Salaries for MMA fighters are held in the public record even though they do not have any type of union or collective bargaining. Players of any other major sports in the US also have their salaries listed for the world to see.
The top 10 earners for 2012 so far are listed below.
- $710,000 Rashad Evans
- $400,000 Jon Jones
- $350,000 Forrest Griffin
- $325,000 Tito Ortiz
- $279,000 Vitor Belfort
- $275,000 Anderson Silva
- $275,000 Michael Bisping
- $265,000 Fabricio Werdum
- $265,000 Wanderlei Silva
- $258,000 Martin Kampmann
Here is a rundown of the highest wage earners for a single fight in the MMA today.
- $240,000 Mauricio Rua
- $200,000 Lyoto Machida
- $48,000 Joe Lauzon
- $86,000 Mike Swick
- $20,000 Nam Phan
- $30,000 Phil Davis
- $24,000 Rani Yahya
- $20,000 Phil De Fries
- $36,000 Manny Gamburyan
- $18,000 John Moraga
There may also be bonuses that have not been disclosed given to a fight from his promoter that do not appear in the figures above. As well, a fighter may also receive bonuses for fight of the night or for pay-per-view.
The salary for Mauricio Rua includes a win bonus of $70,000 for his fight against Brandon Vera. Other win bonuses included in the list above include $24,000 for Joe Lauzon, $43,000 for Mike Swick, $10,000 for Nam Phan, $12,000 for Rani Yahya, $10,000 for Phil De Fries, $18,000 for Manny Gamburyan and $9000 for John Moraga.
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