UFC Fight Night 35 Fighter Salaries: Luke Rockhold and Cole Miller Top the Payroll

Former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold on Wednesday night at The Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga., showed that he has finally assimilated to the Octagon, knocking Costas Philippou out in the UFC Fight Night 35 main event with a successive kicks to the liver.

Brad Tavares continued his climb up the UFC middleweight division ranks by scoring a unanimous decision victory over Lorenz Larkin in the night’s co-main event.

Not surprisingly, Larkin topped the list of the UFC Fight Night 35 fighter salaries released by the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission to MMAWeekly.com on Thursday.

The following figures are based on the fighter salary information that promoters are required by law to submit to the state athletic commissions, including the winners’ bonuses.

Although mixed martial arts fighters do not have collective bargaining or a union, the fighters’ salaries are still public record, just as with every other major sport in the United States. Any undisclosed bonuses that a promoter also pays its fighters, but does not disclose to the athletic commissions (specifically, pay-per-view bonuses, fight of the night bonuses, etc.), are not included in the figures below.

UFC Fight Night 35 Fighter Salaries

Luke Rockhold: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus)
def. Constantinos Philippou: $23,000

Brad Tavares: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
def. Lorenz Larkin: $26,000

T.J. Dillashaw: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Mike Easton: $14,000

Yoel Romero: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Derek Brunson: $19,000

John Moraga: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
def. Dustin Ortiz: $10,000

Cole Miller: $56,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus)
def. Sam Sicilia: $10,000

Ramsey Nijem: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
def. Justin Edwards: $10,000

Elias Silverio: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Isaac Vallie-Flagg: $12,000

Trevor Smith: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Brian Houston: $8,000

Louis Smolka: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Alptekin Ozkilic: $10,000

Vinc Pichel: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Garett Whiteley: $8,000

Beneil Dariush: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Charlie Brenneman: $10,000

UFC Fight Night 35 Disclosed Fighter Payroll: $530,000