UFC bonuses explained: how the $100,000 awards and the $25,000 finish bonus work in 2026
UFC bonuses moved into a new bracket in 2026: since UFC 324 on January 24, Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night pay $100,000 instead of $50,000, and every finish that goes unrewarded is worth $25,000. At UFC Vegas 121 on Saturday, the promotion handed out $525,000 in bonuses to 9 fighters.
Key takeaways
- Since UFC 324 on January 24, 2026, Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses are worth $100,000, up from $50,000 for more than 10 years.
- A $25,000 finish bonus goes to every winner by knockout or submission who doesn't already receive one of the $100,000 awards.
- The change came with the 7-year, $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Paramount; at UFC Vegas 121, 9 fighters shared $525,000.
UFC bonuses: the 3 awards of the night
Fight of the Night
Fight of the Night rewards both fighters from the best fight on the card, winner and loser alike. Since 2026, each gets $100,000. It is the only award a beaten fighter can take home.
Performance of the Night
As a rule, 2 Performance of the Night bonuses reward the standout individual displays, almost always finishes. They are also worth $100,000 each. Together with Fight of the Night, the base pool rises from $200,000 to $400,000 per event.
The finish bonus, the real novelty
Any fighter who wins by KO, TKO or submission without receiving one of the $100,000 awards gets $25,000. The UFC keeps the discretion to add extra bonuses or raise the amounts for special events.
Why the UFC doubled its bonuses
10 years at $50,000
For more than 10 years, bonuses stayed at $50,000, with rare exceptions for major cards such as UFC 300, where each award was worth $300,000.
The Paramount effect
The change lines up with the broadcast deal signed with Paramount, 7 years for $7.7 billion, which began with UFC 324. Dana White flagged it as early as August 2025 at a Contender Series press conference, then laid out the new scale to Sports Business Journal on the day of UFC 324.
Rewarding every finish
According to Dana White, bonuses add up to millions of dollars for fighters. The finish bonus guarantees extra money for every KO or submission, even on nights when the main awards go elsewhere.
Bonuses are obviously going up. So that will be big.
The UFC Vegas 121 example
4 awards at $100,000
On Saturday, Raul Rosas Jr. and Raoni Barcelos received Fight of the Night after their 5-round fight. Luis Hernandez, who won by submission in under a minute on his debut, and Yazmin Jauregui, who scored a round 1 knockout, took the 2 Performance of the Night awards.
5 finish bonuses
Brady Hiestand, Tina Black, Christian Edwards, Montel Jackson and Elves Brener, all winners inside the distance, earned $25,000 each. Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu, who won by disqualification rather than by KO or submission, did not get one. Total for the night: $525,000.
Track the bonuses fighter by fighter
Results from every card, methods of victory and our weekly rating are all in the FightHub app.
- Rosas Jr. beats Barcelos in round 5 at UFC Vegas 121, Barcelos stretchered out and later declared stable
- Rosas Jr vs Barcelos: at 21, the youngest main eventer in UFC history meets a 39-year-old on 5 straight wins
- Contender Series week 7: 6 UFC contracts, 2 for fighters who lost, none for the main event winner
- Gane vs Hokit is official for UFC 334: fifteen months after the Contender Series, Hokit gets the heavyweight title
