Fans have slammed the UFC after Kamaru Usman 's earnings for his welterweight title fight against Leon Edwards were revealed.
Usman, 35, was the promotion's pound-for-pound No.1 fighter before suffering a last-gasp knockout loss to Edwards at UFC 278 last month. The former champion was guaranteed £430,000 for the fight, whilst Edwards pocketed £300,000 and took home a £43,000 performance bonus for the highlight-reel knockout. Neither Usman nor Edwards were contracted to receive a win bonus, with the report stating they both likely received a share of the event's pay-per-view profits.
With the UFC 278 pay-per-view buys yet to be released, the final earnings for Usman and Edwards are both unclear. Fans have since reacted to the purse Usman was guaranteed for his sixth title defence against Edwards, with one user writing: "Pound-for-pound No.1 has a $500k/$500k contract, it’s embarrassing."
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"In the top three fights, the winner made less than the losers, even in one of the biggest upset comebacks we've ever seen. Incredible," another wrote. Paulo Costa was guaranteed just £55,000 for his co-main event clash with Luke Rockhold, but took home an additional £100,000 thanks to a win and performance bonus. Rockhold was guaranteed £217,000 for the final fight of his UFC career and also received a £43,000 performance bonus.
UFC 278 brought in £3.7million through ticket sales, with revenue from sponsorships and TV deals not being included in that figure. Several fighters on the card were guaranteed the UFC's lowest purse of £9,500, with main card fighter Harry Hunsucker being one of those. Fighter pay in the UFC continues to be a talking point and fans have made it clear they think several fighters on the card should have been paid more.
"Christ, Leon - champion of the world - got £300,000. Minus trainer/management/etc, he'd be left with what, £180,000? That's all he's earned in over a year," another user wrote. "The UFC cannot be taken seriously as a premier sports organisation alongside the NFL, NBA, etc. when athletes on their major events only make $10k," a fourth added.
A final commenter wrote of Usman: "Top pound-for-pound fighter in the world clears $500,000 in a fight where he could have tied the record for most consecutive victories in UFC history lol what an organisation." It's likely that Usman will be paid even less for his next fight after losing his pound-for-pound status and welterweight title. Usman will likely face a lengthy medical suspension for the nature of his defeat, but he is keen to avenge his loss and win back his belt in a trilogy fight with Edwards.
