UFC 301 payouts: How much are Alexandre Pantoja, Steve Erceg, and others making? Estimated purses reported

UFC 301 is finally here, slated for May 4 at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, featuring a decent lineup of fights. The fifth pay-per-view event of 2024 signifies the promotion's 12th visit to Rio de Janeiro, marking its first appearance since UFC 283 in January 2023.

In the main event, UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja is set to defend his title against challenger Steve Erceg. The upcoming match will mark Pantoja's second title defense, while Erceg seeks to become the first Australian fighter to compete for the 125-pound championship.

As per a recent report by NY Fights, it's expected that main event competitors Pantoja and Erceg will emerge as the highest earners on the fight card. 'The Cannibal' is said to be set to pocket a potential sum surpassing $750,000, while Erceg is also poised to achieve the largest payday of his career to date, reportedly earning $200,000.

Apart from Pantoja and Erceg, another notable fighter on the UFC 301 fight card is Jose Aldo, who is reportedly set to earn $550,000. Additionally, former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith, scheduled to go up against Vitor Petrino, stands out as another significant name, potentially earning $250,000.

The mentioned payouts do not include any winnings or performance bonuses. However, the estimated UFC salaries were calculated based on their previously disclosed earnings.

'The Cannibal' heads into UFC 301 riding a five-fight win streak, highlighted by his dominant unanimous decision victory over Brandon Royval at UFC 296 last December. Pantoja secured the flyweight championship by defeating former opponent Brandon Moreno via split decision at UFC 290 in July 2023. The 34-year-old Brazilian boasts a 27-5 record, including 10 victories achieved by submission.

Meanwhile, Erceg is on a streak of 11 consecutive victories, three of which were earned in the octagon. 'Astroboy' recently secured a second-round knockout victory over Matt Schnell in March. He primarily competed under the regional banner of Eternal MMA before making his UFC debut at UFC 289 last June, where he made a significant impact with a unanimous decision victory over David Dvorak.

In the co-main event of UFC 301, Jonathan Martinez is poised to take on Jose Aldo in a bantamweight showdown as the UFC Hall of Famer makes his return to the promotion after an absence of nearly two years. Following his defeat to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 in August 2022, the 'King of Rio' retired from MMA competition. Subsequently, he transitioned to the realm of boxing.

'Dragon' is currently enjoying a six-fight win streak that peaked with a second-round knockout win over Adrian Yanez last October. Martinez's last loss dates back to March 2021, when he experienced a TKO defeat against Davey Grant.

---

Who else is slated to compete on UFC 301 fight card?

Main Card

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg: flyweight title

Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez: bantamweight

Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino: light heavyweight

Ihor Potieria vs. Michel Pereira: middleweight

Paul Craig vs. Caio Borralho: middleweight

Preliminary Card

Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore: featherweight

Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo: strawweight

Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai: lightweight

Jean Silva vs. William Gomis: featherweight

Joaquim Silva vs. Drakkar Klose: lightweight

Jamie Mullarkey vs. Mauricio Ruffy: lightweight

Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite: women's flyweight

Ismael Bonfim vs. Vinc Pichel: lightweight

Alessandro Costa vs. Kevin Borjas: flyweight