Alex Perez vs. Tatsuro Taira payouts: Previous purses of UFC Vegas 93 headliners compared
The headlining match of UFC Vegas 93 (UFC on ESPN 58) pits Alex Perez against Tatsuro Taira. The event will transpire at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on June 15, 2024. Perez is currently at No. 5 in the official UFC men's flyweight rankings, whereas Taira is ranked No. 13.
A former UFC flyweight title challenger, America's Perez recently snapped a three-fight losing streak. Meanwhile, Japan's Taira hasn't tasted defeat in his professional MMA career thus far. A victory for Perez would surely earn him a fight against a fellow top-five-ranked flyweight next.
Alternatively, if Taira emerges victorious, he'll receive a significant boost in the UFC flyweight rankings. All in all, it's a high-stakes showdown for both the 32-year-old Perez and the 24-year-old Taira.
Moreover, in regard to pay, the headlining fighters generally bag the biggest purses on the fight card. As reported by NY Fights, Perez is likely to earn $180k, whereas Taira could possibly earn $110k for their upcoming main event matchup at UFC Vegas 93.
Perez reportedly bagged $135k for his first-round TKO victory over Jussier Formiga at UFC 250 (June 2020). He suffered three consecutive defeats â losing to Deiveson Figueiredo, Alexandre Pantoja, and Muhammad Mokaev. Additionally, in his most recent fight, a second-round KO victory over Matheus Nicolau at UFC Vegas 91 (April 2024), NY Fights reported his estimated payout for the Nicolau matchup as $135k.
Considering the estimates of his aforementioned previous payouts, it's possible that Perez could take home $160kâ$180k for his upcoming fight.
On the other hand, Tatsuro Taira reportedly earned $28,500 in his unanimous decision victory over Edgar Chairez at UFC 290 (July 2023). The Japanese MMA stalwart's most recent fight saw him beat Carlos Hernandez via second-round TKO at UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutierrez (Dec. 2023). Taira's estimated purse for the Hernandez matchup was $40k-$66k.
Since Taira's upcoming fight would be a UFC main event matchup, he's expected to secure a higher purse than he did in his previous octagon appearances, at least $100k. In a nutshell, heading into UFC Vegas 93, Perez's estimated purse is $180k, while Taira's is $110k.
UFC Vegas 93: Other reported payouts for the fight card headlined by Alex Perez vs. Tatsuro Taira
While Alex Perez vs. Tatsuro Taira serves as the UFC Vegas 93 headliner, the co-headliner has Ikram Aliskerov taking on Antonio Trocoli in a middleweight bout. Aliskerov reportedly bagged a $50k purse for his last fight. He's coming off a first-round TKO win against Warlley Alves at UFC 294 (Oct. 2023). Aliskerov will likely earn an $81k guaranteed purse, while Trocoli could bag $40k at UFC Vegas 93.
Elsewhere on the fight card, Lucas Almeida reportedly earned a $28,500 purse for his last fight, a first-round TKO loss against Andre Fili at UFC 296 (Dec. 2023). Almeida could earn either $28,500 or $40,000 for his featherweight bout against Timmy Cuamba at UFC Vegas 93.
Meanwhile, Tagir Ulanbekov is believed to have earned $34,500 as a guaranteed purse for his last fight, a second-round submission win against Cody Durden at UFC 296. Ulanbekov could fetch a minimum of $40k for his scheduled flyweight bout against Joshua Van at UFC Vegas 93.
As for the other fighters on the card, they're likely to take payouts ranging from $12k to $40k. These amounts are exclusive of sponsorships and bonuses. One ought to note that the aforementioned payouts are estimates and haven't been officially confirmed by the UFC.