Israel Adesanya's "hype" helped him secure big money for his first fight in the UFC despite low fighter salaries at the time
When Israel Adesanya entered the UFC in February 2018, he was already a popular figure in the kickboxing world with an 11-0 professional MMA record. He leveraged his established reputation to secure significantly better financial rewards than most debuting fighters at the time.
Speaking about his debut on a recent appearance on The Adam Carolla Show, Adesanya revealed:
"For me, I had already established myself outside of the UFC as a big name as a kickboxer. I came in with a lot of hype and a big name. So I did about $50,000 in my first fight."
His reputation in kickboxing seemingly allowed him to negotiate favorable terms, bypassing the standard win-and-loss bonus structure. Instead, he secured a purse of over $50,000 for his first fight, which he noted was a rare figure for a newcomer in those days. Additionally, Adesanya earned a $50,000 performance bonus, bringing his earnings well over six figures.
"Altogether, I made over six figures in my first UFC fight. Every time I fight [now], I feel like I won the lotto. Look, I'm not going to say I'm greedy but I'm appreciative of what I'm doing in the UFC and my relationship with the UFC.
"We still have a good business relationship and this is where the manager comes in and they have that battle behind the scenes. I just sit there and go, 'How much are we getting?'"
Catch Israel Adesanya's comments below:
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Adesanya is tied with Yoel Romero for the third most post-fight bonuses in UFC middleweight history (8). He has also received the UFC 'Fight of the Year' honors for his back-and-forth war against Kelvin Gastelum.
Marc Goddard reveals emotional reaction to the Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum fight
The sight of Israel Adesanya rising from his stool for the fifth round in his war against Kelvin Gastelum, declaring in his native tongue, "I'm prepared to die," still sends shivers down the spine of the MMA community.
For veteran UFC referee Marc Goddard, this legendary UFC 236 interim middleweight title bout remains one of the most emotionally charged moments he has ever witnessed. Speaking on TalkSPORT MMA with Adam Catterall and PFL star Brendan Loughnane, Goddard admitted that the fight moved him to tears. He said:
"That fight, when you've got two fighters that went into the deepest, fu*king darkest depths of their soul. Deepest, darkest waters imaginable or possible in a fight, and I was alongside them, standing three feet away, witnessing this unfold.
"You watch the fight when it finishes, I run off straight away, I know they're safe. Head in my hands, and I won't be ashamed to say I've cried after that fight. Watching it back, because it was ungodly what those guys did, it was ungodly."
Check out Marc Goddard's comments below (53:45):