UFC 305 payouts: How much are Israel Adesanya, Dricus Du Plessis, and others making? Estimated purses reported

After nearly one year away, Israel Adesanya will return in another UFC middleweight title fight with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305. Though he has typically entered such fights recently as the defending champion, Adesanya will instead be the challenger.

The two middleweights have developed a dislike for one another since clashing heads over their shared African ancestry in 2023. The fighters initially faced off after Du Plessis' win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 but had their matchup delayed until finally meeting on Aug. 16 at UFC 305.

With Du Plessis now holding the belt but Israel Adesanya still being one of the biggest stars in the UFC, both are expected to receive a sizeable paycheck for their main event bout. UFC fighter purses are often undisclosed, but based on their last reported payouts, both veterans are in for a lucrative evening.

Israel Adesanya last fought at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia when he shockingly lost his title to Sean Strickland. Per BetMGM, his total estimated earnings on the night was $3,540,000.

Du Plessis' last fight was also against Strickland but entered the fight as the challenger and took the belt from 'Tarzan' with a split decision. For his win at UFC 297, BetMGM estimates 'Still Knocks' earned a total of $532,000.

In each of their previous fights, both Israel Adesanya and Du Plessis reportedly were paid a flat-rate fee instead of the traditional process involving a "show" fee and a win bonus.

While the fighter salaries will differ at UFC 305, Adesanya still projects to earn a larger paycheck as the bigger star between the two. However, Du Plessis is likely to top $1,000,000 with a new contract as the champion. Additionally, as the defending titleholder, 'Still Knocks' will get a pay-per-view bonus, though it is unclear if Adesanya will also receive a share.

Neither fighter's sponsorship pay has been publicly revealed, which would also influence their total purse.