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The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has released the official fighter salaries for UFC 331. Since California law requires the public disclosure of fight purses, fans now have a transparent look at what each athlete earned on their base contracts. These figures represent the flat show fees and win bonuses specified in their promotional contracts, meaning they do not include pay-per-view points, hidden locker room bonuses, or outside sponsorship earnings.
In a rare scenario, the challenger walked away with the biggest base check of the night. Former flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja took home a flat $650,000 despite losing the main event decision rematch. Meanwhile, the reigning champion Joshua Van earned a flat $500,000 for his successful flyweight title defense, making it the second-highest base salary on the entire card.
The main card also delivered heavy six-figure paydays for its top stars. Co-main event winner Arman Tsarukyan banked a flat $350,000 for his quick victory, while his opponent Mauricio Ruffy earned $110,000 after missing out on a win bonus. Veteran fighters Marlon "Chito" Vera and Patricio "Pitbull" Freire each cleared $400,000 by successfully securing their respective $200,000 show and $200,000 win bonuses. Heavyweight fan-favourite Tai Tuivasa also took home $350,000 despite dropping a close split decision.
The most surprising heavyweight matchup of the night featured vastly different financial outcomes. Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson earned a massive $160,000 base salary despite suffering a shocking 12-second knockout loss. His opponent, Sean Sharaf, took home a base purse of $60,000 ($30,000 to show and $30,000 to win), but he vastly increased his final earnings by taking home an extra $100,000 performance bonus for the historic upset.
