Israel Adesanya petitions UFC to increase post-fight bonus money

With the UFC currently valued at $12.1 billion and growing, according to Forbes, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (24-2) is calling for the company to loosen its purse strings for post-fight bonus awards.

UFC president Dana White awards $50,000 bonuses for Performance of the Night (awarded to the two best individual performances on a card) and Fight of the Night. On occasion, he has given out $100,000 bonuses for a few events — something Adesanya believes should be closer to the norm.

“The UFC and WWE merger, $21.4 billion dollar company,” Adesanya said on a recent episode of “Impaulsive.” “I’m like, ‘Yo, they can go up.’ It’s been a few years, inflation has been going up. The bonus got to go up, that’s how I feel. But, I’ve told them this, I’ve said this publicly, it’s not crazy.”

The UFC changed its post-fight bonus structure in 2014. Before then, the company awarded bonuses for Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night and Submission of the Night with money ranging from $20,000 up to as much as $120,000.

Lower-level fighters who do not make six figures are also paid a win bonus for victories, which is typically the same amount as their base salary per fight. White has been known to quietly give certain fighters other bonuses at his discretion, which usually aren’t made public.

Adesanya himself has earned six Performance of the Night bonuses, including his most recent knockout win over Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in April, and two for Fight of the Night bonuses, totaling $400,000.

“My knockouts alone are worth $50,000,” Adesanya continued. “Alone, that’s knockouts, alone. … I’ve said this, the UFC, sometimes they bump it up to $100(K) for certain cards. UFC 200, I think they did, or UFC 100 they did, they were like bonuses were worth $100K. When I knock someone out, I normally get a bonus, so I’m like my knockouts are worth $50,000.”