At UFC Atlanta, ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas emerged as the highest-paid fighter, earning significantly more than main event headliner Kamaru Usman. The event, held on Saturday, featured three former champions, including Namajunas and Usman, who each achieved victories in their respective bouts. Namajunas secured a unanimous decision win in the co-main event against <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/tag/miranda-maverick/”>Miranda Maverick, while Usman returned to victory with a dominant decision over Joaquin Buckley in the main event.

The pay disparity stood out as Namajunas received $500,000, a figure well above Usman’s $300,000 earnings, despite his headlining status. The event saw 26 fighters compete, collectively taking home more than $3 million in disclosed purses.

Detailed payouts highlight top earners and undercard results

MMA Junkie’s salary report revealed that Namajunas’ $500K payday included a $250K win bonus, reflecting her status as a two-time strawweight champion with 18 UFC fights. Usman earned $300,000 without a win bonus for his main event victory. Meanwhile, Cody Garbrandt, a former bantamweight champion, earned $275,000 despite losing to Raoni Barcelos on the scorecards. The lowest payouts of the night went to Rodolfo Bellato ($13,000), Kris Moutinho, and Cameron Smotherman (each $14,000).

Performance bonuses awarded across main and undercard fights

The UFC awarded $50,000 ‘Fight of the Night’ bonuses to main event fighters Usman and Buckley after their five-round welterweight battle. Additionally, two performance bonuses were handed to undercard competitors. Jose Ochoa earned $50,000 for a second-round knockout of Cody Durden, marking his first UFC win. Wellmaker followed shortly after with another knockout victory against Kris Moutinho, securing back-to-back performance bonuses within two months.