How much did Sean O'Malley, Aljamain Sterling, and others make at UFC 292? Let's look at the estimated payouts
A highly anticipated UFC bantamweight title bout between Sean O'Malley and Aljamain Sterling headlined UFC 292 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on August 19, 2023. The event witnessed fan-favorite O'Malley defeat Sterling via second-round TKO to become the new UFC bantamweight champion.
Additionally, the UFC 292 co-headlining matchup saw UFC women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili successfully defend her title by beating Amanda Lemos via unanimous decision. Several other notable fighters, such as former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, Irish welterweight prospect Ian Machado Garry, and bantamweight contender Marlon Vera also competed at the event.
Heading into UFC 292, the consensus was that then-UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and UFC superstar 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley would likely be the highest-paid fighters on the card.
According to a report from The Sports Daily leading up to the pay-per-view, the event's projected top-five highest-paid fighters were as follows:
- Aljamain Sterling – $542,000
- Sean O’Malley – $382,000
- Chris Weidman – $360,000
- Zhang Weili – $292,000
- Amanda Lemos – $182,000
Unless the fighter pay for a given event is officially revealed by the promotion, the state athletic commission, or other regulating bodies, it's generally considered to be tough to gauge the exact amount. The fighter pay is usually estimated on the basis of previously disclosed numbers.
The athletic commissions largely refrain from revealing the pay, particularly if the fighter has signed a non-disclosure agreement before the fight. Regardless, the projected total earnings for a fighter from a given event are calculated based on their estimated fight purse, bonuses, and other incentives given by the promotion they're competing for.
As reported by Sports Payouts, Sean O'Malley was expected to be the top earner at UFC 292. The top-five highest-paid fighters from UFC 292 and their projected total pay (sum of the fight purse, win bonus, sponsorships, other UFC bonuses, and pay-per-view share) have been displayed below:
- Sean O’Malley $1.43m
- Aljamain Sterling $1.29m
- Zhang Weili $1.29m
- Amanda Lemos $682k
- Marlon Vera $465k
UFC 292 salaries: A closer look at the pay for main card headliners Sean O'Malley and Aljamain Sterling
As per Sports Payouts, 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley, who furthered his superstardom with his title-winning performance at UFC 292, likely took home the highest pay, a total of $1.43 million. Moreover, while the matchup didn't play out in his favor, Aljamain Sterling is expected to have been one of the highest-paid fighters at the event, taking home a pay of about $1.29 million.
Additionally, UFC women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili was projected to earn $1.29 million, with Amanda Lemos getting $682,000. Ireland's rising star Ian Machado Garry was expected to receive $101,000, with his opponent Neil Magny possibly getting around $225,000.
Elsewhere on the UFC 292 main card, the estimated pay for the other fighters was $45,000 for Da’Mon Blackshear, $175,000 for Mario Bautista, $465,000 for Marlon Vera, and $365,000 for Pedro Munhoz.