(When you’ve got a championship belt on your shoulder and 200k in your pocket, all the ladies want a piece of you — even the old and busted ones. That’s your mom @ 0:37-1:01. Props to TATAMETV.)
The fighters who did battle at UFC 98 took home $1,196,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses, according to figures released today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Though Rashad Evans came into Saturday’s event with the highest to-show salary in the building ($200,000), Lyoto Machida tied his purse when bonuses were added in, and Matt Hughes actually surpassed both of them thanks to his bumps. The numbers — which don’t include any undisclosed backstage palm-greasing — are below…
Matt Hughes — $260,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus and $60,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Lyoto Machida — $200,000 (includes $70,000 win bonus and $60,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)
Rashad Evans — $200,000
Matt Serra — $135,000 (includes $60,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Brock Larson — $102,000 (includes $21,000 win bonus and $60,000 Submission of the Night bonus)
Chael Sonnen — $50,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus)
Frank Edgar — $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
Sean Sherk — $40,000
Drew McFedries — $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
Krzysztof Soszynski — $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida — $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
George Roop — $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
Dan Miller — $15,000
Mike Pyle — $15,000
Tim Hague — $10,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus)
Phillipe Nover — $10,000
Kyle Bradley — $8,000 (includes $4,000 win bonus)
Dave Kaplan — $8,000
Pat Barry — $7,000
Xavier Foupa-Pokam — $6,000
Andre Gusmao — $5,000
Brandon Wolff — $3,000
Underpaid: Frankie Edgar has been in nothing but wars during his six-fight stint in the Octagon. Though the UFC has occasionally paid him back in Fight of the Night bonuses, we have to consider Edgar a minor star at this point, and worthy of a little more than $20,000 to show. Of course, Lyoto Machida should be getting Rashad Evans money now, but as I understand it, title contenders sign new contracts before championship fights that promise them more money for their next fights if they win the belt. (Those contracts also have that gnarly "champion’s clause" that ties them even tighter to the organization.) I’m also not worried about K-Sos; his $8,000 base pay is garbage, but TUF products often sign three-fight contracts and can negotiate more cash if they do well in those three fights, which he certainly has.
Overpaid: Matt Serra. You know I love the freakin’ goombah, but an extra $60,000 for getting laid on for three rounds? His unsatisfying match against Matt Hughes didn’t deserve Fight of the Night, so this is more a knock on the UFC’s choices than the Terror, but it would be nice if they broke with tradition for once and gave out an extra KO bonus to Drew McFedries instead — or donated it to the Chris Wilson Shit Luck Fund.


Hey Hal, have you noticed that no matter how you try to twist it nobody fucking likes you. You are a douchebag, and hopefully before long you won’t be here, then you can email the Ben’s in all caps and annoy JUST them cause we ALL are sick of you. Go play in the street.