by: DarthMolen
February 27 2007
PRIDE 33 came and went with a bang. Each fight organization that fights in Las Vegas has to publish salaries and PRIDE was no different. The item of interest to note is the base salary of the PRIDE fighter participant. It was 10k at PRIDE 33. The base salary at UFC 67 was 3k.
Granted, the overall amount paid out by UFC was almost twice as much, with more going to the mid-tier fighters than PRIDE. That still does not mitigate the issue of a fighter having to devote 3 months of his life (3 months is taking into account medical suspensions and training time before the match) for a measly 3k income, if he loses.
Here are the figures for PRIDE 33, fought on Feb. 24 2007. This is without bonuses which the organization is not beholden to reveal.
Main Event Fighters
- Wanderlei Silva: $150,000 (28th fight in Pride; lost to Dan Henderson in main event)
- Dan Henderson: $50,000 (18th fight in Pride; defeated Wanderlei Silva in main event)
Main Card Fighters
- Mauricio “Shogun” Rua: $50,000 (13th fight in Pride; defeated Alistair Overeem)
- Takanori Gomi: $20,000 (15th fight in Pride; lost to Nick Diaz)
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: $20,000 (10th fight in Pride; lost to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou)
- Nick Diaz: $15,000 (1st fight in Pride; defeated Takanori Gomi)
- Joachim Hansen: $15,000 (6th fight in Pride; defeated Jason Ireland)
- Hayato Sakurai: $10,000 (11th fight in Pride; defeated Mac Danzig)
- Frank Trigg: $10,000 (2nd fight in Pride; defeated Kazuo Misaki)
- Kazuo Misaki: $10,000 (8th fight in Pride; lost to Frank Trigg)
- Sergei Kharitonov: $10,000 (11th fight in Pride; defeated Mike Russow)
- Alistair Overeem: $10,000 (14th fight in Pride; lost to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua)
- Travis Wiuff: $10,000 (1st fight in Pride; lost to James Lee)
- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou: $10,000 (1st fight in Pride; defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira)
- Mac Danzig: $10,000 (1st fight in Pride; lost to Hayato Sakurai)
- Jason Ireland: $10,000 (1st fight in Pride; lost to Joachim Hansen)
- Mike Russow: $10,000 (1st fight in Pride; lost to Sergei Kharitonov)
- James Lee: $10,000 (1st fight in Pride; defeated Travis Wiuff)
Disclosed Fighter Payroll: $430,000
In comparison, here are the UFC 67 salaries that were disclosed (without bonuses).
Title Match & Main Event Fighters
- Anderson Silva: $71,000 (3rd UFC fight; defeated Travis Lutter)
- Travis Lutter: $18,000 (5th UFC fight; lost to Anderson Silva)
Main Card Fighters
- Mirko Cro Cop: $350,000 flat fee (1st UFC fight; defeated Eddie Sanchez)
- Quinton Jackson: $170,000 (1st UFC fight; defeated Marvin Eastman)
- Eddie Sanchez: $30,000 flat fee (2nd UFC fight; lost to Mirko Cro Cop)
- Marvin Eastman: $30,000 (3rd UFC fight; lost to Quinton Jackson)
- Patrick Cote: $20,000 (5th UFC fight; defeated Scott Smith)
- Scott Smith: $12,000 (3rd UFC fight; lost to Patrick Cote)
- Roger Huerta: $12,000 (2nd UFC fight; defeated John Halverson)
- John Halverson: $3,000 (1st UFC fight; lost to Roger Huerta)
Preliminary Match Fighters
- Lyoto Machida: $36,000 (1st UFC fight; defeated Sam Hoger)
- Jorge Rivera: $12,000 (7th UFC fight; lost to Terry Martin)
- Tyson Griffin: $9,000 (2nd UFC fight; lost to Frank Edgar)
- Terry Martin: $8,000 (3rd UFC fight; defeated Jorge Rivera)
- Sam Hoger: $7,000 (4th UFC fight; lost to Lyoto Machida)
- Frank Edgar: $6,000 (1st UFC fight; defeated Tyson Griffin)
- Dustin Hazelett: $6,000 (2nd UFC fight; defeated Diego Saraiva)
- Diego Saraiva: $3,000 (1st UFC fight; lost to Dustin Hazelett)
Disclosed Fighter Payroll: $803,000