UFC on ESPN 65 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Middleweight veterans lead earners

USA Today

06-04-2025

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday's UFC on ESPN 65 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $161,000.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC on ESPN 65 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 65 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
Lerone Murphy: $6,000
def. Josh Emmett: $11,000
Pat Sabatini: $6,000
def. Joanderson Brito: $6,000
ChangHo Lee: $4,000
def. Cortavious Romious: $4,000
Brad Tavares: $21,000
def. Gerald Meerschaert: $21,000
Ode Osbourne: $11,000
def. Luis Gurule: $4,000
Torrez Finney: $4,000
def. Robert Valentin: $4,000
Dione Barbosa: $4,000
def. Diana Belbita: $6,000
Rhys McKee: $4,500
def. Daniel Frunza: $4,000
Loma Lookboonmee: $6,000
def. Istela Nunes: $4,500
Victor Henry: $6,000
def. Pedro Falcao: $4,000
Martin Buday: $6,000
def. Uran Satybaldiev: $4,000
Talita Alencar: $4,000
def. Vanessa Demopoulos: $6,000
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program's payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum's multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,650; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-65 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $2,279,000
2024 total: $8,280,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $33,296,500
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.