Jon Jones' first paycheck in 15 months was a good one. Jones, the newly crowned interim UFC light heavyweight champion, topped the disclosed payroll of UFC 197, earning a flat $500,000 purse for his main event victory over Ovince Saint Preux, according to figures released to MMA Fighting on Monday by the Nevada Athletic Commission.
Jones routed Saint Preux in his long-awaited return to competition, breaking Saint Preux's arm in the second round and ultimately sweeping the scorecards to secure a unanimous decision win.
Saint Preux, who accepted the fight on three weeks' notice, earned $55,000 in a losing effort.
UFC 197 took place April 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
Aside from Jones, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson was the only other fighter on the card to hit the six-figure mark in winnings. Johnson earned $195,000 for his first-round TKO of Henry Cejudo ($60,000), which took place in the night's co-main event and marked the eighth consecutive title defense of Johnson's career.
In addition to their commission-reported salaries, Johnson, Yair Rodriguez, Danny Roberts, and Dominique Steele all took home $50,000 fight night bonuses for their performances.
A complete list of the UFC 197 salaries can be seen below. As always, these figures do not represent a fighter's total earnings, as certain sponsorship incomes, pay-per-view bonuses, or discretionary post-fight bonuses are not publicly disclosed.
Main Card (Pay-per-view)
Jon Jones ($500,000 + no win bonus = $500,000) def. Ovince Saint Preux ($55,000)
Demetrious Johnson ($135,000 + $60,000 = $195,000) def. Henry Cejudo ($60,000)
Edson Barboza ($44,000 + $44,000 = $88,000) def. Anthony Pettis ($80,000)
Robert Whittaker ($30,000 + $30,000 = $60,000) def. Rafael Natal ($41,000)
Yair Rodriguez ($21,000 + $21,000 = $42,000) def. Andre Fili ($18,000)
Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1)
Sergio Pettis ($24,000 + $24,000 = $48,000) def. Chris Kelades ($12,000)
Danny Roberts ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Dominique Steele ($12,000)
Carla Esparza ($30,000 + $30,000 = $60,000) def. Juliana Lima ($14,000)
James Vick ($15,000 + $15,000 = $30,000) def. Glaico Franca ($17,000)
Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Walt Harris ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Cody East ($10,000)
Marcos Rogerio de Lima ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Clint Hester ($12,000)
Kevin Lee ($24,000 + $24,000 = $48,000) def. Efrain Escudero ($18,000)