MMA
UFC 320 Fighter Payouts: How Much Will the Headliners Earn?
September kept fight fans busy with three thrilling Fight Night cards, but the absence of a numbered pay-per-view left a noticeable gap. That all changes in just a few hours as UFC 320 brings the spotlight back to Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, and it promises fireworks. The main event sees Alex Pereira challenging Magomed Ankalaev for the light heavyweight crown in a high-stakes rematch. Pereira lost the belt to the Russian at UFC 313 in the very same arena, and tensions have only escalated since. Heated social media exchanges and a scuffle at the UFC Performance Institute have set the stage for a grudge match with gold on the line.
In the co-main, Merab Dvalishvili looks to defend his bantamweight strap for the third time against Cory Sandhagen. The relentless Georgian has bulldozed his way through the division, while Sandhagen enters his first UFC title fight determined to seize the moment. The undercard isn’t short on firepower either, featuring names like Jiri Prochazka, Khalil Rountree Jr., Josh Emmett, and Joe Pyfer. But as always, beyond the knockouts and submissions, there’s another storyline that fans can’t ignore: the fighter payouts. When the cage door closes and the dust settles, who will cash the biggest check?
UFC 319: Projected Earnings for Alex Pereira & Magomed Ankalaev
Seven months after their first clash, Ankalaev and Pereira are set to run it back with the UFC light heavyweight title once again on the line. At UFC 313 in March, Ankalaev stunned many observers by earning a clear decision over the former champion, outworking the feared Brazilian striker across five rounds.
The Dagestani contender leaned on smart feints, relentless pressure, and a steady stream of precise strikes to disrupt Pereira’s rhythm and keep him from landing anything fight-changing. Remarkably, Pereira stuffed all 12 of Ankalaev’s takedown attempts, but his defensive success wasn’t enough to sway the judges, who scored the bout 48-47 twice and 49-46 in Ankalaev’s favor.
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In just his second fight at 205 pounds, Pereira captured the light heavyweight crown by defeating Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295, taking home roughly $1.13 million for the victory. His star power only grew from there. At UFC 300 and UFC 303, Pereira pocketed about $2.85 million and $3.3 million, respectively, in high-profile bouts against Jamahal Hill and Prochazka again.
More recently, ‘Poatan’ earned close to $3 million in back-to-back outings at UFC 307 and UFC 313. Now, headlining another marquee card at UFC 320, the former two-division champion is expected to once again clear the $3 million mark. On the other side, Ankalaev’s earnings have steadily risen.
UFC313 – Pereira v Ankalaev – Las Vegas Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev meet in the octagon for a 5-round main event bout at UFC313 – Pereira vs Ankalaev at T-Mobile Arena on March 8, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/ABACAPRESS.COM Las Vegas, Nevada LAS VEGAS, NV United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxUK Copyright: xPXxImages/ABACAx
For his first clash with Pereira at UFC 313, he collected a reported $500,000 base salary. Before that, he earned around $411,000 at UFC 308 against Aleksandar Rakic and $150,000 at UFC 294. Now entering UFC 320 as the reigning champion and with pay-per-view points on his side, the Dagestani could see his payout climb to nearly $1.5 million if he manages to turn back Pereira once again.
UFC 319: Projected Fighter Payouts for Merab Dvalishvili, Cory Sandhagen & More
Before the light heavyweight belt is contested, Merab Dvalishvili looks to secure his third title defense of 2025 when he meets Cory Sandhagen. ‘The Machine’ has had a dominant year, first outpacing the previously unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov in January at UFC 311, then submitting former champ Sean O’Malley in June at UFC 316 to extend his winning streak to 13.
Sandhagen, meanwhile, earns his first crack at undisputed gold after outclassing Deiveson Figueiredo in May. The Denver native’s slick striking, finishing ability in all areas, and relentless pace make him a dangerous threat to Dvalishvili’s reign. On the financial front, Dvalishvili has quickly become one of the UFC’s highest earners at bantamweight.
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He first claimed the 135-pound crown from Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, banking around $1.4 million on the sport’s biggest stage. At UFC 311 in California, disclosed figures showed a base salary of $550,000, with pay-per-view points and bonuses pushing his total close to $1.5 million. His biggest payday to date came at UFC 316 in the O’Malley rematch, where he walked away with approximately $2.3 million.
If he can notch a third successful defense at UFC 320, Dvalishvili’s earnings are expected to fall in the $2–2.5 million range once again. Meanwhile, Sandhagen’s stock continues to rise. Marca reported he was guaranteed $500,000 for his win over Deiveson Figueiredo in May, and he’s likely to earn a similar figure for his title challenge against Dvalishvili.
January 18, 2025, Inglewood, California, USA: MERAB DVALISHVILI 19-4-0 of Tbilisi, Georgia defeats UMAR NURMAGOMEDOV 18-1-0 of Kizilyurt, Russia by unanimous decision 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 during UFC 311 at the Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California Inglewood USA – ZUMAo117 20250118_zsp_o117_054 Copyright: xMikaelxOnax
Elsewhere on the card, former champion Jiri Prochazka remains one of the higher-paid names. He earned $1.38 million in his UFC 303 clash with Pereira, though his most recent outing at UFC 311 brought him around $300,000 for a knockout win over Jamahal Hill. For UFC 320, he’s expected to land somewhere in the $500,000 neighborhood.
As for Khalil Rountree Jr, his paydays have varied widely. He made about $250,000 for his dominant showing against Hill at UFC Baku, but earned a career-high $1.3 million in a title-eliminator loss at UFC 307. Coming into UFC 320 with another potential title shot on the line, ‘The War Horse’ is projected to earn between $300,000 and $400,000.
NOTE: Estimated figures in the article are courtesy of BetMGM and Give Me Sport
