UFC 311: Big Payouts and Little Surprises

The UFC 311 event in Inglewood, California, was a big night for many fighters, with 12 of them taking home hefty six-figure paychecks. Leading the pack was bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili, who earned a cool $500, 000. His opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov, wasn't left out either, pocketing $100, 000. Compare that to lightweight champ Islam Makhachev, who made $200, 000, while his opponent, Renato Moicano, got a bump to $250, 000 after being promoted to the main event. Other notable earnings include Jiri Prochazka's $250, 000 (with a $50, 000 win bonus), and Jailton Almeida's $220, 000 (with a $110, 000 win bonus). Even lower down the list, fighters like Raoni Barcelos and Zach Reese took home decent sums, with Barcelos earning $96, 000 and Reese $30, 000. These figures are just the disclosed payouts. They don't include any extra bonuses, sponsorships, or discretionary payments. It's interesting to see how much these athletes can make in a single night, but it also raises questions about how fair the pay structure is. Why do some fighters make so much more than others? And what about the ones who don't make it to the six-figure club?