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As Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder prepare for this weekend's UFC Abu Dhabi showdown, fans are likely to be curious about their potential earnings from this fight.
Estimating fighter salaries accurately can be challenging, as they usually comprise several components, including sponsorship money, win bonuses and other undisclosed contractual amounts. However, we can approximate their base salaries based on the available information about fighters' previous earnings.
In his last fight against Khamzat Chimaev, Whittaker reportedly earned an estimated $771,000 in disclosed salary. The high stakes of the matchup and the star power of both men are likely to have influenced the figure.
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Prior to that, Whittaker's salary for his UFC 298 win over Paulo Costa was estimated at $400,000, which included a $100,000 win bonus.
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For his UFC 290 fight against Dricus du Plessis, Whittaker took home a reported salary of $420,000.
Based on these figures, it can be estimated that Whittaker could earn between $300,000 and $400,000 in fight purse for his upcoming fight against de Ridder.
Meanwhile, de Ridder, a relative newcomer, reportedly earned base salaries of $12,000 and $18,000 in his first two fights in the UFC. His guaranteed purse in his last fight against Bo Nickal is estimated to be around $38,000.
The bout against Whittaker will present the biggest competitive challenge of the Dutch fighter's professional MMA career. A potential win over the former champion will elevate him to the higher echelons of the middleweight division.
Considering these factors, de Ridder's base salary is likely to be in the high five-figure or low six-figure range.
Petr Yan, who takes on Marcus McGhee in the co-main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, reportedly earned an estimated $211,000 for his UFC 299 win over Song Yadong. His reported salaries for previous fights against Merab Dvalishvili, Sean O'Malley and Aljamain Sterling ranged from $200,000 to $300,000.
Based on this, Yan could earn a guaranteed purse of $200,000 to $300,000 for his UFC Abu Dhabi appearance.
McGhee's estimated earnings from his past fights are not publicly available. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate his salary for his upcoming fight.
UFC Abu Dhabi: Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder - Start time, venue and more
UFC Abu Dhabi: Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder will mark the promotion's first visit to Abu Dhabi since UFC 308 in October 2024.
The event will take place on July 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and feature 12 fights across eight weight classes.
The preliminary card will kick off at 12 noon ET / 9 am PT, while main card action will start at 3 pm ET / 12 noon PT. Main event walkouts are expected to take place at approximately 5 pm ET / 2 pm PT. However, the exact time will depend on the length of the undercard fights.
The event will be streamed live on ESPN+ and ABC in the United States.
