LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Friday’s The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale event took home UFC Athlete Outfitting pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok, totaling $175,000.
Two-time UFC title challenger Gray Maynard (12-5-1 MMA, 10-5-1 UFC), who picked up his first UFC win in more than four years, was among the top non-title earners, scoring $15,000 for his preliminary card victory over Fernando Bruno (15-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC).
The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale took place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Six main-card contests and four preliminary bouts aired on FOX Sports 1 following a pair of fights that streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
In the evening’s main event, UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) earned a hard-fought decision victory over top-rated rival Claudia Gadelha (13-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) in a much-anticipated rematch.
The full The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale UFC Athlete Outfitting payouts included:
Joanna Jedrzejczyk: $40,000
def. Claudia Gadelha: $30,000
Andrew Sanchez: $2,500
def. Khalil Rountree: $2,500
Tatiana Suarez: $2,500
def. Amanda Cooper: $2,500
Will Brooks: $2,500
def. Ross Pearson: $15,000
Doo Ho Choi: $2,500
def. Thiago Tavares: $15,000
Joaquim Silva: $2,500
def. Andrew Holbrook: $2,500
Gray Maynard: $15,000
def. Fernando Bruno: $2,500
Matheus Nicolau: $2,500
def. John Moraga: $5,000
JOSH STANSBURY: $2,500
def. Cory Hendricks: $2,500
Cezar Ferreira: $5,000
def. Anthony Smith: $5,000
Kevin Lee: $5,000
def. Jake Matthews: $5,000
Li Jingliang: $2,500
def. Anton Zafir: $2,500
Under the UFC Athlete Outfitting program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-5 bouts receive $2,500 per appearance; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2016 UFC-Reebok sponsorship payouts:
- The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale – $175,000
- “UFC Fight Night 90: Dos Anjos vs. Alvarez” – $167,500
- “UFC Fight Night 89: MacDonald vs. Thompson” – $120,000
- “UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2” – $297,500
- “UFC Fight Night 88: Almeida vs. Garbrandt” – $162,500
- “UFC 198: Werdum vs. Miocic” – $240,000
- “UFC Fight Night 87: Overeem vs. Arlovski” – $117,500
- “UFC 197: Jones vs. Saint Preux” – $222,500
- “UFC on FOX 19: Teixeira vs. Evans” – $120,000
- “UFC Fight Night 86: Rothwell vs. Dos Santos” – $107,500
- “UFC Fight Night 85: Hunt vs. Mir” – $110,000
- “UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz” – $220,000
- “UFC Fight Night 84: Silva vs. Bisping” – $120,000
- “UFC Fight Night 83: Cowboy vs. Cowboy” – $125,000
- “UFC Fight Night 82: Hendricks vs. Thompson” – $145,000
- “UFC on FOX 18: Johnson vs. Bader” – $137,500
- “UFC Fight Night 81: Dillashaw vs. Cruz” – $230,000
- “UFC 195: Lawler vs. Condit” – $172,500
Year-to-date total: $3,213,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $6,398,000
For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
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