UFC 317 gave us some great moments as it capped off the International Fight Week. We have Ilia Topuria as the new lightweight champion, and Alexandre Pantoja continuing his dominance in the flyweight division. They certainly left their imprint, but the victories weren’t the sole captivating events of that evening. Sources indicate that the total amount allocated for fighters’ payouts has surpassed the 8-figure threshold, largely due to Dana White’s influence.

The UFC CEO often gets a bad rep in the fight community for underpaying fighters. However, the money he spent this time around as payouts in total, Dana White almost hit the $11.3 million gate. So, the total payouts of the fighters on the card amounted to 89 percent of the money generated by the ticket sales, to $10.1 million, and guess who made the most money? The main eventers, of course.

Firstly, Ilia Topuria stood out as the biggest earner of the night as he banked an impressive $3.5 million to his name, according to Bet MGM. He lived up to his promise and knocked out Charles Oliveira in the first round, leading Dana White to give him an extra $50,000. ‘El Matador’ was way ahead of the other fighters in terms of the payout. Moving over to ‘Do Bronxs’, he took a $1.3 million paycheck, even though he came up short and couldn’t live up to the promise he made to his son and become a two-time champion.

The fighter coming in at the second spot of the highest earners at UFC 317 is the flyweight champion. Alexandre Pantoja showed levels to Kai Kara-France and extended his winning streak to eight fights. Deservedly, ‘The Cannibal’ received $1.7 million from Dana White for his fourth successful title defense. The fourth highest-paid fighter that night almost came close to making a million, as Kai Kara-France took a $932,000 payout following his loss.

Well, Ilia Topuria and the aforementioned fighters weren’t the only ones who went home with a hefty paycheck. Dana White awarded a couple of other fighters on the card, who put on arguably the best 3-round fight in a long time. Let’s take a look at that front.

Dana White doubles the pay after historic fight at UFC 317

Yes, the lightweight title main event was what people were waiting for at UFC 317. However, fans did not expect a flyweight fight to get them on the edge of their seats as Joshua Van and Brandon Royval showed up to put a banger of a matchup. The high-pace, action-packed 3-round encounter stood out on the entire card, as it earned the ‘Fight of the Night’ honor. And guess what? Dana White loved both the winner and the loser.

Alexandre Pantoja faced off with his next title challenger at UFC 317 as Joshua Van, a 23-year-old fighter, shut down a former title contender in Brandon Royval. While he managed to secure a finish in the last round of that bout, it was the bell that ultimately spared Royval. The fighters delivered an unforgettable performance, earning a standing ovation from the enthusiastic crowd in Las Vegas. Dana White decided to double the bonus for both flyweight stars, ensuring that the fans left the arena satisfied. UFC 317 delivered an impressive performance, and financially, it was a successful day for both the promotion and its athletes.

Beyond the numbers, UFC 317 also fed the rumor mill—especially with Ilia Topuria’s dominance over Oliveira stirring up talk of a potential grudge match against Paddy Pimblett. The two have traded barbs since 2022, and fans on X quickly revived the rivalry post-fight. Pimblett, who last fought at UFC 296, even posted a cryptic emoji tweet minutes after Topuria’s KO win, stoking speculation.

Meanwhile, UFC fans on Reddit couldn’t help but roast Drake, who reportedly lost $200,000 betting on Oliveira to win. “He’s cursed,” one user wrote, referring to the infamous ‘Drake Curse’ that fans love to meme about. On X, others dubbed Dana White ‘Dana Claus’ for his surprising generosity on the night, with one tweet reading: “Dana Claus handing out fight night gifts like it’s Christmas in June.” The blend of top-tier performances and behind-the-scenes energy made UFC 317 one of the most memorable cards of the year so far.

Well, UFC 317 did a great job and, monetarily, it was a good day at the office for the promotion and its fighters. The bar has been set high—not just for thrilling finishes but for payout transparency and rewarding effort across the card. The question now is—can UFC 318 provide the same level of excitement or even exceed it? We’ll have to wait and see how things pan out, but let us know your thoughts in the comments below.