“Red panty night is real!” UFC court documents reveal highest paid Conor McGregor’s REAL payouts from Dana White and Co

Recent court developments expose UFC fighter earnings and a class action lawsuit. Conor McGregor's substantial earnings and financial disclosures shed light on the sport's financial landscape.

“Red panty night is real!” UFC court documents reveal highest paid Conor McGregor’s REAL payouts from Dana White and Co

Conor McGregor's fight purse revealed in court documents (Image via IMAGO, X/MMA Fighting)

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently took action on the class action lawsuit filed against the UFC. They dismissed the UFC’s appeal, an action that could potentially have significant consequences. Judge Richard Franklin Boulware II accelerated the legal process and unveiled key documents in the UFC antitrust lawsuit. Dana White and the UFC are in for trouble as court documents revealed the substantially high purse of Conor McGregor and other superstars.

The expert report by Roger D. Blair, a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Florida, detailed UFC fighter payouts from 2011 to 2016. The document avoided explicitly mentioning the fighters by name. Instead, it revealed the total number of fights in which each fighter participated. With this data, it became possible to perform a comprehensive analysis of the compensation received by well-known athletes.

To name a few, they are Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Ronda Rousey. John Nash of Bloody Elbow played a crucial role in providing a comprehensive analysis of the lawsuit.

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Recently disclosed documents have exposed UFC’s financial details. It revealed fighter compensation structures over five years. This information covered various bonuses and previously undisclosed payments. It gave a full view of the fighters’ bout-related earnings. The documents do not link payouts to specific fighters. However, with cross-examination of the number of bouts and purses, it was easy to get the payee.

Conor McGregor has been a major draw for the UFC and has significantly boosted its revenue and popularity on a global scale. Moreover, documents reveal that McGregor’s payouts ranged from $3.3 million to $6.8 million per fight. Furthermore, this includes discretionary bonuses. Professor Robert Topel‘s report confirmed McGregor’s lucrative UFC earnings.

It showed that McGregor made close to $20 million across nine bouts. Moreover, his pay-per-view events alone generated over $54 million in revenue.

Significant purses for Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor’s opponent Nate Diaz revealed in the court documents

The clarity on McGregor’s earnings contrasts with the inflated figures previously reported. Moreover, these details challenged media narratives about his income from fighting inside the octagon. Ronda Rousey earned between $574,720 and $4,879,766 per fight during her UFC career as the face of women’s MMA.

According to Topel’s report, Rousey earned $13 million from seven UFC bouts. The details from Rousey’s contract provide a complete view of her compensation. This included base pay and pay-per-view bonuses.

Ronda Rousey and the Diaz brothers
Ronda Rousey and the Diaz brothers (Image via: X/Robbier)

Nate Diaz‘s ascent from humble beginnings to the substantial payday he earned against Conor McGregor in their two-fight series is the perfect example of the ‘red panty night’ phenomenon associated with him. Diaz earned $2,838,158 for the first fight and $4,315,490 for the rematch.

Additionally, the Stockton slugger has left the UFC and also made a big purse in his crossover boxing bout with Jake Paul in August 2023.

The unsealing of UFC lawsuit documents has brought to light the sport’s financial deficiencies. Moreover, this transparency revises the narrative on UFC compensation and may influence the financial future of MMA after the judgment of the class action lawsuit which is slated for early 2024.

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