With one of the two headliners being showcased this weekend never having fought in a main event before, the Hermansson vs Pyfer payouts on UFC Fight Night 236 are sure to produce some record-breaking purses for multiple fighters.
Although many MMA fans are starting to feel like the UFC's constant events held at the APEX are starting to get stale, there are some heavy-hitters this weekend that could produce one heck of a show — maybe even earning themselves some Hermansson vs Pyfer prize money.
Prior to this UFC Fight Night 236 event, we've searched the internet to find all the best estimates of what the various UFC payouts fighters can expect to earn, and who might be getting the best UFC bonuses of their careers.
UFC Fighter Pay: What Will Hermansson vs Pyfer Be Paid at UFC Fight Night 236?
As it pertains to the middleweight main event, the Hermansson vs Pyfer payouts should make for some all-time earnings.
Since this will be Jack “The Joker” Hermansson's fifth main-event fight in the UFC, we are expecting him to receive solid pay for this fight — regardless of whether he can end up producing an upset against the favorite, Joe Pyfer.
According to past disclosed earnings, Hermansson had around a $90,000 UFC payout as his base salary when he faced former champion Sean Strickland during a UFC main event back in February 2022. Yet, that took place over two years ago, and Hermansson has had two main events since then — including one victory. Therefore, it's safe to assume that Hermansson is making a good deal more than he did against Strickland.
For that reason, we estimate that JackHermansson will be making approximately $210,000 in UFC fighter pay after his fight with Joe Pyfer comes to a conclusion.
This is quite a solid payout; especially considering that Hermansson is likely on the latter half of his career, and is 3-4 in his last seven UFC fights. Yet, if he can manage a spectacular finish this weekend, his UFC Fight Night 236 prize money will not only double due with a win, but he might earn himself a $50,000 performance bonus, as well.
Now let's talk about the other half of the UFC Fight Night 236 main event: Joe Pyfer.
After Pyfer initially earned his way into the UFC by securing a contract on Dana White's Contender Series, the middleweight prospect went viral during October 2023, when he explained during a UFC pre-fight press conference that he wouldn't start fighting Top-15 middleweights until the UFC paid him “real money”.
“If I'm going to fight the Top 15,” Pyfer said during the interview, “which are the baddest men in the world, I want to start working towards financial security.”
After that, Pyfer proceeded to submit his opponent in the second round.
Given that Pyfer is now fighting against Jack Hermansson, who is currently ranked as the 11th ranked middleweight in the UFC, it's safe to assume that Pyfer's wish was granted — which he has since confirmed to multiple media outlets.
In fact, considering his rising prospect status and potential to be a superstar, we estimate that Joe Pyfer will be making a $200,000 UFC payout for fighting in the UFC Fight Night 236 main event against Hermansson this weekend.
While it might seem absurd that the unexperienced Pyfer is earning nearly the same payout as a tried and true veteran like Hermansson, this impressive Hermansson vs Pyfer prize money shows the UFC's faith in Pyfer potentially being a title contender in the near future — perhaps even a champion some day.
UFC Payouts: What the Rest of the Card Can Expect
Because there are so many veterans included throughout this UFC Fight Night 236 card, many of the Hermansson vs Pyfer payouts are looking pretty solid, from the fighter's point of view. Here are some of the expected UFC payouts for the main card fighters this weekend:
Clearly the place on the main card where some of the UFC Fight Night 236 fighters are slotted isn't indicative of how much they're getting paid to fight. While prospects like Robert Bryczek and Ihor Poteria are higher up on the card than fighters like Michael Johnson and Brad Tavares, they're only earning a fraction of those veterans are earning.
And for good reason. It makes perfect sense that those who have earned their stripes in the UFC — regardless of how many fights they've won or lost — should be making more than the less tested prospects.
While that isn't the case with Joe Pyfer, the Philadelphia product has become a main event fighter. He deserves all of the Hermansson vs Pyfer prize money that's coming his way.
Grant Young is a sports writer from San Francisco. He has had two professional Muay Thai fights: he got knocked out in one, and got a knockout in the other. When it comes to his favorite fighters, it's Israel Adesanya, and then it's everyone else.
