Does Bellator Pay More Than the UFC? | Easily Explained
Every Mixed Martial Arts organization pays its fighters differently.
In this page, we will explain whether or not Bellator pays their fighters more than the UFC.
Does Bellator Pay More Than The UFC?
When comparing the entire fight cards of the UFC and Bellator, the UFC pays their fighter more money. However, Bellator has a history of signing former UFC fighters to much more lucrative contracts than they received in the UFC such as Gegard Mousasi, Corey Anderson, and Sergio Pettis.
Former UFC Fighters Who Went to Bellator
Gegard Mousasi
Although Mousasi had massive success inside of the octagon, racking up over 40 wins, while still maintaining single-digit losses, he would still not be paid like it during his UFC tenure.
Mousasi would be critical of the UFC pay structure, wondering why the guys that he beat were earning much more than him
Mousasi would eventually become a free agent and ink a deal with Bellator.
Earnings in UFC
In Mousasi's last UFC fight (UFC 210), Mousasi would win via TKO against Chris Weidman and earned $150,000 total.
- $90k to Show
- $50k to Win
- $10k Reebok Sponsorship
Earnings in Bellator
In one of his fights in Bellator, Mousasi would TKO Austin Vanderford and earn a flat salary of $500,000.
The most notable aspect of this is that there was no win bonus, it was a flat fee.
| Fighters | Purses | Win Bonus | Total Payouts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gegard Mousasi | $500k | N/A | $500k |
Corey Anderson
UFC gave me the career...Bellator gave me the life!!
— Corey 'Overtime' Anderson (@CoreyA_MMA) April 20, 2021
In 2 fights 6 months with Bellator, I've made double of what I did in 15 fights (11 wins 2 bonuses) 7 years with UFC. Now I live and enjoy life to the fullest with my family everyday!
Let that marinate....#blessed #worth
In Anderson's last UFC fight, he would earn a total of $85,000.
- $75k to Show
- $10k Fight Week Incentive
In his most recent Bellator fight at Bellator 277, Anderson would earn $250,000.
Preliminary Fighter Pay in Bellator vs UFC
The most noticeable difference in fighter pays occurs in the lower portion of the card, more specifically the preliminary card.
In Bellator's most recent event (Bellator 275), Lee Hammond and Jamie Hay both had a $2k base salary (to show) and a $2k win bonus.
Hammond would win the fight and earn $4k, while Hay would lose the fight and earn $2k.
| Lee Hammond | $2k | $2k | $4k |
| Jamie Hay | $2k | N/A | $2k |
On the other hand, for UFC's most recent event (UFC 275), the lowest fighters on the card have a $12k to show, and $12k to win contract.
| Liang Na | $12k | N/A | $4k | N/A | $16k |
| Silvana Gómez Juárez | $12k | $12k | $4k | $50k | $78k |
Gomez Juarez would win the fight through a devastating knockout, and collect a bonus of the night as well, earning a total of $78,000.
SHE FOLDED HER 😨
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 11, 2022
Stream #UFC275 tonight on @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/AekbXNNDBs pic.twitter.com/uoi1AWheeM
Na would lose the fight but still collect $16,000, eight times more than the Bellator prelim fighter who lost would make.
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