Israel Adesanya thinks the UFC needs to increase the amount they hand out for bonuses.
If a fighter wins the Performance of the Night or Fight of the Night bonus, they earn $50,000. On some rare occasions, UFC president Dana White has bumped up that amount.
While some fighters receive discretionary bonuses that aren’t revealed, middleweight champion Adesanya would like to see the base $50,000 increase.
“My knockouts alone are worth $50,000,” Adesanya said on “IMPAULSIVE”. “Alone, that’s knockouts, alone. Like my last one, bonus. I’ve said this, the UFC, sometimes they bump it up to $100(k) for certain cards. UFC 200 I think or UFC 100 they did, bonuses were $100k. When I knock someone I normally get a bonus, so I’m like my knockouts are worth $50,000.”
Adesanya has earned a bonus for all five of his octagon finishes – most recently when he avenged his title loss to Alex Pereira with a stunning knockout at UFC 287 in April. Adesanya also received $50,000 for a Fight of the Night against Anderson Silva, followed by a Fight of the Year against Kelvin Gastelum.
“The UFC and WWE merger, $21.4 billion dollar company,” Adesanya continued. “I’m like, ‘Yo, they can go up.’ It’s been a few years, inflation has been going up. The bonus got to go up, that’s how I feel. But, I’ve told them this, I’ve said this publicly, it’s nothing crazy.”
Adesanya is targeting his next title defense against Dricus Du Plessis, but first, the South African fighter has to get past Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 on July 8.
