MMA Junkie reports the salaries from UFC Fight Night 35. Luke Rockhold topped the salary earners according to the disclosed paydays by the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission.
Via MMA Junkie:
Luke Rockhold: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus)
def. Constantinos Philippou: $23,000
Brad Tavares: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
def. Lorenz Larkin: $26,000
T.J. Dillashaw: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Mike Easton: $14,000
Yoel Romero: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Derek Brunson: $19,000
John Moraga: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
def. Dustin Ortiz: $10,000
Cole Miller: $56,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus)
def. Sam Sicilia: $10,000
Ramsey Nijem: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Justin Edwards: $10,000
Elias Silverio: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Isaac Vallie-Flagg: $12,000
Trevor Smith: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Brian Houston: $8,000
Louis Smolka: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Alptekin Ozkilic: $10,000
Vinc Pichel: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Garett Whiteley: $8,000
Beneil Dariush: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Charlie Brenneman: $10,000
The disclosed payroll for the event was $530,000.
Payout Perspective:
The two top earners were Rockhold and Miller. Rockhold earned a total of $130,000 and Cole Miller earned $106,000 including their fight bonuses. Notably, last year Miller talked about the inability to find sponsors. If you watched on Wednesday, he called out Donald Cerrone and offered to pay for Mike Dolce to get him to cut down to his weight class. Now with the story that Cerrone is in need of money, I’m forced to believe that this might actually happen. Miller-Cerrone and Miller paying for Dolce for Cerrone. This brings me to the question of whether the UFC should have classes on how to manage money. Aside from the two top earners, does anything else on the salary list peak your interest?
Sad that Moraga is at 17/17 and I thought he lost the fight.
Interested in Yoel Romero (to bad he is 35 and not 25 like DW mentioned)
I also am interested in Brian Houston, that fight was there for the taking in the 3rd round for him.
Interesting to note that UFC seems to be paying 10/10 for fighters joining (or rejoining) on short term notice. See Zack Makofski and now Charlie Brenneman.
It was interesting to note that one of the things that drove the IFL out of business is when UFC went to 4/4 which prevented them from attracting talent. Now at 10/10 (for some) it may have a similar effect on other minor league promotions. I do like that the rebranded TitanFC has an opt out clause for the UFC (just like RFA does and Legacy de facto does) which may help them obtain some talent to develop and obtain mid-tier replacement parts for the UFC.
Assassin, I don’t understand why they don’t go to 12/12 at they very least. It is literally nothing to them, but a huge difference to struggling fighters. It’s also in the UFC’s best interest in so many ways. Think about it… If your neighbor or friend is a UFC fighter and you see him driving a crap car, living in a crap apartment (or having to have housemates), and having to have a second full-time job, how effing bad does that make the company and sport look? Teeeeerrible. And on a larger scale, how the eff is that going to attract top athletes in America outside of wrestling? The UFC will never go fully mainstream till the bottom-tier fighters are able to live a respectable financial life. I have faith that it will happen though, as the UFC is obviously referring much of their profits to global expansion at the moment.
And oh, the Moraga “win” is such a joke. Ortiz better have gotten his win bonus.
*deferring, not referring
Assassin,
good point about those orgs. That is where Bellator is going to screw the pooch trying to compete with the UFC. They are not embracing their position as #1 and will go down the drain like the rest. It will be a matter of time until fighters on their way up tell them to fuck off. The way they have treated fighters, the randomness of their tournaments, shady dealings, locking people into contracts. If you have potential to be a star. You will screw yourself signing with BFC. Once you are in a BFC tourney. Your chances of making it to the UFC are slim and none. You either lose and the UFC doesn’t want you. Or you keep winning and get a title shot and then get the belt and then are stuck in their champions clause. A fighters can get those wins to get in the UFC anywhere. There is no need for BFC unless you are just jumping at a few quick bucks. Which is a piss poor business decision and career move.
A guy from my old gym is a top guy in BFC and I was wanting him to get to the UFC because he has the style and personality. At the time he was midway through a tourney. So I started thinking how that would be possible. The only way would be to never accept a title shot. Maybe even winning the tournament might lock him in. It is really a dead end!