UFC 229 salaries: Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor cash historic paydays

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor took home historically large disclosed paydays for their blockbuster title fight at UFC 229.

The Nevada Athletic Commission released the event’s finalized salary information over the weekend to MMA Fighting.

Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor via fourth-round submission to retain his lightweight championship in the main event of UFC 229. For his handiwork in a contest that many believe will end up being the highest-selling MMA fight of all-time, Nurmagomedov cashed a flat $2 million purse with no win bonus, while McGregor took home a record-tying $3 million purse with no win bonus in the losing effort. Those salaries match the disclosed respective salaries for Nate Diaz and McGregor for UFC 202, an event that currently holds the record as the highest-selling MMA fight of all-time. McGregor’s $3 million purse for both contests holds the distinction of being the biggest disclosed purse in MMA history.

UFC 229 took place Oct. 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The night’s main card aired live on pay-per-view.

Aside from the main event competitors, only five other fighters cleared the six-figure mark in earnings at UFC 229: Derrick Lewis ($270,000), Tony Ferguson ($155,000), Anthony Pettis ($145,000), Michelle Waterson ($100,000), and Nik Lentz ($100,000).

In addition to their commission-reported salaries, Ferguson, Pettis, Lewis, and undercard fighter Aspen Ladd also took home $50,000 fight night bonuses for their performances.

Important to note, the Nevada Athletic Commission is currently withholding Nurmagomedov’s purse while pursuing a investigation into the post-fight brawl that overshadowed the main event.

A complete list of the UFC 229 salaries can be seen below. As always, these figures do not represent a fighter’s total earnings, as certain sponsorship incomes, pay-per-view earnings or discretionary bonuses are not publicly disclosed.

Main Card (Pay-per-view)
Khabib Nurmagomedov ($2,000,000 + no win bonus = $2,000,000) def. Conor McGregor ($3,000,000)
Tony Ferguson ($150,000 + $5,000 = $155,000) def. Anthony Pettis ($145,000)
Dominick Reyes ($45,000 + $45,000 = $90,000) def. Ovince Saint Preux ($86,000)
Derrick Lewis ($135,000 + $135,000 = $270,000) def. Alexander Volkov ($75,000)
Michelle Waterson ($50,000 + $50,000 = $100,000) def. Felice Herrig ($40,000)

Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1)
Jussier Formiga ($43,000 + $43,000 = $86,000) def. Sergio Pettis ($46,000)
Vicente Luque ($38,000 + $38,000 = $76,000) def. Jailin Turner ($10,000)
Aspen Ladd ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Tonya Evinger ($30,000)
Scott Holtzman ($30,000 + $30,000 = $60,000) def. Alan Patrick ($30,000)

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Yana Kunitskaya ($25,000 + $25,000 = $50,000) def. Lina Lansberg ($20,000)
Nik Lentz ($50,000 + $50,000 = $100,000) def. Gray Maynard ($54,000)
Tony Martin ($28,000 + $28,000 = $56,000) def. Ryan LaFlare ($33,000)