Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: UFC, Dana White
Josh Lawless
While the likes of Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Jon Jones have made serious money from their ventures in UFC, the same cannot be said for some fighters at the bottom of the barrel.
Bloody Elbow have uncovered details on a lawsuit, which has led to a slew of fighter payouts being disclosed.
The names have not been revealed but the report shows just how little some fighters earned for leaving it all in the Octagon.
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These days, in 2023, debuting fighters typically take home $10,000 but that was not always the case early on for some martial artists in Dana White's promotion.
2011: $4,000 – One fighter is at the very bottom of the list for their pay packet in just their third UFC fight. Three debuting fighters in that same year got paid $6,000, with the most common figure $9,000. Former interim lightweight champ Dustin Poirier debuted that year on a $4000/$4000 contract.
2012: $6,000 – Two fighters in their second UFC tear-up received this amount in 2012, along with another debutant. Three other debutants were paid $8,000 but the common pay for the first-timers was $9,000.
2013: $8,000 – A decade ago four debutants and two on their second UFC fight were paid this sum in 2013.
2014: $8,000 – The same can be said a year on with another four fighters receiving the payment in 2014.
2015: $6,400 – For the third year running, four debutants got $8,000 compared to 15 who took home $10,000. A single fighter made $6,400 on their first appearance.
2016: The most frequent payment, received by 21 fighters, was $12,000 on their respective debuts. $10,000 was given to five other debutants, and two on their second outing.
John Makdessi, who fought 20 times for the UFC, was released by the company not long after release his payslip from UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia.
He lost to John Mullarkey on the prelims nd was not happy with his paycheck from the bout, opting to disclose it on social media.