LAS VEGAS — UFC will double performance bonuses and add a new incentive to fighters who finish their opponent but don’t get one of the main bonuses, President and CEO Dana White told SBJ.
The move is part of how the property is trying to up the ante for its hundreds of signed athletes as the new Paramount Skydance Corp. era begins Saturday night with UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena. UFC typically awards $200,000 of bonuses after fight cards: $50,000 each to the fighters who participate in what UFC executives deem to be the fight of the night, and $50,000 to two fighters who were judged to have the best individual performances.
White told SBJ on Friday night that UFC will double those awards to $100,000 each, taking its per-event bonus outlay to at least $400,000. But to further incentivize and award fighters, White said UFC has decided to add a new bonus: $25,000 to any fighter who knocks out or submits the opponent but who wasn’t selected for fight or performance of the night.
There have been a handful of cards in recent years where White decided to raise the bonuses, often at the urging of fighters during press conferences, including increasing the total to $300,000 to celebrate UFC 300 in April 2024. Performance bonuses are separate than fighters’ salaries.
The doubling of performance bonuses comes after UFC roughly doubled the average annual value of its media rights by switching to Paramount from ESPN. Paramount will pay UFC $1.1B through 2031. The first TKO Group Holdings combat sports event with Paramount was Friday night with Zuffa Boxing’s debut card at the Meta Apex.
