for the victor. The fighter is also awarded a fight week incentive pay based on his/her experience in the UFC. The payscale was recently boosted by a whopping $1 million after the promotion inked a deal with apparel partner Venum.
Furthermore, the UFC also rewards exceptional athletes with cash bonuses, namely 'Fight of the Night' and 'Performance of the Night' bonuses. These bonuses typically amount to $50,000 each. However, at UFC 262, the bonuses were increased to $75,000 after Tony Ferguson made a plea during the pre-fight press conference regarding the same.
It's worth mentio that average pay doesn't reflect how much new fighters on the roster make, which could be under $10,000 for their first few fights. There is a significant disparity between the payscales of UFC fighters, which has a lot to do with popularity. Paige VanZant famously pursued free agency, citing low pay, which she stated was $46,000 to show and $46,000 to win, as per her contract.
When Jon Jones publicly took on the UFC brass over money
In 2020, Jon Jones reportedly relinquished his 205lbs throne following a public feud with Dana White over unfair compensation. White claimed in an interview that Jones had been demanding "Deontay Wilder money" for his next fight. The UFC president isn't interested in paying such a hefty amount to Jones, considering the former champion's blemished track record.
"I don't want to go there with this guy. The guy has made a lot of money. If you look at Jon Jones' track record, show me somebody that has the track record this guy has and has made the money that Jon Jones has made. Doesn't happen," said Dana White.
At UFC 260, when Francis Ngannou claimed the heavyweight throne, Jon Jones took to Twitter to ask the UFC for the right amount for a comeback. However, White once again refused to give in to Jones' demands with a sneering remark during the UFC 260 post-fight press conference.
It remains to be seen when the former champion will make his much-awaited return to the UFC octagon.
