Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 281 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $151,500.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
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UFC Fight Night 281 took place at PayCom Center in Oklahoma City, OK. The entire card streamed on Paramount+.
The full UFC Fight Night 281 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Dricus Du Plessis: $11,000 def. Kamaru Usman: $16,000
Christian Leroy Duncan: $6,000 def. Jared Cannonier: $21,000
Chase Hooper: $11,000 def. Mitch Ramirez: $4,000
Fatima Kline: $4,500 def. Tabatha Ricci: $11,000
Tommy McMillen: $4,000 def. Alberto Montes: $4,000
Jose Delgado: $4,500 def. Austin Bashi: $4,000
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani: $4,000 def. Seokhyeon Ko: $4,000
Felipe Franco: $4,000 def. Levi Rodrigues Jr: $4,000
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Ezra Elliott: $4,000 def. Damien Anderson: $4,000
Alden Coria: $4,000 def. Stewart Nicoll: $4,500
RJ Harris: $4,000 def. Alvin Hines: $4,000
Dione Barbosa: $6,000 def. Anna Melisano: $4,000
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2811 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.
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In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2026 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
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“UFC Fight Night 281: Du Plessis vs. Usman” – $151,500
Year-to-date total: $5,215,000
2025 total: $8,441,500
2024 total: $8,280,500
2023 total: $8,131,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $44,333,000
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Fight Night 281 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jared Cannonier’s $21,000 leads
