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UFC Awards $525,000 in Bonuses at Baku Event
UFC distributed $525,000 in performance bonuses at its event in Baku, Azerbaijan. The total nearly matched the full disclosed payroll for a PFL event held the same weekend in San Diego. Four fighters received $100,000 awards and five others earned $25,000 finish bonuses.
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UFC awarded $525,000 in discretionary bonuses at its event in Baku, Azerbaijan. The total came from four $100,000 Performance of the Night bonuses and five $25,000 finish bonuses. Rafael Fiziev received one of the $100,000 awards after stopping Manuel Torres 15 seconds into the second round.
Asu Almabayev earned another with a Suloev Stretch submission over Charles Johnson. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev took a third after defeating Julius Walker in eight seconds, and Daniil Donchenko received the fourth following a head-kick finish against Theodor Berggren.
Matheus Camilo, Abus Magomedov, Nursulton Ruziboev, Kaan Ofli and Tahir Abdullayev each collected $25,000 finish bonuses for stoppage wins that did not receive Performance of the Night recognition.
The UFC payouts nearly matched the total disclosed payroll for PFL San Diego, which came to approximately $579,000. A.J. McKee received a guaranteed $100,000 for the PFL main event against Salamat Isbulaev under a contract that carried no win bonus.
UFC raised its Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses from $50,000 to $100,000 ahead of UFC 324 and introduced the $25,000 finish bonus for stoppage winners who miss the larger awards. PFL acquired Bellator in late 2023, and several fighters including McKee continue to operate under premium contracts carried over from that promotion.
