(Serra’s recent training with striking coach Brad Ferro is already paying dividends. Photo courtesy of Sherdog.)
The UFC handed out $1,184,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses for Saturday night’s show, with Randy Couture and Matt Serra‘s $200,000+ checks leading the pack. Check out the numbers below, and keep in mind that the figures don’t include additional income from sponsorships, undisclosed locker room bonuses, and cuts of the pay-per-view (Couture), or deductions for taxes, insurance, licensing fees, and monthly Life Alert payments (Coleman).
Randy Couture: $250,000 (no win bonus)
def. Mark Coleman: $60,000
Chael Sonnen: $124,000 (includes $32,000 win bonus, $60,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
def. Nate Marquardt: $105,000 (includes $60,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Paulo Thiago: $90,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus, $60,000 Submission of the Night bonus)
def. Mike Swick: $43,000
Demian Maia: $62,000 (includes $31,000 win bonus)
def. Dan Miller: $15,000
Matt Serra: $210,000 (includes $75,000 win bonus, $60,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)
def. Frank Trigg: $30,000
Mac Danzig: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
def. Justin Buchholz: $8,000
Melvin Guillard: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Ronys Torres: $4,000
Rob Emerson: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. Phillipe Nover: $10,000
Phil Davis: $10,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus)
def. Brian Stann: $17,000
Chris Tuchscherer: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Tim Hague: $7,000
Joey Beltran: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
def. Rolles Gracie: $15,000
Underpaid: It’s surprising that a prospect like Phil Davis — with his lofty hype and top-shelf wrestling credentials — was brought in under a $5k/$5k contract, which is usually reserved for guys without many other options. (If Strikeforce didn’t try to pick him up, or if they were outbid at $5,000, they’re fools.) Sucks that he’ll be beating up his next two opponents for the same measly pay.
Overpaid: Rolles Gracie, whose to-show money was three times higher than Davis’s, simply because of his last name. As we saw on Saturday, a legendary lineage won’t prevent you from gassing out completely in the second round.
At the main event, I thought I’d accidentally pressed my remote’s slow-mo. Alas, it was just another episode of the UFC’s antiques roadshow…