The Washington Department of Licensing recently released the guaranteed salaries from UFC Fight Night 271, which featured Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer in the main event fight. The disclosed figures were dwarfed by the figures recently disclosed for the Netflix-backed Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card promoted by Jake Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions.
According to reports released following UFC Seattle, Adesanya earned a disclosed purse of $500,000 despite suffering a second-round TKO loss to Pyfer in the main event. Pyfer, meanwhile, reportedly earned $400,000 for the biggest win of his career.
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Israel AdesanyaChris Unger/Zuffa LLC-GettyImages
UFC Seattle Pay
Full figures can be seen here (via Jed I. Goodman on X):
The Seattle event took place on March 28 at Climate Pledge Arena and drew a reported attendance of 17,854 fans with a gate exceeding $4.1 million.
Pyfer’s upset victory instantly became one of the biggest stories of the UFC year. The 29-year-old stopped the former two-time middleweight champion with ground-and-pound in Round 2, extending Adesanya’s skid and moving himself firmly into title contention.
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Joe PyferMat Hayward/Getty Images
The disclosed payroll from the Seattle card also showed sizable gaps between the UFC’s established veterans and its broader roster. Former women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso reportedly earned $260,000 for her win over Maycee Barber, while veteran Michael Chiesa received $310,000 in what was billed as his retirement fight.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 27: UFC flyweight fighter Alexa Grasso weighs in at 126 pounds during UFC Fight Night official weigh-in at the Hyatt Regency on March 27, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images)
It should be noted, however, that these figures do not include performance bonuses, discretionary bonuses, or letters of agreement, which are additional payments given to special big-name athletes (per MMA Junkie).
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Ronda Rousey Netflix Pay
Those figures were respectable by standard UFC Fight Night metrics, but they paled in comparison to the salaries revealed just weeks later for the Netflix MMA debut promoted by MVP.
The California State Athletic Commission disclosed Ronda Rousey earning a massive $2.2 million purse for her 17-second submission win over Gina Carano, who still collected $1.05 million in defeat.
Ronda Rousey, left, Jake Paul, center, and Gina Carano as the fighters face-off during a press conference.Hans Gutknecht/Getty Images
The gap became even more striking when comparing main-event losers. Adesanya’s disclosed $500,000 payday was less than one-quarter of Rousey’s purse and less than half of Carano’s guaranteed money despite Carano competing in her first MMA bout in 17 years.
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The Netflix event also delivered seven-figure paydays to several additional stars. Francis Ngannou reportedly earned $1.5 million, while Nate Diaz and Mike Perry earned $500,000 and $400,000, respectively.
Mike Perry chokes Nate DiazSarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix
Rousey had openly criticized the UFC’s fighter compensation before the event and suggested the Netflix card was attempting to raise the standard for MMA pay.
The financial contrast also reflects the different business models between the UFC and MVP’s Netflix partnership. UFC Fight Night cards are generally produced under the company’s long-term broadcast structure, while the Netflix-backed MVP event was built around nostalgia, crossover appeal, and major guaranteed purses to attract returning stars.
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Ronda RouseyHarry How/Getty Images for Netflix
From a viewership standpoint, MVP’s gamble appeared to pay off. Netflix reported that Rousey vs. Carano peaked at nearly 17 million global viewers and averaged 12.4 million live viewers across the three-fight main card.
MVP also claimed in a statement that the event became the most-watched MMA broadcast in United States history, surpassing previous records set by UFC programming on network television (via MVP – Most Valuable Promotions on X):
For the UFC, the Seattle disclosures once again offered a rare public look into fighter compensation. Unlike some athletic commissions, the UFC no longer routinely has fighter purses released in many jurisdictions.
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The comparison between UFC Seattle and the Netflix event is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, especially when Jake Paul himself is directly criticizing the UFC’s pay. With MVP demonstrating an ability to generate enormous viewership and million-dollar purses for returning stars, pressure may continue to mount on major MMA promotions regarding fighter pay transparency and revenue sharing.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
