Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano previously indicated that obtaining their desired remuneration for their mixed martial arts returns would necessitate seeking opportunities beyond the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This past Saturday, an initial indication of these potential figures became available.
After Rousey secured a first-round submission victory against Carano, headlining the inaugural live MMA event streamed on Netflix, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) disclosed the salary data for the competition to Uncrowned. According to CSAC, Rousey received a payment of $2,200,000 for her participation, whereas Carano acquired $1,050,000 despite her defeat.
It should be emphasized that these official commission numbers frequently do not reflect a combatant’s comprehensive income, particularly for the sport’s prominent figures; instead, they solely denote the stipulated payments intended for inclusion in the commission’s public salary documentation. Income from endorsements, upfront signing payments, agreed-upon performance incentives, and various other undocumented financial benefits are not made public by the CSAC.
Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), informed Uncrowned prior to MVP MMA’s inaugural event on Saturday that every participant in the competition would receive a base compensation of $40,000 — a sum exceeding the UFC’s standard entry-level fighter compensation of $12,000 for participation and an additional $12,000 for victory. Bidarian affirmed that, contrary to the UFC’s tiered payment system, MVP’s disbursements were a uniform amount for each fighter, supplemented by potential performance bonuses.
“This sum is assured,” Bidarian commented regarding the event’s distinctive payment arrangement during “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “Furthermore, each competitor is eligible for an extra performance incentive, with varying tiers based on the individual fighter.”
“A ‘Fight of the Night’ prize will be awarded. Jake [Paul] and I must deliberate on this matter, and we will reveal it at the appropriate moment. Nevertheless, every combatant possesses an opportunity for a performance-based bonus.”
Bidarian’s commitment was certainly honored, given that seven participants received $40,000 payouts for their efforts — representing the smallest remuneration figures among the 22 combatants featured on the card.
Significantly, the four additional leading athletes participating in Saturday’s event — Nate Diaz (who earned $500,000), Mike Perry (who received $400,000), ex-UFC heavyweight titleholder Francis Ngannou (who secured $1,500,000), and Philipe Lins (who was paid $100,000) — all obtained compensation in the six- or seven-figure range for their presence.
A complete breakdown of the Rousey versus Carano event compensation follows:
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Francis Ngannou: $1,500,000
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Salahdine Parnasse: $70,000
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Junior dos Santos: $80,000
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Robelis Despaigne: $50,000
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Jade Masson-Wong: $40,000
