Ariel Helwani seemingly says Michael Chandler makes $750K per UFC fight, compares "incredible" promo skills to The Rock

From left to right: Michael Chandler, Ariel Helwani, and Dwayne Johnson [Images via @mikechandlermma and @therock on Instagram]

Michael Chandler's fight against Tony Ferguson will be remembered by fans thanks to a highlight-reel knockout and an electrifying post-fight interview where a fired-up Chandler dubbed himself the "most entertaining lightweight on the planet."

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During the latest episode of The MMA Hour, host and journalist Ariel Helwani spoke about Chandler’s rise in popularity and compared his promo skills to those of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. After lauding 'Iron' for his incredible finish of Tony Ferguson, Helwani said:

"And when did Michael Chandler become a such good promo? Like, when he was fighting those dudes in Bellator he was the face of Bellator but he wasn’t cutting promos like this. He freaking The Rock out there. He’s cutting the promos like... like hitting all the notes, hitting all the guys. On fire. The Conor part was tremendous."

This is high praise for Chandler, as 'The Rock' is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, promo men in pro wrestling history. His charisma and verbal skills sealed his place as one of pro wrestling’s most popular superstars, which later translated to him being Hollywood's main box office attraction.

Go find a monkey jabroni… https://t.co/fq678OorpS

Next, Ariel Helwani acknowledged ‘Iron’ Mike’s rise in popularity and said that he earns $750 K for every UFC fight.

"But that was incredible stuff from Michael Chandler. What an investment. I know he’s 2 - 2 in the UFC, but man, he’s become a huge star. People love him and certainly worth everything... Oh and I think he’s making like 750 per fight. Tremendous. That's what came out."

It would be fair to assume that by 750, Helwani is likely referring to $750,000, although unclear as to where he got the figure from. The Arizona State Athletic Commission does not release fighter pay, so no official figures are available for UFC 274 payouts. However, some websites and articles have made educated guesses about fighter payouts for UFC 274 based on their previous purses and publicly available information.

According to Sports Zion, Michael Chandler earned $500K to show and $500K to win, along with a performance bonus and sponsorships, giving him $1,054,000. The Sports Grail and The Sportal claim Chandler earned a $100K win bonus over his $500K show purse, making his total purse under $700,000.

Watch Ariel Helwani talk about Michael Chandler at 16:30 of the video below:

Dwayne Johnson praised Michael Chandler for his promo skills

Helwani’s comparison was spot on, as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson himself praised Chandler's promo skills.

The Hollywood superstar tweeted that the KO itself was "INCREDIBLE" and that Chandler’s mix of fighting style and promotional skills is what generates money. The post read:

Holy s*it. What an INCREDIBLE KO from @michaelchandler. 👏🏾👏🏾👊🏾 And on top of that just delivered a truly electrifying promo that already sold tickets to his next fight, that’s not even booked yet. Light fighting, promo 🎤 work is a special skill that =‘s 💰#UFC274"

Holy shit.
What an INCREDIBLE KO from @michaelchandler. 👏🏾👏🏾👊🏾
And on top of that just delivered a truly electrifying promo that already sold tickets to his next fight, that’s not even booked yet.
Light fighting, promo 🎤 work is a special skill that =‘s 💰#UFC274

Dwayne Johnson is a longtime UFC fan who also collaborates with the promotion from time to time. He was trusted to present the BMF title at Nick Diaz and Jorge Masvidal’s fight at UFC 244. His motivational brand, "Project Rock," is the official footwear partner of the UFC.