For years now, the entry-level UFC fighters making their promotional debuts have earned a rather embarrassingly low $10,000 to show, $10,000 to win (10/10) fight purse.
Yet occasionally, a debuting fighter would pocket $12,000 to show (and another 12K to win). With fighter purses no longer disclosed in Nevada and many other jurisdictions, it’s been hard to keep track of who is making what in the sport.
However, documents included as evidence in a Brazilian court case involving former UFC fighter Taila Santos, and her ex-manager, separate from the UFC’s anti-trust lawsuit(s), have shed some new light on just why the discrepancy exists.
Veteran journalist John S. Nash published excerpts of the exchanges on social media.
In a text exchange between manager Marcelo Brigadeiro, at the time representing Taila Santos, and UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard, Brigadeiro complains that Santos “makes less money than usual” because she’s on a Contender Series deal. Maynard disputes that notion, saying it’s not the case, and that 10/10 contracts are the norm. The 12/12 contracts, Maynard adds, are for fighters who step up to make their promotional debut on short notice.
The exchange dates from 2020. A look at disclosed fighter purses in jurisdictions that featured them at the time shows the pay scale dates back a full decade. In other words, it has been ten years since the UFC’s starting wage increased.
In 2014, the UFC’s entry-level pay was 8/8, with a whopping $16,000 on the table for entry level fighters. $8,000 is exactly what newcomer Jake Lindsey earned that year, after losing his June debut at UFC Fight Night 42 to Jon Tuck.
A year later, Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger earned $10,000 for her promotional debut – but that was on short notice against Tecia Torres (now Tecia Pennington) at UFC 194. In other words, the extra two thousand dollar bump for a short-notice debut still applied.
However, now a veteran of the promotion, Max Griffin would make his promotional debut against Colby Covington in August of 2016 at UFC 202, earning $10,000 to show. Griffin was not a replacement fighter, nor was Alberto Uda in his debut fight against Marvin Vettori on the same card, headlined by Conor McGregor, who earned a disclosed $3 million for defeating Nate Diaz (McGregor had no win bonus, but rather a flat fee).
Uda also earned a paltry $10,000 to show up in a losing effort.
These numbers do not include any post-fight bonuses or outfitting pay, nor do they include sponsorships fighters might have secured on their own. It’s worth noting that, given a fighter cedes a portion of their fight purse to their manager, not to mention has to pay training partners, coaches, gym fees, etc., and taxes, their take-home pay is far less than $10,000.
In the wake of the UFC’s $1.1 billion dollar per annum broadcast deal with Paramount+, UFC CEO and President Dana White has stated that fighter pay will increase, suggesting “it’s gonna be good” without providing specific numbers.
