UFC Abu Dhabi payouts: How much did Robert Whittaker, Reinier de Ridder & others get paid? Reported & estimated salaries

UFC Abu Dhabi featured a stacked card!

UFC returned to Abu Dhabi with a stacked card featuring Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder as the marquee bout. With the dramatic fights now settled inside the Etihad Arena, the focus shifts to what the stars actually took home, both in guaranteed purses and performance bonuses.

Robert Whittaker, the former UFC middleweight champ, entered the Octagon as the night’s top earner. Although his previous fights, including bouts against Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa, have earned him up to $771,000 and $400,000, respectively, this time his purse was estimated to be between $300,000 and $400,000.

Various reports consistently list his base payment at around $350,000, excluding discretionary bonuses, sponsorships, and any potential win incentives.

Across from him, Reinier de Ridder walked away with by far the biggest payday of his UFC tenure. Moving up from his previous base salaries (as low as $12,000–$38,000 in earlier UFC fights), de Ridder’s purse for this Abu Dhabi main event is reportedly in the $200,000–$250,000 range, a huge step up that mirrors the jump in opponent profile and card prestige.

First UFC main event win ✅Reinier de Ridder leaves #UFCAbuDhabi with his biggest win yet! [ #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/DR0xSEnyQZ

— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025

Co-Main, contenders and rising stars

Petr Yan, a former bantamweight titleholder, once again hit the upper pay scale. His last reported payout was $211,000 for UFC 299, and for this Abu Dhabi showcase, he’s expected to have earned between $200,000 and $300,000, exclusive of any bonuses or sponsorships.

Sharabutdin Magomedov and Bryce Mitchell, both on the main card, were projected to receive between $75,000 and $120,000, depending on their contracts and recent performances. Magomedov, as his profile grows, is believed to now earn between $50,000 and $100,000 per fight.

Performance bonuses: Who cashed in extra?

On top of base salaries, UFC awarded four $50,000 performance bonuses on the Abu Dhabi card:

• Sharabutdin Magomedov and Marc-André Barriault earned “Fight of the Night.”
• Muslim Salikhov and Steven Nguyen picked up “Performance of the Night” checks for their finishes on the preliminary card.

These bonuses provide a potentially life-changing bump for fighters outside the headlining slots, often doubling or tripling what many undercard names earn as base pay.

UFC Abu Dhabi main card payouts

Fighter	Estimated Base Pay	Potential Bonuses	Total (Estimate)
Robert Whittaker	$350,000–$400,000	Sponsor pay, win incentive	$400,000+
Reinier de Ridder	$200,000–$250,000	Sponsor pay, win incentive	$250,000+
Petr Yan	$200,000–$300,000	Sponsor pay, win incentive	$250,000+
Sharabutdin Magomedov	$75,000–$100,000	$50,000 bonus	$150,000+
Marc-André Barriault	$75,000–$100,000	$50,000 bonus	$150,000+
Muslim Salikhov	$75,000–$100,000	$50,000 bonus	$150,000+
Steven Nguyen	$50,000	$50,000 bonus	$100,000+
Bryce Mitchell	$75,000–$120,000	Sponsor pay	$100,000+

In addition to published purses and Fight Night bonuses, fighters may receive “locker room” bonuses or extra payment for promotional activities, as is common practice for high-profile UFC events in Abu Dhabi. Fighters also pocket “Venum” sponsorship bonuses, scaled to UFC tenure (ranging $4,000–$21,000 per appearance for non-champs).

UFC Abu Dhabi results

Main card

• Middleweight: Reinier de Ridder def. Robert Whittaker via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
• Bantamweight: Petr Yan def. Marcus McGhee via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Middleweight: Shara Magomedov def. Marc-Andre Barriault via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Flyweight: Asu Almabayev def. Jose Ochoa via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Light heavyweight: Bogdan Guskov def. Nikita Krylov via TKO (strikes) at 4:18 of R1

Preliminary card

• Bantamweight: Bryce Mitchell def. Said Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Welterweight: Muslim Salikhov def. Carlos Leal via KO (punch) at 0:42 of R1
• Bantamweight: Davey Grant def. Da’Mon Blackshear via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Women’s strawweight: Tabatha Ricci def. Amanda Ribas via TKO (strikes) at 2:59 of R2
• Light heavyweight: Billy Elekana def. Ibo Aslan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Featherweight: Steven Nguyen def. Mohammad Yahya via doctor’s stoppage at 5:00 of R2
• Heavyweight: Martin Buday def. Marcus Buchecha via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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