UFC 294 (on October 21, 2023) is a PPV card scheduled in Dubai, UAE headlined by a lightweight title rematch between champion Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski (the current featherweight champion). They last fought at UFC 284 with Makhachev taking a hard fought (and contentious) unanimous decision. Volkanovski last fought against Yair Rodriguez defending his featherweight title at UFC 290. Volkanovski is not fighting with a full training camp as he is a last minute replacement for former lightweight champon Charles Oliviera who pulled out due to injury two weeks ago. In the co-main event the phenom Khamzat Chimaev returns against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Usman-Chimaev will be contested at middleweight. Usman looks to rebound after losing his title to Leon Edwards and then losing to Edwards again at UFC 286. The card also features an exciting fight between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker with both fighters gunning for a title shot.
Update: In the main event Islam Makhachev starched Alexander Volkanovski in the first round with a leg kick to the head followed by ground and pound. In the co-main, Chimaev utilized his grappling to neutralize Kamaru Usman and held on for a majority decision. Ankalaev and Walker ended in controversy with the fight stopped by the doctor in the first round. Bonuses went to Ikram Aliskerov, Makhachev, Said Nurmagomedov, and Muhammend Mokaev.
Assumptions:
Assuming both Volkanovski and Makhachev are being treated as champions for sponsor pay and PPV share
Assuming both Khamzat and Usman are getting PPV shares due to star power
Assuming Volk and Makhachev are both getting paid a flat base pay with no win bonus potential
700,000 PPV buys is an educated guess solely for the purpose of estimating PPV share – based on the drawing power of the card.
*Note that the official payouts have not been disclosed for this fight card in Dubai so the salaries listed are based on estimates of previous contracts, trends, and drawing power. Other assumptions are made like expected contract changes. All promotional compliance pay figures are based on the formula negotiated with Venum.
Total Payout for UFC 285: $10,462,000
Venum (Sponsorship) Fighter payout: $238,000
Performance Bonus money paid out: $200,000
UFC 294 Detailed Payouts
| Fighter | Opponent | Date | Event | Result | Base Salary | Win Bonus | PPV Buys | PPV Payout (est) | Performance Bonus | Sponsorship | Total | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Volkanovski | Islam Makhachev | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $1,500,000 | $0 | 700,000 | $850,000 | $42,000 | $2,392,000 | ||
| Islam Makhachev | Alexander Volkanovski | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $1,600,000 | $0 | 700,000 | $850,000 | $50,000 | $42,000 | $2,542,000 | |
| Kamaru Usman | Khamzat Chimaev | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $750,000 | $0 | 700,000 | $850,000 | $16,000 | $1,616,000 | ||
| Khamzat Chimaev | Kamaru Usman | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $750,000 | $750,000 | 700,000 | $850,000 | $6,000 | $2,356,000 | ||
| Magomed Ankalaev | Johnny Walker | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | NC | $150,000 | $0 | $11,000 | $161,000 | ||||
| Johnny Walker | Magomed Ankalaev | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | NC | $120,000 | $0 | $11,000 | $131,000 | ||||
| Ikram Aliskerov | Warlley Alves | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $4,000 | $154,000 | |||
| Warlley Alves | Ikram Aliskerov | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $90,000 | $0 | $11,000 | $101,000 | ||||
| Said Nurmagomedov | Muin Gafurov | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $60,000 | $60,000 | $50,000 | $6,000 | $176,000 | |||
| Muin Gafurov | Said Nurmagomedov | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $24,000 | $0 | $4,000 | $28,000 | ||||
| Tim Elliott | Muhammad Mokaev | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $90,000 | $0 | $16,000 | $106,000 | ||||
| Muhammad Mokaev | Tim Elliott | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $4,500 | $154,500 | |||
| Mohammad Yahya | Trevor Peek | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $16,000 | $0 | $4,000 | $20,000 | ||||
| Trevor Peek | Mohammad Yahya | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $30,000 | $30,000 | $4,500 | $64,500 | ||||
| Javid Basharat | Victor Henry | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $36,000 | $0 | $4,500 | $40,500 | ||||
| Victor Henry | Javid Basharat | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $30,000 | $30,000 | $4,500 | $64,500 | ||||
| Abu Azaitar | Sedriques Dumas | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $20,000 | $0 | $4,000 | $24,000 | ||||
| Sedriques Dumas | Abu Azaitar | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $24,000 | $24,000 | $4,500 | $52,500 | ||||
| Mike Breeden | Anshul Jubli | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $16,000 | $16,000 | $4,500 | $36,500 | ||||
| Anshul Jubli | Mike Breeden | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $20,000 | $0 | $4,000 | $24,000 | ||||
| Nathaniel Wood | Muhammad Naimov | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $60,000 | $0 | $6,000 | $66,000 | ||||
| Muhammad Naimov | Nathaniel Wood | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $16,000 | $16,000 | $4,000 | $36,000 | ||||
| Victoria Dudakova | Jinh Yu Frey | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $20,000 | $20,000 | $4,000 | $44,000 | ||||
| Jinh Yu Frey | Victoria Dudakova | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $40,000 | $0 | $6,000 | $46,000 | ||||
| Sharabutdin Magomedov | Bruno Silva | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | W | $20,000 | $20,000 | $4,000 | $44,000 | ||||
| Bruno Silva | Sharabutdin Magomedov | 10/21/2023 | UFC 294 | L | $36,000 | $0 | $6,000 | $42,000 |
