The UFC is back on the road, and this time it’s making a big splash in London—the first of what’s expected to be several trips to the British capital this year. Fans are buzzing, the O2 is set to be packed, and leading the charge is none other than former welterweight champion Leon Edwards, who’ll be squaring off against the dangerous Sean Brady in a high-stakes 170 lbs showdown.
But as much as fans are hyped for the action inside the Octagon, there’s always that lingering question: how much are these guys getting paid? With a main event of this magnitude, you can bet both fighters are cashing in big. So, let’s break down the estimated purses and payouts for Edwards and Brady ahead of UFC London.
Fight purses for UFC Fight Night 255
For Brady, this is set to be the biggest fight of his career, and the payday reflects that. He earned around $466k at UFC Vegas 97 but for this one? He’s expected to walk away with nearly double that—around $932,000.
Edwards has been climbing the pay ladder for a while now. Back at UFC 286, when he beat Kamaru Usman, he pulled in around $1.54 million—that included a $500k base salary, another $500k win bonus, about $500k from pay-per-view points, and $42k in sponsorships. Not bad, right?
But his biggest payday came at UFC 296 against Colby Covington, where he reportedly raked in a massive $3.14 million.
Since this London fight isn’t for the title, his paycheck is expected to dip slightly—around the $2 million mark, this is also due to the fact that he will not be getting any PPV points or any of the benefits that come with being a champion and sharing the revenues generated by the UFC.
However, even if he were getting said PPV points, recent reports suggest it wouldn’t have amounted to much. The UFC is struggling to sell PPVs, to the point, where it’s causing a rift with its current broadcaster ESPN.
ESPN miffed with UFC over low PPV numbers?
The UFC’s current broadcasting deal with ESPN is set to expire in 2025, and recent events have strained their relationship. Technical issues during UFC 313 on ESPN+ left many fans frustrated, leading to widespread dissatisfaction. It also doesn’t help that the streaming company is reportedly unhappy with the lack of PPV buys.
The lack of buys, however, doesn’t seem surprising since for a while now, the promotion has been accused of hosting a plethora of events without the star power it once used to boast of. Only a few select PPVs through out the year have stacked with A-level superstars, while the others have to do with lesser names.
Viewers have also complained about having to pay $79.99 per PPV in the UFC and having to deal with ads, as the promotion increases the price annually.
It should be noted that the UFC has yet to respond to the reports about the lack of PPV buys.
In the meantime, other reports claim that UFC President Dana White is exploring new partnerships, with Netflix emerging as a potential contender. Netflix has been expanding its sports content, recently acquiring WWE’s global rights and successfully broadcasting high-viewer boxing matches.
The UFC is reportedly seeking a significant increase in its next media rights deal, aiming for $1 billion per year, more than double its current agreement. This move could lead to a shift away from traditional pay-per-view models towards subscription-based streaming, potentially offering fans more accessible viewing options.
However, there is an active debate among certain UFC analysts who don’t think the UFC bossman will make a shift from his tried and tested PPV model.
