
(Meanwhile, Christian Morecraft picked up $500 for “Freakishly Long Tongue of the Night.” / Photo courtesy of UFC.com)
The competitors at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs. Davis card earned a total of $757,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses, according to figures released by the Washington State Department of Licensing. Preliminary card fighter Johny Hendricks actually walked away with the biggest check of the night, earning $99,000 for 95 seconds of work against TJ Waldburger. Check out the full salary list below; keep in mind that the figures don’t include deductions for taxes, licensing fees, or insurance, or additional revenue from sponsorships and undisclosed “locker room bonuses.”
Phil Davis: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: $90,000
Anthony Johnson: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
def. Dan Hardy: $25,000
Amir Sadollah: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
def. DaMarques Johnson: $14,000
Chan Sung Jung: $65,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus, $55,000 Submission of the Night bonus)
def. Leonard Garcia: $18,000
Mike Russow: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Jon Madsen: $10,000
Mackens Semerzier: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
def. Alex Caceres: $8,000
John Hathaway: $26,000 (includes $13,000 win bonus)
def. Kris McCray: $10,000
Michael McDonald: $65,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus, $55,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
def. Edwin Figueroa: $61,000 (includes $55,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Christian Morecraft: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
def. Sean McCorkle: $10,000
Johny Hendricks: $99,000 (includes $22,000 win bonus, $55,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)
def. T.J. Waldburger: $8,000
Aaron Simpson: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)
def. Mario Miranda: $10,000
Nik Lentz: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)
def. Waylon Lowe: $12,000
Underpaid: It’s nice that Chan Sung Jung has picked up bonuses in two of his three fights for Zuffa, but his $5,000 to-show salary seems almost exploitative, especially for a guy who has to travel halfway around the world to get paid. Mario Miranda, Kris McCray, and Sean McCorkle all get double the guaranteed money that Jung gets, and the Korean Zombie actually puts asses in seats. Go figure.
Overpaid: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira hasn’t performed like a star since his UFC debut against Luiz Cane, 16 months and four fights ago. The UFC may decide he’s not worth the cost. Also, I’m not sure what makes Waylon Lowe special enough to demand $12,000 in show money, which puts him ahead of guys like Jon Madsen and the aforementioned Korean Zombie.








Seriously wtf. It's like they expect KayZee to compensate for that measly 5k with "of the night" bonuses. On the contrary, his base salary should increase in relation to his performances.