According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the UFC paid out a total of $630,000 in disclosed fighter salaries and bonuses for The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale on Saturday night.
The total payout is a huge jump from The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale, where the total payout including bonuses was $289,000. The fact that six fighters received “Fight of the Night” bonuses, as opposed to the normal two fighters, obviously attributed to a large part of the increase.
Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez took home the largest chunk of the payout, receiving $115,000 ($45,000 base salary, $45,000 win bonus, and $25,000 Fight of the Night bonus). Joe “Daddy” Stevenson was second on the list, taking home $95,000 ($35,000 base salary, $35,000 win bonus, and $25,000 Fight of the Night bonus).