TUF 25 Finale salaries: Justin Gaethje earns $200,000 in victorious UFC debut

Former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion Justin Gaethje handily led the disclosed payroll for The Ultimate Fighter Finale 25, earning $200,000 for his electrifying UFC debut against Michael Johnson. The Nevada Athletic Commission on Tuesday released the event’s salary information to MMA Fighting.

Gaethje, the inaugural and only lightweight champion in WSOF history, defeated Johnson via second-round TKO in a wild and back-and-forth affair that immediately established itself as the frontrunner for ‘Fight of the Year’ in Friday’s TUF 25 Finale main event. Johnson, a veteran and longtime contender in the UFC lightweight division, earned $47,000 in defeat.

TUF 25 Finale took place July 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The night’s main card aired live on FOX Sports 1.

Aside from Gaethje, two other fighters on the card hit the six-figure mark in earnings. Longtime UFC veteran Gray Maynard cashed $102,000 for his decisive decision win over Teruto Ishihara, while burgeoning light heavyweight contender Jared Cannonier earned $100,000 for his third-round stoppage over Nick Roehrick.

In addition to their commission-reported salaries, Gaethje (x2), Johnson, and Tecia Torres also took home $50,000 fight night bonuses for their performances.

A complete list of the TUF 25 Finale salaries can be seen below. As always, these figures do not represent a fighter's total earnings, as certain sponsorship incomes or discretionary bonuses are not publicly disclosed.

Main card (FOX Sports 1)
Justin Gaethje ($100,000 + $100,000 = $200,000) def. Michael Johnson ($47,000)
Jesse Taylor ($15,000 + $15,000 = $30,000) def. Dhiego Lima ($15,000)
Drakkar Klose ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Marc Diakiese ($24,000)
Jared Cannonier ($50,000 + $50,000 = $100,000) def. Nick Roehrick ($12,000)
Brad Tavares ($34,000 + $34,000 = $68,000) def. Elias Theodorou ($24,000)
Jordan Johnson ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Marcel Fortuna ($14,000)

Preliminary card (FOX Sports 1)
Angela Hill ($18,000 + $18,000 = $36,000) def. Ashley Yoder ($12,000)
James Krause ($24,000 + $24,000 = $48,000) def. Tom Gillicchio ($10,000)
C.B. Dolloway ($43,000 + $43,000 = $86,000) def. Ed Herman ($54,000)
Tecia Torres ($30,000 + $30,000 = $60,000) def. Juliana Lima ($17,000)

Preliminary card (UFC Fight Pass)
Gray Maynard ($51,000 + $51,000 = $102,000) def. Teruto Ishihara ($21,000)