UFC Saudi Arabia purses and payouts: How much Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov and others are making? Estimated and previous payouts compared

UFC Saudi Arabia, headlined by Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov, features various elite combatants. Combat sports megastar Adesanya, his opponent Imavov and multiple other fighters competing on the night are expected to bag lucrative payouts.

As reported by MMA Salaries, kickboxing veteran and MMA icon Adesanya's paydays rose over the course of his meteoric rise in the UFC. He made his UFC promotional debut in 2018 and his total payouts (inclusive of bonuses, sponsorship pay, etc.) were each consistently over $100k.

A notable raise came in his maiden UFC title fight, an interim UFC middleweight title showdown against Kelvin Gastelum in 2019, for which he bagged around $405k. His next fight saw him knock out Robert Whittaker to unify the belts and become the undisputed UFC middleweight champion later that year, for which Adesanya earned $1.09 million.

Adesanya secured paydays in the $1 million-plus range in most ensuing fights -- mainly involving the UFC middleweight title and a one-off fight for the UFC light heavyweight title. In two fights against Alex Pereira and one with Dricus du Plessis, Adesanya bagged payouts in the $2 million-plus range.

Per BetMGM, Adesanya's latest fight, against Dricus du Plessis in August 2024, fetched him a total payout of $2.53 million.

Meanwhile, per NY Fights, Nassourdine Imavov secured $256k for his fight against Roman Dolidze and was expected to bag a $300k payout for his matchup against Jared Cannonier, both in 2024. Also, Marca reported that Imavov was to secure $85k for his fight against Brendan Allen later in 2024.

Israel Adesanya, who's considered UFC Saudi Arabia's star attraction, could potentially receive a fight purse in the same ballpark as his previous ones.

Although it'll be Adesanya's first non-title matchup since 2019, it's a high-profile Riyadh Season card, so a potential dip in pay appears unlikely. Also, Imavov could possibly secure his biggest payout yet, as Adesanya is his most high-profile opponent.

---

UFC Saudi Arabia: Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov purses and payouts

The UFC Saudi Arabia co-headliners, Shara Magomedov and Michael 'Venom' Page also seem poised to take home significant paydays in the similar range as their past payouts.

Per Sporty Salaries, Magomedov's fight purse (excluding bonuses) were $12k, $24k, $75k and $75k in his four UFC fights thus far. He notably earned a $50k POTN (Performance of the Night) bonus for his iconic double-spinning backfist KO in his latest fight against Armen Petrosyan in October 2024.

As reported by TheSportster, Michael 'Venom' Page was to earn approximately $150k-$200k for his most recent fight against Ian Machado Garry in June 2024.

Also on the UFC Saudi Arabia card, Sergei Pavlovich faces Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Per Sporty Salaries, Pavlovich was to earn a $110k guaranteed purse for his last fight, which was a clash against Alexander Volkov. Per TheSportster, Rozenstruik was to earn $250k for his last bout against Tai Tuivasa. Both fights transpired in 2024. The heavyweights could very well bag similar paydays at UFC Saudi Arabia.

The aforementioned figures are estimated/reported numbers and haven't been officially confirmed. Furthermore, a fighter's overall pay is generally higher than the estimated/reported numbers, due to bonuses, perks, etc. The UFC Saudi Arabia card transpires on Feb. 1, 2025. The event is regarded as another indicator of the ever-evolving UFC-Riyadh Season partnership.