Pantoja Tops UFC 331 Disclosed Payouts at $650,000
Pantoja Tops UFC 331 Disclosed Payouts at $650,000
Anonymous
Key Points
1
UFC 331 took place on Saturday, September 19, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with disclosed payouts available because California requires athletic commissions to release fighter-pay information.
2
Mauricio Ruffy’s $220,000 possible total consisted of $110,000 to show and an additional $110,000 if he won, rather than a flat purse.
3
Tai Tuivasa’s $350,000 disclosed purse was notable because he entered the bout on a seven-fight losing streak; the report attributed his relatively high pay in part to his experience of more than 20 UFC fights.
4
The UFC’s additional compensation structure included Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night awards for four fights, a Finish Bonus for other fighters who secured finishes, and compliance pay.
5
The Van-Pantoja rematch followed their first meeting in December, which lasted just 26 seconds after Pantoja suffered an elbow or arm injury; Van subsequently defended the title against Tatsuro Taira before UFC 331.
Alexandre Pantoja earned the highest disclosed purse at UFC 331, pocketing $650,000 in his flyweight title rematch loss to champion Joshua Van on September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Van, who successfully defended his belt, collected $500,000—$150,000 less than the challenger. Yahoo Sports reported that the fight-pay figures come from California's mandatory disclosure system, which requires athletic commissions to release fighter compensation data.
The event featured significant payouts across its card. Arman Tsarukyan earned $350,000 in the co-main event, while Sean Sharaf pulled off one of the year's biggest shocks with a 12-second knockout of Gable Steveson and earned $60,000—a massive upset over the favored Olympian, who was paid $160,000. These disclosed amounts exclude performance bonuses, discretionary pay, and potential side-letter deals.
Pantoja Commands Top Purse Despite Title Loss
The former champion accepted the rematch on unfavorable financial terms. Despite losing to Van, Pantoja's flat $650,000 purse remained the card's largest guaranteed payment. Van's $500,000 deal reflected his status as the defending champion, though it fell short of his challenger's earnings. Yahoo Sports noted the first meeting between the two fighters lasted only 26 seconds when Pantoja suffered an elbow or arm injury.
Sharaf's Stunning 12-Second Upset Earns Far Less
Sean Sharaf delivered one of 2024's biggest UFC shocks, knocking out highly-touted prospect Gable Steveson in just 12 seconds. Yet Sharaf's disclosed earnings totaled only $60,000—a fraction of Steveson's $160,000 purse. The result marked a major setback for Steveson, the Olympic wrestler who entered UFC 331 with significant hype and higher compensation to match his prospect status.
Show Money vs. Win Money Structures Vary by Fighter
Not all fighters received flat purses. Mauricio Ruffy's deal was structured differently: $110,000 to show plus an additional $110,000 if he won, totaling $220,000 possible earnings. This show-and-win split differs from guaranteed flat amounts and reflects negotiations based on fighter rank and leverage. Other notable payouts included Patricio Pitbull at $400,000 and Tai Tuivasa at $350,000, though Tuivasa entered on a seven-fight losing streak.
California's Pay Disclosure System Reveals UFC Economics
UFC 331's full payouts became public because California law requires athletic commissions to release fighter-compensation data. The disclosed figures cover 24 fighters on the card but exclude Fight of the Night bonuses, Performance of the Night awards, Finish Bonuses, compliance pay, and side-letter agreements. These hidden payments can significantly boost a fighter's actual earnings beyond the disclosed purses shown.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativeNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
23
Articles
47
Reach
70
A
AnonymousAuthor
