UFC doubles bonus structure ahead of first card on Paramount+

Some UFC participants will walk away with more money in their pockets moving forward as the UFC is doubling the amounts of its fight night bonus structure and awarding a bonus for every finish inside the Octagon, UFC CEO Dana White told Sports Business Journal.

The changes will take effect starting with the UFC 324 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.

In the past, the card's top two performers and each of the fighters involved in the "fight of the night" were handed $50,000 bonuses. Those bonuses now are $100,000.

The UFC also will award a $25,000 bonus to any athlete who knocks out or submits the opponent but doesn't qualify for one of the $100,000 bonuses.

Rising star Paddy Pimblett (23-3-0) and former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje (26-5-0) will headline UFC 324 in what marks the company's first numbered card since the highly publicized seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Paramount became official on Jan. 1. That deal roughly doubled the average annual value of UFC's media rights with a switch to Paramount from ESPN.

The co-main event will feature Sean O'Malley (18-3-0) vs. Song Yadong (22-8-1) in a bantamweight bout that likely will see the winner go on to face champion Petr Yan later in the year. Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes also were slated for a highly anticipated matchup on the card, but Harrison pulled out last week due to injury.

--Field Level Media