UFC Fighter Pay: Salaries of Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones Revealed in Court

Have you ever wondered how much the biggest UFC stars got paid in the peak years of the promotion? Today may be your lucky day. During the latest stage of the class action lawsuit against the UFC, documents containing information about UFC payouts from 2011 to 2016 were leaked on the internet. Here is the latest UFC fighter pay information about stars like Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Ronda Rousey, and many more.

UFC Fighter Pay: Here's How Much UFC Stars Got Paid

Let us give you some context here. The ongoing lawsuit includes the signatures of more than 1200 former UFC fighters who performed in the promotion between 2010 and 2017. The allegations state that the UFC used its power to suppress wages in violation of the U.S. laws. After several attempts to close the lawsuit, it appears that the trial is set to begin in April 2024.

Until then, we have a lot to talk about. Most notably, documents from the hearing got leaked and the numbers on them were nothing short of shocking. Yes, there were no names attached to any UFC fighter pay on those documents. However, there were dates next to the numbers.

It was quite easy for people to match those dates with actual UFC events and actual bouts involving stars like Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ronda Rousey, and others. Keep in mind that those numbers do not involve the PPV earnings, just the regular UFC fighter pay that was agreed upon before signing the fight contract.

Conor McGregor – Nobody Will Ever Earn More

• $3,285,000 for his fight against Chad Mendes at UFC 189.
• $4,476,662 or $4,536,932 for his fight against Jose Aldo at UFC 194. In turn, Aldo was paid $2,377,699 for this bout.
• $5,576,315 for his fight vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 196. In turn, Diaz was paid $2,838,158 for this bout.
• $5,615,490 for the rematch against Nate Diaz at UFC 202. Diaz was paid $4,315,490 for this match.
• $6,812,374 for his fight against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205.

As you can clearly see, Conor McGregor was paid over 25 million for only five of his UFC bouts, and those were mid-career. The numbers for the Nurmagomedov fight remain a mystery but they definitely were higher.

Jon Jones – Was He Underpaid?

• $1,176,108 for his fight against Quinton Jackson at UFC 135.
• $1,705,969 for his bout against Lyoto Machida at UFC 140.
• $2,278,553 for his match against Rashad Evans at UFC 145.
• $2,750,000 for his match against Chael Sonnen at UFC 159.
• $1,173,560 for his bout against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165.
• $3,637,500 for his fight against Daniel Cormier at UFC 182.

While Jon Jones is undoubtedly one of the all-timers in the UFC, his UFC fighter pay totals are far lower than those of Conor McGregor. In fact, few other athletes have come close to earning as much as the Irishman.

Anderson Silva – Over $28 Million

• $2,506,034 for his fight against Vitor Belfort at UFC 126.
• $2,825,000 for his bout against Chael Sonnen at UFC 148.
• $3,222,253 for his match against Chris Weidman at UFC 162.
• $4,374,326 for his rematch against Chris Weidman at UFC 168.
• $3,429,082 for his match vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 183.
• $4,208,675 for his legendary bout against Daniel Cormier at UFC 200.

As the record-holder for the longest winning streak in the UFC, Anderson Silva definitely got paid well for each of his matches after becoming the champion. He earned quite more than Jon Jones, for example – over $28 million. More importantly, even after his reign ended and he began losing matches around the end of his career, the UFC fighter pay was still sky-high for Silva.

George St-Piere – More Than $15 Million in 4 Bouts

• $4,314,289 for his bout against Jake Shields at UFC 129.
• $3,197,908 for his fight against Carlos Condit at UFC 154.
• $4,116,690 for his match against Nick Diaz at UFC 158.
• $3,555,344 for his bout against Johny Hendricks at UFC 167.

Looking at those numbers, could you imagine the UFC salaries if that match against Khabib Nurmagomedov actually happened? It could have been bigger than the McGregor fight at UFC 229.

Jose Aldo Can Thank Conor McGregor

• $250,000 for his title match against Ricardo Lamas at UFC 169.
• $350,000 for his title match against Chad Mendes at UFC 179.
• $2,377,699 for the historical bout against Conor McGregor at UFC 194.

Do you realize the influence McGregor had on Aldo's purse? In fact, the same goes for every single opponent that the Irishman had. You had every right to negotiate a 1000% increase on your UFC Fighter Pay if you accepted to fight Conor McGregor.

Ronda Rousey – Setting the Standards High

• $574,720 for her bout against Liz Carmouche at UFC 157.
• $1,817,907 for the match against Miesha Tate at UFC 168.
• $870,969 for her bout vs. Sarah McMann at UFC 170.
• $4,476,662 or $4,536,932 for the match against Holly Holm at UFC 193.
• $4,879,766 or $5,576,315 for the legendary bout against Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.

Unfortunately for Ronda, the world now knows how much she got paid for her biggest fights. At the same time, she can be proud, because no other female fighter has ever come close to those numbers. Ronda Rousey set standards that are unlikely to ever be surpassed. Just like Conor, she was a pioneer for women's MMA and she was rewarded generously.