UFC 316 reportedly earned Dana White and Co. a gate total of $6,501,177. The pay-per-view was sold out, as 17,343 people came to witness the action at the Prudential Center. On the other hand, the UFC CEO had to shell out a considerable amount of money as compliance pay. And guess what? Although Sean O’Malley is considered the bigger star with more fans and followers, Merab Dvalishvili surpassed him.

The compliance pay program dates back to 2021, and the amount of money paid every year has substantially increased as we reached 2025. Moreover, there are a total of eight tiers in this program, which encompass factors like tenure of their time in Dana White’s promotion. Also, the compliance pay rates are different for champions and title contenders. At UFC 316, the 55-year-old spent more than a quarter of a $100 million on this program.

Dana White and Co. record $34 million in compliance pay to date

For UFC 316, the compliance pay total has been reported to be $320,500 by MMA Junkie. Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili took home $42,000 for his title win, as Sean O’Malley took ten grand less, $32,000, for their matchup. On the other hand, Dana White also handed Kayla Harrison the same amount as ‘The Machine’ after her maiden UFC gold win against Julianna Pena.

In 2021, the UFC ended the year with $6.1 million in compliance. The next year, the figure climbed up to 8.3 million. 2023 and 2024 had a similar story, as both years ended with Dana White paying a little over $8 million annually. So far, the Las Vegas-based promotion has splashed a staggering total of $34,240,500 in compliance pay. The fighters must have felt at ease with a little extra money to take home after their bouts.

In addition to that, UFC 316 also set a record as the event where Dana White and the UFC brass splashed the most cash in the name of compliance pay in 2025. Surely, there will be more PPVs in the future who’ll break this record, as it is projected that the compliance pay fee will only increase year after year. Guess what? The statistics substantiate that theory.

That’s enough about compliance pay, so let’s talk about the numbers that every fan wants to know. How much did the fighters earn from their fights? Well, guess what? Merab Dvalishvili took the crown here as well. Here’s how much Dana White paid the champion for his successful title defense.

Merab Dvalishvili surpasses Sean O’Malley with UFC 316 payout

Merab Dvalishvili has really evolved, and that’s not just as a fighter with unmatched cardiac capabilities, but also in terms of star power. His fighting prowess is complemented well by his over-the-top personality outside the cage, especially on social media. After getting bestowed the GOAT 135er tag by several MMA personalities, Dvalishvili made bank at UFC 316 after beating Sean O’Malley for a second time.

Dana White awarded the champion with an estimated payout of $2,390,000, which includes the Performance of the Night bonus as well. On the other hand, Sean O’Malley made his million, as ‘Suga’ took home $1,980,000 despite losing the rematch. The only other fighter to have crossed the million-dollar mark in payouts was Julianna Pena, who made $1,390,000 as she dropped the title to Kayla Harrison, who earned her highest UFC payout – $882,000.

Well, financially, the top stars really had a great night out. But even for the fighters who are placed lower down the pecking order, the compliance fee may give them a sense of relief in the form of extra cash. Well, what do you think about Dana White and Co. splashing $34,000,000 in compliance pay so far? Drop your comments below.