TUF 18 Finale salaries: Maynard ($45K), Diaz ($30K) top event payroll

Main-event winner Nate Diaz ($30,000) and loser Gray Maynard ($45,000) were the top earners at this past weekend’s UFC event, The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale.

MMAjunkie today obtained the list of disclosed paydays from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $312,000.

The TUF 18 Finale took place this past Saturday, Nov. 30, at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The bulk of the card aired on FOX Sports 1 following a lone prelim on MMAjunkie.

Diaz, who posted a first-round TKO victory, earned $15,000 to show and an additional $15,000 as a win bonus. Although he could have earned additional undisclosed money, the public figures are peculiar for a veteran fighter who just completed his 19th career UFC bout.

The full list of disclosed paydays included:

Nate Diaz: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)
def. Gray Maynard: $45,000

Julianna Pena: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Jessica Rakoczy: $8,000

Chris Holdsworth: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Davey Grant: $8,000

Jessamyn Duke: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Peggy Morgan: $8,000

Raquel Pennington: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Roxanne Modafferi: $8,000

Akira Corassani: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Maximo Blanco: $17,000

Tom Niinimaki: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Rani Yahya: $20,000

Jared Rosholt: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Walter Harris: $8,000

Sean Spencer: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Drew Dober: $8,000

Josh Sampo: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Ryan Benoit: $8,000

Now, the usual disclaimer: The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, which can oftentimes be a substantial portion of a fighter’s income. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC oftentimes pays.

For example, as previously reported, UFC officials handed out additional $50,000 TUF 18 Finale bonuses to Diaz (“KO of the Night”), Holdsworth (“Submission of the Night”), and Benoit (who earned $100,000, with both “Fight of the Night” bonuses, since opponent Josh Sampo failed to make weight).

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

For complete coverage of the TUF 18 Finale, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(Pictured: Nate Diaz)