On January 31st, or February 1 for Australian fans, Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes’ highly anticipated rematch at UFC 325 will mark the promotion’s fifth visit to Sydney. Set inside Qudos Bank Arena, the UFC has loaded the card with banger matchups, promising violent scraps throughout the night. Now, with fight week just days away, fans are growing curious about the possible payouts fighters could earn for stepping into the Octagon.  

At the second Paramount+ CBS event, the headliner is expected to walk away with the biggest paycheck of the night. Still, with names like Dan Hooker, Benoit Saint-Denis, and Tai Tuivasa on the card, the UFC is clearly ready to spend a decent amount of money across the roster. So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at the expected UFC 325 payouts, starting with the main event itself. 

What Are the Payouts for the UFC 325 Main Event between  Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes?  

When it comes to money, the two-time UFC featherweight champion continues to receive strong backing from the promotion. In his title fights, Alexander Volkanovski reportedly cleared well over a million dollars while facing some of the biggest names in the UFC. He carried that momentum into UFC 314, where the Aussie star reportedly earned around $1 million while taking on Diego Lopes for the vacant title. However, the new broadcasting era appears to be changing the landscape.

In an interview with ESPN MMA, Volkanovski said the UFC offered him a new and more lucrative deal under the $7.7 billion agreement. He expects to earn over a million dollars again for the rematch against Lopes in Sydney. The UFC has yet to clarify whether additional incentives will replace the traditional PPV model, but with Volkanovski earning big money, his opponent also stands in a strong position to secure a solid payday.

The UFC has never fully disclosed the Brazilian powerhouse’s payouts, but reports indicate Diego Lopes earned around $700,000 for his first title fight against Volkanovski at UFC 314 in Miami. Lopes also picked up a rare double bonus at the UFC Noche Fight Night event, earning $100,000 after securing both Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night in his wild battle against Jean Silva.

With that in mind, Lopes’ expected payout for UFC 325 could land somewhere between $500,000 and $700,000. If he delivers another standout performance in the headliner, a guaranteed $100,000 bonus under the new structure could also come his way. Now that we have broken down the expected payouts for the main event, let’s shift focus to the co-main event. 

How Much Will the UFC 325 Co-Main Fighters Dan Hooker and Benoit Saint-Denis Earn? 

For a long time, Dan Hooker has been one of the UFC’s most reliable scrappers, consistently putting on violent shows for the fans. Because of that, ‘The Hangman’ has also been rewarded with some solid paychecks. According to multiple reports, the Kiwi’s base salary usually hovered around the $300,000 to $350,000 range when facing tough competition. That figure reportedly jumped in his most recent outing against Arman Tsarukyan.

Hooker reportedly earned close to $400,000 for that fight, a figure that topped the $300,000 payday the UFC’s number one-ranked lightweight collected while headlining the promotion’s debut event in Qatar. That comparison highlights the level of star power Hooker brings to Dana White’s company. With that in mind, expectations point toward Hooker earning between $400,000 and $500,000 for his matchup against ‘BSD’. As the 35-year-old continues to command strong paydays, the focus now shifts to his French opponent.

While Hooker’s estimated payout remains a topic of discussion, Benoit Saint-Denis’ earnings have largely stayed under the radar. That said, ‘BSD’ is believed to be making somewhere around $200,000 per fight, which is far from a bad deal. ‘The God of War’ has also picked up back-to-back bonuses for his finishes over Mauricio Ruffy and Beneil Dariush, which would only push his overall earnings higher.   

Would his money increase in this next fight? Probably yes. And the French superstar should at least match his previous fight purse for the UFC 325 co-main event. With the co-main event covered, let’s move on to the undercard and break down the expected payouts for the rest of the lineup.

What are the UFC 325 Undercard Payouts and Estimated Fighter Earnings?  

Along with the spectacular headliners, the UFC 325 card also features some strong main card matchups. Under the new broadcast structure, those fighters are expected to walk away with solid paychecks as well.

On the main card, Rafael Fiziev returns after defeating Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC Baku. The Azerbaijani standout is set to face former Fighting Nerds product Mauricio Ruffy in what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting lightweight clashes on the card. In his last outing, ‘Ataman’ reportedly earned a lucrative check in the $350,000 to $400,000 range. Since he is taking on a lower-ranked opponent this time, that number could dip slightly. Even so, a payout around the $300,000 mark still feels realistic.

For the Brazilian, this bout could be a major opportunity. ‘One Shot’ ran into trouble against Benoit Saint-Denis at the Paris Fight Night event last year, but he now gets a higher-ranked opponent as a chance to bounce back. Ruffy reportedly earned around $174,500 in base pay for his fight against King Green at UFC 313, with an additional $50,000 bonus on top. Coming off a loss, matching that number might be tough. Still, expectations point toward Ruffy earning a six-figure payday at UFC 325.

Shifting to the heavyweight clash on the main card, Tai Tuivasa returns looking to snap a five-fight losing streak. In recent outings, ‘Bam Bam’s payouts have typically fallen in the $150,000 to $200,000 range, not counting knockout bonuses. Also, there were rumors of Tuivasa earning a massive $850,000 for his UFC 293 bout against Alexander Volkov. However, for UFC 325, that figure seems unlikely given his recent skid. Even so, his reported base salary would still amount to a solid paycheck as he takes on Tallison Teixeira, whose earnings have not been made public.

As for the card opener, Quillan Salkilld’s estimated UFC payouts are also not widely known. That said, he earned $50,000 for his head-kick knockout win over Nasrat Haqparast, which could set him up for a more lucrative deal this time around. On the other side, Jamie Mullarkey could also be in line for a six-figure payday on fight night. 

With UFC 325 on the horizon, which main card fighters do you think will walk away with the new $100,000 bonus from the UFC? Let us know in the comments section below.