Magomed Ankalaev defeated Alex Pereira at UFC 313 on March 8 to become the promotion’s new undisputed light heavyweight champion. It was evident from the mood at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas that the fans were unhappy seeing their favorite lose his title via an unanimous decision.
The crowd did celebrate earlier in the night, though, when Justin Gaethje got back to winning ways after a classy performance against Rafael Fiziev in the co-main bout of the night.
Both fights lived up to the hype, and the fighters would be compensated well for their efforts, especially since the indications are that the PPV was a big hit among viewers. Here is a look at the estimated purse the fighters would go home with.
Pereira vs. Ankalaev purse
When it comes to paychecks, Pereira is one of the biggest earners in the promotion since winning the light heavyweight belt. Having main evented three of last year’s PPVs, twice on short notice, the Brazilian has been earning in the millions.
For his last fight at UFC 307 against Khalil Rountree Jr., he reportedly raked in around $2.7 million. That total included his cut of the pay-per-view sales and a sweet $50,000 bonus for Fight of the Night.
So, this time around, the former champion was set to be the highest-paid fighter on the card. His paycheck includes a guaranteed $1 million purse, a solid chunk from pay-per-view sales, and around $42,000 in sponsorship money. If PPV numbers go through the roof, Pereira would take home an estimated $3.5 million.
On the other side, his Russian opponent did win the bout, but his earnings will not come close to Pereira’s. He was locked in for a $750,000 base purse with $32,000 in sponsorships. And if the event cleared 850,000 PPV buys, his total earnings could maybe surpass $1.8 million.
It is still a solid payday for the Russian. Now that he’s the champion, Ankalaev will hope to beat those numbers whenever he fights next.
Gaethje vs. Fiziev purse
Just last week, ESPN reported that Gaethje had been awarded a performance bonus in each of the 13 bouts he has had in the promotion before UFC 313. His bonus alone rounded up to $900,000 in total.
That number may read minuscule, but let us not forget that this is just the bonus, and it’s just a fraction of what Gaethje has made in his journey at the UFC. That, reportedly, would be about $5-$6 million.
‘The Highlight’ has always been one of the UFC’s top earners, thanks to his all-action style and a track record of high-octane fights. His last bout at UFC 300 against Max Holloway reportedly brought in around $1 million, which included a $300,000 Fight of the Night bonus.
For his rematch against Fiziev at UFC 313, he is expected to cash in even more, with earnings projected between $1.5 million and $1.8 million for the night.
As for Fiziev, this was the biggest payday of his career. In their first fight at UFC 286 in 2023, he made $60,000 in base salary, matched it with a win bonus, and added a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. His total that night was $176,000.
For this rematch — taken on short notice — he’s set to make a lot more, with estimates putting his earnings between $350,000 and $450,000. While it is nowhere close to what his opponent will earn, it is still a huge improvement for the 11th-ranked lightweight.
Both fights beat betting odds
Interestingly, betting odds were super tight for both the main and co-main bouts. Pereira, despite being a behemoth, was only a slight favorite at -120, with Ankalaev close behind at +100.
Analysts had predicted a wrestling and grappling-dominated fight for what was said to be the toughest test of Pereira’s career. However, in the odds battle, he still managed to edge out Ankalaev based on his history of dominance. It was a different story inside the octagon, though, with Ankalaev inflicting on the Brazilian his second loss in the promotion.
Surprisingly, in the co-main event, Fiziev was being favored at -155, while Gaethje came in as an underdog at +130. Fiziev had even expressed his surprise at the pre-fight presser, claiming he didn’t understand how Gaethje was being considered the underdog.
Gaethje had claimed it was because of his unsuccessful BMF title defense at UFC 300, where Holloway found his chin with a perfect hook in the last second of the fight. And true to his words, Gaethje not only made a successful return to the octagon after six months but also dominated Fiziev in a strike fest to win by unanimous decision.
