After UFC 170, Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White made the bold claim there was a $10 million pot to award to the promotion’s fighters in 2014 and that every last cent was intended to be given away. In the same media scrum White clarified the pot was around $9.8 million and so that is the figure I will be working with for this analysis.
The first quarter of 2014 is behind us, so let’s take a look at the numbers so far.
Number of events: 10.
Total bonus payout: $2,000,000.
– Fight of the night (FOTN) payout: $1,050,000
– Performance of the night payout (POTN): $950,000
– (T)KO payout: $650,000
– Submission payout: $300,000
We’re more than 25% of the way through the year but less than 25% of the $9.8million bonus has been paid out across the 10 events thus far ($2 million paid out versus $2,450,000 as 25% of the total pot.)
In order to pay out every last cent of the remaining $7.8 million there are a few options UFC could choose.
One option is to put on 39 more events this year where the average event bonus payout remains $200,000, bringing the total events to 49. With only 10 events down in the first quarter UFC will have to average 13 events per quarter for the remainder of 2014. There are currently only 12 events booked for the second quarter, including 2 events on the same day: UFC Fight Night Swanson vs Stephens and UFC Fight Night Auckland Te Huna vs Marquardt on June 28.
Currently based on events that have passed, events booked, and events to be announced but expected in certain global locations, we have a forecast of 30 events total so far this year. This is obviously subject to change as we progress throughout the year and I will update my analysis in the second quarter review in July (for the April – June quarter).
If in the unlikely event UFC only manages 30 events this year total, UFC will have to bring up the average bonus payout per event from $200,000 to $380,000 if Dana White is true to his word of paying out every last cent.
Here’s the full break down of Quarter 1. Submission and Knockout of the night were officially replaced by performance of the night from UFC 170.
| 2014 Event Quarter 1 | Fighter Bonuses | Value |
| UFC Fight Night Singapore, Jan 04 | FOTN Saffiedine vs Lim | $100,000 |
| KOTN Holloway | $50,000 | |
| SOTN Doane | $50,000 | |
| UFC Fight Night 35 – Rockhold vs. Philippou, Jan 15 | FOTN Romero vs Brunson | $100,000 |
| KOTN Rockhold | $50,000 | |
| SOTN Miller | $50,000 | |
| UFC on Fox 10 – Henderson vs Thompson, Jan 25 | FOTN Caceres vs Pettis | $100,000 |
| KOTN Cerrone | $50,000 | |
| SOTN Caceres | $50,000 | |
| UFC 169 – Barao vs Faber 2 | FOTN Trujillo vs Varner | $150,000 |
| KOTN Trujillo | $50,000 | |
| SOTN N/A | $0 | |
| UFC Fight Night 36 – Machida vs Mousasis | FOTN Mousasi vs Machida | $100,000 |
| KOTN E. Silva | $50,000 | |
| SOTN Oliveira | $50,000 | |
| UFC 170 Rousey vs McMann | FOTN Maia vs Macdonald | $100,000 |
| POTN Rousey (TKO) | $50,000 | |
| POTN Thompson (TKO) | $50,000 | |
| UFC Fight Night 37 – Kim vs Hathaway | FOTN Y.Nam vs Tokudome | $100,000 |
| POTN Mitrione (TKO) | $50,000 | |
| POTN D.Kim (KO) | $50,000 | |
| UFC Fight Night 38 – Gustafsson vs Manuwa | FOTN Gustafsson vs Manuwa | $100,000 |
| POTN Gustafsson (TKO) | $50,000 | |
| POTN G.Nelson (Sub) | $50,000 | |
| UFC 171 – Hendricks vs Lawler | FOTN Hendricks vs Lawler | $100,000 |
| POTN Bermudez (TKO) | $50,000 | |
| POTN St. Preux (Sub) | $50,000 | |
| UFC Fight Night 39 – Shogun vs Henderson 2 | FOTN Shogun vs D.Henderson | $100,000 |
| POTN D.Henderson (TKO) | $50,000 | |
| POTN Pepey (KO) | $50,000 | |
| Event Total: 10 | Bonus Total : | $2,000,000 |