At UFC 305, Israel Adesanya walked away with the highest payday of the night despite falling short at the hands of his African rival.
According to The Sportster, Adesanya, known as ‘The Last Stylebender,’ was set to earn a guaranteed $750,000 for his fight. This was significantly more than the $500,000 that Dricus Du Plessis received. Given the strong performance of the pay-per-view broadcast, both fighters are expected to earn over seven figures in total.
Adesanya’s additional earnings will be higher due to his status as a former two-time UFC middleweight Champion. This puts him at the top of the list for the highest-paid fighter on the card.
Before the fight, Du Plessis made headlines by calling himself the “first real African UFC Champion.” This comment was aimed at previous African titleholders like Kamaru Usman, Francis Ngannou, and Adesanya, all of whom have since left Africa. Du Plessis, who still lives in South Africa, faced criticism from Adesanya, who saw these remarks as disrespectful to his African heritage.
Despite the pre-fight tension, the two fighters showed mutual respect after Du Plessis won by submission in the fourth round. Following the bout, Du Plessis apologized for his comments. He acknowledged Adesanya as a legend and clarified that he never meant to insult his opponent’s African roots.
The financial rewards at UFC 305 extended beyond the main event. Several fighters on the undercard also enjoyed substantial payouts. For example, Kai Kara-France added a $50,000 bonus to his base salary of $300,000 after his first-round victory over Steve Erceg. Erceg, in turn, earned $75,000 for his efforts.
Here’s a breakdown of some notable salaries from UFC 305:
- Israel Adesanya: $750,000
- Dricus Du Plessis: $500,000
- Dan Hooker: $400,000
- Kai Kara-France: $350,000
- Jairzinho Rozenstruik: $250,000
- Tai Tuivasa: $200,000
- Mateusz Gamrot: $160,000
- Steve Erceg: $75,000
Dan Hooker and Mateusz Gamrot, both earning six-figure sums, received an extra $50,000 each for their thrilling main card fight, which was awarded Fight of the Night.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik earned $250,000 after his decision victory over Tai Tuivasa. Tuivasa took home $200,000 despite the loss.
These figures reflect base pay-outs and do not include potential additional bonuses or sponsorship earnings.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
