Ex-welterweight champion Kamaru Usman headlined once again in a pivotal showdown at UFC Atlanta. On Saturday night, he took on the surging Joaquin Buckley at the State Farm Arena.
Usman, likely on his retirement tour, snapped a two-year hiatus from action for the bout. Buckley, meanwhile, was on a white hot run in that period.
However, if the fans or his opponent expected rust from Usman because of the hiatus, they were in for a surprise. The 38-year-old beat Buckley in a successful comeback via a decision victory after five grueling rounds.
So, what can both these welterweight stars expect to likely earn from their latest outing to the Octagon in Georgia this weekend?
Usman and Buckley’s estimated paychecks for UFC Atlanta
On a sizeable contract compared to Buckley, Usman, of course, previously held a welterweight crown — during a dominant reign, to boot (from March 2019 to August 2022).
Whilst not publicly official, Usman is estimated to have earned close to $750,000 for his short-notice return against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 back in 2023. Earning a sizeable $1,000,000 for his title rematch with Covington, Usman, who was infamously stopped late by Leon Edwards in 2022, saw his purse fall to $500,000, according to reports.
But in a title charge at the beginning of the following year, Usman is said to have landed another $1,000,000 in a losing effort to three-fight foe Edwards, in the UK at UFC 304. So it is expected that he will take home anywhere between $750,000 and $1 million for the performance in Atlanta.
When it comes to Buckley, his purse for his win over Covington was not disclosed by the Florida Athletic Commission. He is expected to have earned between $50,000 and $100,000 based on prior payouts and his current contract.
But this is not the only key matchup on the card. There are other world champions on the menu for the weekend, and their paychecks are yet to be signed.
More estimated UFC Atlanta fight purses
Former two-time strawweight queen Rose Namajunas continued her flyweight run as she took on Miranda Maverick in a co-main event and defeated her.
The Lithuanian ex-champion is said to have earned an impressive $225,000 in her losing effort to former title challenger Manon Fiorot in her flyweight bow back in 2022. One can expect her to bag anywhere between $200,000 and $250,000 for the win in Atlanta.
Whereas Maverick earned an official $75,000 flat fee for her win over Andrea Lee last year, and took a total $150,000 purse, including her win bonus on the night in Anaheim. She could take home $100,000 despite losing to Rose.
Former undisputed bantamweight kingpin Cody Garbrandt lost to Raoni Barcelos this weekend. Having been a long time away from his championship run, the veteran is said to have earned a massive $350,000 in his title fight loss to T.J. Dillashaw.
Estimated to have earned just $150,000 in his UFC 300 submission loss to Deiveson Figueiredo, Garbrandt can be expected to earn in the region of $100,000 for his fight with Barcelos.
Another veteran on the card was The Ultimate Fighter winner, Michael Chiesa. Off the back of his win over Neil Magny back in 2021, the former lightweight is estimated to have taken home $80,000 for his show purse in a losing effort to Vicente Luque that summer. He is expected to earn a similar amount in Atlanta.
