The lights were shining bright on the Octagon at UFC Atlanta, but Dana White has yet again found himself facing the shadows of pay disparity in the promotion. Rose Namajunas, the former strawweight queen, returned with a unanimous decision win over Miranda Maverick. That night, she wasn’t just victorious; she walked away with the fattest paycheck on the card.

According to a post on Instagram by Verdict MMA, “The Georgia Commission confirmed UFC Atlanta payouts, with Rose Namajunas being the highest disclosed earner. These are reported payouts, so they do not include post-fight bonuses or other discretionary payouts.” The numbers? ‘Thug Rose’ walked away with a $500,000 payday, with a $250,000 show and win split. Not far behind? Kamaru Usman, the former welterweight king and headliner of the event who walked away with $300,000 in his pockets.

But the surprising part of the report? While Namajunas’s payday included a win bonus, Usman’s didn’t feature one at all. And that’s part of a larger pattern that fans and fighters are growing tired of. Take Michael Chiesa, for instance. The veteran grappler reportedly banked $300,000 for his bout with Court McGee. Cody Garbrandt?—$275,000. Meanwhile, Joaquin Buckley, Usman’s dance partner for the night, earned $150,000.

The numbers don’t always add up. And that’s exactly what’s fueling the outrage as we shift our focus over to less prominent names. Fighters like Kris Moutinho, Cameron Smotherman, and Rodolfo Bellato took home just $14,000 or less for stepping into the Octagon. This isn’t just about fairness. It’s about survival. Recently, rising middleweight star Joe Pyfer claimed during an interview with Ariel Helwani, “You know, we should be paid like the boxers because we put it on the line. One thing I’m not a fan of is the 50-50 purse. That’s my only thing. I want guaranteed money.”

In a sport where careers can change in seconds and bodies break with every round, fans are beginning to ask the hard questions aimed straight at the UFC and Dana White. Here’s a look at what they had to say about the UFC Atlanta payouts!

Dana White under fire over the “wild” pay disparity between Kamaru Usman and Rose Namajunas

One fan wrote, “Poor Kris got his life shorten by 15 years just for 14k”. Kris Moutinho’s brutal KO loss to Malcolm Wellmaker may end up on 2025’s highlight reels, but the price he paid, both physically and financially, has fans disturbed. Especially when the payouts being handed out by Dana White and the promotion clearly don’t reflect the risk.

Another fan said, “Rose making more than Usman is wild.” Namajunas may be a former champion, but Usman’s resume also includes multiple title defenses, main event status, and a pound-for-pound legacy. Headlining the card and still earning $200,000 less has left fans scratching their heads. After all, this is the same man whose clash against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 reportedly drew in over a million PPV buys!

One fan admitted, “I really feel bad for these fighters man, they entertain us but at what cost….” The glory of UFC walkouts, Octagon battles, and post-fight interviews often masks the fact that most fighters are risking everything for a financial return that wouldn’t make the starting lineup in other pro sports. While NFL and NBA stars can get an almost 50% split of the revenue, UFC fighters are reportedly clawing and scratching just for a 16-20% split.

One fan put it bluntly with, “That’s disgraceful for both Usman and Buckley. Guys are headlining, and Usman a former champ.” Main event fighters should set the financial bar. Instead, they’re often exceptions to UFC and Dana White’s pay model, and not always in their favor.

And finally, one fan claimed, “Now I get why belato tried to play dead, 14k is a joke.” This cheeky jab at Rodolfo Bellato’s controversial no-contest against Paul Craig due to an illegal up kick strikes deeper than it seems. Whether or not he was acting is still up for debate, but the payout hardly justifies the risk.

In the end, as Dana White’s UFC continues to grow by leaps and bounds with each passing year, the conversation around fighter compensation is getting louder and harder to ignore. The gap between risk and reward has become glaring, with main eventers like Kamaru Usman walking away with less than co-main stars, and undercard fighters earning sums that have left the fans furious!