Fighter salaries and fight purses are always the subject of great debate across MMA, check out the current fight purse and salary breakdown of Professional Fighters League (PFL) fighters below, and more in 2023
Major MMA fighting competitions like the UFC, Bellator, and ONE all have issues regarding fighter salaries and demands.
Professional Fighters League (PFL) fighters salaries list in 2023, purse, payouts, full form
Created his own path ✍️✅
Dream accomplished 🥊✅Its all about 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐂𝐘 for @francis_ngannou pic.twitter.com/QiQpOQOjuF
— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 11, 2023
Brendan Loughnane clarifies how the pay works in the PFL tournament.
You make purses for the first two regular season fights and the semis come off the final.#TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/lNHc1A3Hy1
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) November 28, 2022
According to various sources, the minimum NFL salary back in 2022 was $705,000, or $41,470 per game. This number rose to $750,000 in 2023, similarly, the minimum salary for and MLB player is $720,000.
However, the UFC’s minimum salary was just a meager $12,000 per fight in 2022, coupled with a win bonus of another $12,000.
As such, PFL is looking to change this using its tournament format with funds from business investors like former MLB player Alex Rodriguez.
PFL founder and chairman Donn Davis once stated:
The PFL business is exactly what sports investors are looking for. We’ve proven to secure top athletes. We’ve proven to secure global media distribution. And we’ve proven to secure dozens of leading advertisers.”
PFL fighters salary breakdown
Unlike most MMA promotions (excluding Bellator), the PFL follows a full tournament format style. All the fighters compete against one another to eliminate one another with the final winner earning a $1 million prize.
Aside from the $1 million, fighters also get to earn a separate paycheck. Back in 2019 during PFL season two, Kayla Harrison won the first PFL tournament for women. Given below are the fight purses of several PFL fighters leading up to the finals that year:
- Kayla Harrison ($125,000) def. Bobby Jo Dalziel ($25,000) at PFL 7
- Ray Cooper III ($100,000) def. Chris Curtis ($50,000) at PFL 7
- David Michaud ($100,000) def. Glaico Franca ($75,000) PFL 7 main event
- Natan Schulte ($99,900) def. Akhmed Aliev ($74,850) at PFL 8
- Lance Palmer ($99,950) def. Alex Gilpin ($74,950) at PFL 8
- Loik Radzhabov ($63,800) def. Chris Wade ($74,800) PFL 8 main event
Meanwhile, given below are the fight purses of the past season (2022):
- Alex Martinez ($38,000) def. Clay Collard ($28,000) PFL 4 main event
- Olivier Aubin-Mercier ($54,000) def. Raush Manfio ($27,000) at PFL 4
- Matheus Scheffel ($20,000) def. Bruno Cappelozza ($40,000) PFL 5 main event
- Stevie Ray ($80,000) def. Anthony Pettis ($750,000) at PFL 5
- Kayla Harrison ($500,000) def. Kaitlin Young ($20,000) PFL 6 main event
- Sadibou Sy ($52,000) def. Rory MacDonald ($250,000) at PFL 6
Growing interest from fighters to join PFL
Owing to their much higher fight purses, there is a growing interest among MMA fighters to join the PFL. Shane Burgos who joined the UFC back in 2016 and had an fight record 8-3 eventually signed with the PFL. While speaking about his shift, Burgos revealed the following:
Aside from the million dollars to win the whole thing, my money per fight is phenomenal. I’m making way more money— it takes about four UFC fights, with the show and win money, to make what I’m making for a PFL fight.”
Another notable signing was Jake Paul, who recently just signed with the PFL. Aside from competing in the PFL, the YouTuber turned boxer has played a big role in helping form the Super Fight division. In this special weight class, fighters have the potential to earn at least 50% of the PFL’s pay-per-view revenue.
Francis Ngannou contract details
Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou just recently signed with the PFL back in May 2023. The new move comes just after Ngannou and the UFC parted ways. The UFC denied requests for health insurance, sponsorships, and an advocate for contract negotiations while having talks of a new contract.
Given below are Francis Ngannou’s contract terms in hsi deal with PFL:
- High seven-figure purse for each fight
- Non-exclusive contract when it comes to competing inside a boxing ring
- A minimum salary (as high as $1 million) for his opponent
- Leadership role on the PFL Global Advisory Board, which makes Ngannou the first active fighter to serve on the board and represent fighters’ interests
- Ngannou will be an equity owner in and Chairman of PFL Africa
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