The UFC heads to Abu Dhabi for a stacked fight card from top to bottom at UFC 294. We have a lightweight main event fight between two of the best fighters on planet earth, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski as they rematch for the lightweight championship. Makhachev is coming off his first title defense where he beat Alexander Volkanovski in a razor-close unanimous decision. That fight at UFC 284 was one of the best fights of 2023 and after Charles Oliveira withdrew due to injury, Volkanovski stepped up on short notice to give us an even better main event than were initially looking forward to. Both fighters will be looking to claim the lightweight title and the top spot on the Pound-for-Pound UFC rankings.
In the co-main event, we have the return of Khamzat Chimaev who hasn’t been seen in the octagon since egregiously missing weight at UFC 279 back in September 2022. He was originally scheduled to face off against Paulo Costa but like Oliveira he had to withdraw from the fight due to a staph infection. Stepping up on short notice is the former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman who will be making his middleweight debut. Usman is looking to get back on track after losing back-to-back title fights against Leon Edwards meanwhile, Chimaev is looking to get the biggest win of his UFC career as he attempts to make a statement in his return to the middleweight division. A win from either fighter at UFC 294 can catapult them into title contention.
With that said, these fighters can expect some hefty paydays this weekend so let’s check out what the expected fighter pay, salaries, and payouts will be.
Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski Set For Big Payday
Islam Makachev and Alexander Volkanovski are set to face off in a rematch for the UFC lightweight championship this weekend at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. These are coming off a closely contested fight that saw Islam Makhachev edge out Alexander Volkanovski for a unanimous decision victory at UFC 284 back in February. It was Charles Oliveira who withdrew from his fight with Makhachev due to a cut above his eye which then opened the door for Volkanovski to get another crack at becoming the next UFC double champion this weekend. A win for either fighter this weekend will solidify themselves as the Pound-for-Pound best fighter in the UFC.
UFC 294 Fighter Pay, Salaries, and Payouts
Using previously disclosed figures, we’ve crunched the numbers to foresee the potential payouts for the fighters on this weekend’s upcoming UFC 294 event in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
In total, the UFC is projected to pay out over $4 Million in salaries, incentives, and bonuses at UFC 294.
Headlining the main event, are Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev and Volkanovski are expected to be the highest-paid fighters on the fight card.
Makhachev and Volkanovski are expected to be the highest-paid fighters. The UFC lightweight and featherweight champions are set to earn a guaranteed payout of $1,011,000 this weekend.
Kamaru Usman ($516,000), Khamzat Chimaev ($506,000), and Tim Elliott ($116,000) round out the top-five highest-paid fighters at UFC 294 this weekend.
Top-5 Highest Paid Fighters at UFC 294:
- Islam Makhachev – $1,011,000
- Alexander Volkanovski – $1,011,000
- Kamaru Usman – $516,000
- Khamzat Chimaev- $506,000
- Tim Elliott – $116,000
Check out the projected UFC 294 payouts for each fighter below:
| Fighter | Base Pay | Incentive Pay | Guaranteed Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islam Makhachev | $1,000,000 | $11,000 | $1,011,000 |
| Alexander Volkanovski | $1,000,000 | $11,000 | $1,011,000 |
| Kamaru Usman | $500,000 | $16,000 | $516,000 |
| Khamzat Chimaev | $500,000 | $6,000 | $506,000 |
| Magomed Ankalaev | $100,000 | $11,000 | $111,000 |
| Johnny Walker | $90,000 | $11,000 | $101,000 |
| Ikram Aliskerov | $12,000 | $4,000 | $16,000 |
| Warlley Alves | $60,000 | $11,000 | $71,000 |
| Said Nurmagomedov | $100,000 | $6,000 | $106,000 |
| Muin Gafurov | $12,000 | $4,000 | $16,000 |
| Tim Elliott | $100,000 | $16,000 | $116,000 |
| Muhammad Mokaev | $50,000 | $4,500 | $54,500 |
| Mohammad Yahya | $12,000 | $4,000 | $16,000 |
| Trevor Peek | $12,000 | $4,000 | $16,000 |
| Javid Basharat | $24,000 | $4,500 | $28,500 |
| Victor Henry | $20,000 | $4,500 | $24,500 |
| Sedriques Dumas | $12,000 | $4,000 | $16,000 |
| Abu Azatair | $12,000 | $4,000 | $16,000 |
| Anshul Jubli | $12,000 | $4,000 | $16,000 |
| Mike Breeden | $18,000 | $4,500 | $22,500 |
| Nathaniel Wood | $60,000 | $6,000 | $36,000 |
| Muhammad Naimov | $12,000 | $4,000 | $16,000 |
| Jinh Yu Frey | $60,000 | $6,000 | $66,000 |
| Victoria Dudakova | $12,000 | $4,000 | $16,000 |
| Bruno Silva | $60,000 | $6,000 | $66,000 |
| Sharabutdin Magomedov | $12,000 | $4,000 | $16,000 |
UFC 294 Promotional Guidelines Compliance Pay
The UFC will pay out $175,000 worth of incentive pay to their fighters this weekend at UFC 294.
The incentive pay is generated by the UFC’s sportswear sponsor Venum’s deal which is paid out to the fighters via tiers based on their tenure with the company. This tenure includes Zuffa-era WEC fights, from January 2007 on, as well as Zuffa-era Strikeforce fights from April 2011 on.
Fighters with 1-3 professional bouts under the UFC/Zuffa banner will receive $4,000, 4-5 fights pay out $4,500, 6-10 bouts pay out $6,000, 11-15 pay out $11,000, 16-20 pay out $16,000 and 21 fights or more pays out $21,000. Meanwhile, title challengers are paid $32,000 and champions are paid $42,000.
UFC Betting Guides 2024
- UFC Betting Guide – Discover Best UFC Betting Sites in USA Ranked & Reviewed.
- UFC Betting Apps – Compare the Best Betting Apps for UFC.
- Best Offshore Betting Sites – Compare Top Offshore Online Betting Sites.
- Best Bitcoin Betting Sites – Top-rated Bitcoin Sportsbooks in USA Ranked & Reviewed.
- Best Sports Betting Apps – Discover Top US Mobile Betting Apps Ranked & Reviewed.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
