UFC champ Ronda Rousey: I don’t want people to know how much money I make

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) won’t talk much about money. She will, though, happily admit to being extremely satisfied with her salary.

Money is a major factor in all walks of life. For UFC fighters, though, it’s a particularly touchy subject. Fighter payouts are released to the public depending on the jurisdiction of an event. The UFC is famous for handing out additional discretionary bonuses to its athletes, which creates confusion over exactly how much goes into a fighter’s pocket.

Rousey’s most recent reported payout came after her UFC 175 victory over Alexis Davis in July. The Nevada State Athletic Commission reported Rousey earned $120,000 ($60,000 to show and $60,000 to win) for her 16-second knockout of Davis in the night’s co-main event.

However, with other bonuses and incentives, it’s impossible to target exactly what Rousey made. The 27-year-old prefers it that way, though, and said she’s pleased with the final figure.

“The money that I make, I’m very, very happy, and I’m very, very satisfied,” Rousey said in an interview on Bruce Buffer’s ‘It’s Time!’ podcast. “It’s also very, very private. I don’t want people to know how much money I’m making.”

Rousey may be happy with her pay, but when her reported earnings are compared to other women under the UFC banner, it’s clear the champion gets the lion’s share of the cash.

It makes sense for Rousey to receive more money considering her popularity and accomplishments in the sport. But when her salary is compared to No. 1 contender Cat Zingano, who made a reported $18,000 for her UFC 178 victory last month, there’s a noticeable discrepancy.

Rousey said she can’t speak to the attitude of other UFC contract athletes, but from her personal interactions, she’s yet to cross paths with a disgruntled female fighter.

“I can just say I’m very comfortable and very well taken care of,” Rousey said. “So are all these other women, from what I know they’re extremely well taken care of. The UFC is special in that they’re willing to make themselves look bad so the fighters have to deal with less.”

When it comes to money, a huge factor is marketability. Rousey has no equal in her division when it comes to name recognition and visibility, and in turn that creates more attention for her fights, and ultimately, more money in the bank.

Not every fighter has the personality and charisma of the UFC’s lone female champion. Rousey said it comes down to finding an effective way to connect with the world, but it’s not something that can be taught or learned.

Rousey encourages all fighters to discover what makes them unique outside the cage. If that simple task can be accomplished and paired with memorable performances, the dollar signs will follow.

“Everyone has their own way and we don’t all have to do it the same way,” Rousey said. “Not everyone has to try and dress up super pretty or they don’t have to all try to say crazy things. Look at how Rory MacDonald does it. He dresses a certain way and has the demeanor of ‘American Psycho’ and everyone loves it.”

Rousey is a little more than three months out from her UFC 175 victory over Davis. She dealt with lingering hand and knee injuries after the contest, but was recently cleared to resume full training.

The next bout on Rousey’s agenda will come in the form of her fifth title defense against No. 1 contender Cat Zingano. The contest was originally targeted for UFC 182 on Jan. 3, but Rousey said nothing is set in stone.

Rousey has anticipated a matchup with Zingano for several months and expects one of her most difficult challenges to date. “Rowdy” said she holds tremendous respect for Zingano, and whenever the fight does take place, she’ll be 100 percent prepared.

“I really, really like Cat; I really do,” Rousey said. “The year that she’s had before this has been absolutely terrible. To see her come through all of that and get right back into it again, it really is so motivating for me, too. Even though I’m her competition. I told her, I promised her, ‘One day we are going to have the title fight that you deserve. I’m going to beat you, but we’re going to have it.’ She understands that’s coming from a good place.

“I will fight that girl at the total peak of my ability and the best that I can do. That’s how I show her my respect. I give her every little bit of everything I have. I want to show that respect for her. I hope Jan. 3, we’ll be able to fight. It’s still up in the air a little bit. We’ll see how she’s feeling after her last fight.”

For more on the UFC’s schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.