UFC Mexico delivered a thrilling night of action. And the promotion appears to have rewarded the standout performers accordingly. Among the biggest earners were Lone’er Kavanagh and Regina Tarin, who walked away with the top bonuses of the evening. Kavanagh, of course, pulled off a major upset by defeating former champion Brandon Moreno in the night’s main event in front of his homecrowd. Tarin, meanwhile, stepped in on short notice and seized a hard-fought victory over Ernesta Kareckaite. So how much did they ultimately earn?

“$100K each POTN: Imanol Rodríguez/Lone’er Kavanagh,” Jed I Goodman shared on X. “$100K each FOTN: Regina Tarin vs Ernesta Kareckaite.

Imanol Rodríguez secured a second-round knockout victory over Kevin Borjas, capping off an impressive UFC debut. In contrast, Borjas was entering his fifth fight with the promotion and had managed just one win so far. Like Rodríguez, Regina Tarin also made her promotional debut, stepping in to replace Sofia Montenegro on just three days’ notice.

Although Ernesta Kareckaite pocketed an additional $100,000, her UFC record now stands at 1-2. Kavanagh, on the other hand, rebounded emphatically from his defeat to Charles Johnson in August last year. With the performance bonus and a marquee win under his belt, Kavanagh is now poised to break into the UFC’s top 15 flyweight rankings. Still, these weren’t the only fighters who took home bonus money from the UFC’s eighth visit to Mexico City.

Fighters on the card who secured stoppage victories were awarded $25,000 each. The list included King Green, Ryan Gandra, Javier Reyes, Francis Marshall, and Damian Pinas, bringing the total bonus payout of the night to $525,000. Notably, for every fighter mentioned, except for Green, it marked the first bonus of their UFC careers.

This comes after UFC CEO Dana White made a special announcement about UFC bonuses.

Dana White claims bonuses will double with additional incentives

In January, Dana White said fighter bonuses are about to get a major boost. Speaking ahead of UFC 324 in Las Vegas, White announced that performance bonuses will double from $50,000 to $100,000. Traditionally, the UFC awards $200,000 per event—$50,000 each for Fight of the Night and two Performance of the Night winners. Under the new structure, that total will rise to at least $400,000 per card.

Dana White also revealed a new $25,000 bonus for any fighter who wins by knockout or submission but does not receive one of the main awards. The move comes as UFC begins a lucrative new streaming partnership with Paramount, reportedly worth $1.1 billion through 2031, following its previous partnership with ESPN. White said the changes are designed to reward exciting performances and incentivize more finishes inside the Octagon.

Looks like Dana White has delivered what he promised. But do higher bonuses overshadow low pay inside the UFC?