What are Kamaru Usman's career earnings?
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is currently one of the most dominant fighters on the roster.
The 170-pound title holder has not lost a single fight under the UFC banner. He became champion in March 2019, and has defended the belt four times since - once against Colby Covington and Gilbert Burns, and twice against Jorge Masvidal.
His gradual rise to stardom went hand-in-hand with his rising bank balance. As of August 2021, as per thesportsdaily.com, Kamaru Usman has earned an estimated $3,594,500 in his capacity as a UFC fighter.
The mentioned total includes base pay, win bonuses, performance bonuses, and fight-week incentive pay. PPV shares were not disclosed.
Kamaru Usman's biggest payday came with his most recent win at UFC 261. He faced Jorge Masvidal for the second time in the first event to resume crowd attendance. The fight took place in Jacksonville, Florida.
The pair first fought at UFC 251. Jorge Masvidal took the fight on short notice. The fight ended up being lackluster. 'Gamebred' was unable to muster up attacks as Kamaru Usman held him against the fence and landed clinch-strikes for the majority of the five-round scrap.
However, the second fight was a completely different affair. Both fighters had complete training camps and Kamaru Usman traded with Masvidal on the feet.
In round two, Kamaru Usman landed a shattering right hand that sent Jorge Masvidal crashing into the canvas unconscious. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' rushed in to land hammer strikes and the referee stepped in to bring the fight to a close soon after.
The bout earned Kamaru Usman the Performance of the Night bonus. He took home $692,000 in earnings.
What is next for Kamaru Usman?
The much-anticipated rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington is scheduled to headline UFC 268, which is targeted to be the UFC's return to Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The first fight between the bitter rivals took place at UFC 245. The absolute barnburner, claimed to be the best fight ever by UFC President Dana White, saw Usman and Covington engage in a brawl right from the beginning.
Both fighters are exceptional on the ground. However, neither attempted a single takedown in the entirety of the almost 25-minute fight.
Usman outlanded Covington 175-143 and scored two knockdowns over the course of the fight.
In the last minute of the final frame, Kamaru Usman landed a stiff right that dropped 'Chaos'. Usman followed up with ground-and-pound to win the fight via TKO at 4:10 of the fifth round.