UFC Fighter Pay Disclosure: Which States Reveal Purses

UFC fighter pay disclosure depends almost entirely on where the card is held. When UFC 331 took place in California, the commission-disclosed purses for all 24 fighters were published. When UFC 332 took place in Utah a few weeks later, the payout lists circulating were labeled estimates. Same promotion, different public record.

What Disclosure Looks Like When It Works

UFC 331 was held September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Because California publishes fighter purses, the numbers came out the same night: Alexandre Pantoja made $650,000 in disclosed pay and champion Joshua Van made $500,000. Tai Tuivasa made $350,000 despite entering on a seven-fight losing skid, because he has more than 20 UFC fights and the pay scale rises with tenure.

That is a published number a fighter, a manager, or a reporter can point to. It is the exception.

The States That Stopped Publishing

Nevada stopped releasing purse information in 2019, citing confidentiality. Florida followed in April 2021. A Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation spokesman, Patrick Fargason, told MMA Junkie why:

“The purse for that event has been deemed a trade secret by the promoter and therefore exempt from public record.”

Arizona became the third state to keep purses secret in early 2022. MMA journalist Mike Bohn summed up where things stood in 2023: “Very few commissions in 2023 make that information public.”

What Fills the Gap: Estimates

When a commission does not publish purses, outlets fall back on estimates built from past disclosures, base contracts, and industry reports. The UFC 332 lists published this month were labeled “estimated total payout.” One outlet noted that Utah does not disclose purses the way California does, so its figures were estimated from fighters’ previous paydays. Utah did publish pay for UFC 291 in 2023, so a state’s practice can change; the UFC 332 numbers are still estimates.

The same is true of UFC 330 in Philadelphia. EssentiallySports projected Islam Makhachev at $3 million to $3.5 million and said plainly that the UFC does not publicly release official fighter salaries. Bleacher Report’s payout article for the card listed bonuses only.

What Still Gets Reported

Some pay does surface on cards with undisclosed purses. UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay for UFC 332 was published in full and totaled $299,500. It is the one line on that card with exact numbers, which is why it keeps surfacing in coverage. For how base pay, bonuses, and take-home work, see our UFC fighter pay breakdown.

The Bottom Line

Whether anyone can see what a UFC fighter was paid depends on the state that hosts the card. California publishes purses. Nevada stopped in 2019, Florida in 2021, and Arizona in 2022, and on cards in states that do not publish, the numbers fans search for are estimates. A fighter weighing an offer can see real comparisons only when the event lands in the right state.

Sources

• Yahoo Sports / Heavy: UFC 331 Fighter Payouts Are Revealed (Sept. 2026)
• SI/FanNation: California Reveals UFC Fighter Salaries After UFC Sacramento Fight Card
• FanSided MMA: Why are UFC purses not public information? (Oct. 23, 2023)
• The Main Card (Substack): The Reason You Can’t Know How Much Fighters Make (Dec. 16, 2022)
• Bloody Elbow: Florida won’t disclose fighter payouts because UFC deemed them ‘a trade secret’ (Apr. 2021)
• Bloody Elbow: Arizona joins Nevada, Florida among commissions no longer releasing fighter payouts (Feb. 2022)
• Fightful: NAC will no longer reveal fighter purses to the general public
• GiveMeSport: UFC 332 salaries (estimated total payout list, Oct. 2026)
• Khel Now: UFC 332 payouts, estimated salaries (Oct. 2026)
• EssentiallySports: UFC 330 payouts, how much are Islam Makhachev, Ian Garry and others expected to earn (Aug. 15, 2026)
• Bleacher Report: UFC 330 prize money payouts revealed (bonuses only)
• Yahoo Sports: UFC 332 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Headliners take home most (Oct. 2026)

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