Alex Pereira pocketed career-high payday for brutal KO win as UFC 303 salaries revealed

07/03/2024 07:01 AM

Alex Pereira earned three-times more than his rival Jiri Prochazka for his UFC 303 KO win.

Pereira defended his UFC light-heavyweight title in a sequel against Prochazka, which he ended in spectacular fashion with a thunderous head kick in second round.

‘Poatan’ is becoming a huge name on the roster given his achievements in two weight classes, and his financial earnings are beginning to reflect his feats.

Prior to the fight, the Brazilian confirmed reports that he had negotiated a total purse of $3 million [£2.36 million] to renew his rivalry wit Prochazka.

And it has been since revealed that the promotion’s president Dana White handed Pereira a tidy $303,000 [£238,654] for his epic performance just moments after its conclusion.

His coach Plinio Cruz revealed: “He [Pereira] was talking to Dana in the back, and they were talking about a bunch of stuff, and Dana said, 'As a matter of fact, you won Performance of the Night.'

“And he said, '$303,000?' He goes, 'No, no, no, $50,000.

“I think because of all their history and then taking the fight on two weeks' [notice], Dana looked at him and said, 'You know what, man? I'm going to take care of you.

“You've got the $303,000.' He even joked, he said buy a supercar with that money.

“Pereira goes, 'I've got enough supercars.' He wants a Cybertruck.”

His total purse of $3.305 million [£2.6 million] has eclipsed the estimated $2.85 million [£2.24 million] that he pocketed for beating Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 in April.

The Sportster have reported that Prochazka himself made $1 million [£787,600] for his role in the encounter.

Elsewhere on the card, Irish superstar Ian Garry pocketed a reported $86,000 [£67,737] for his win over Michael ‘Venom’ Page, with the latter receiving $200,000 [£157,528].

Pereira now faces an uncertain future, with links intensifying over a potential move to the heavyweight division.

A potential showdown with current champion Jon Jones could lay in wait, providing the UFC legend doesn’t retire after his planned title defence against Stipe Miocic.

But UFC president White isn’t overly keen on the talked-up switch.

He said: "It's not that I'm not into it — the guy was a middleweight, then moves up to light heavyweight.

“He's had a couple fights there, defended his title. But it's not like this guy's been in the division for two years and he ran through everybody that's in the division.

“It's a whole other level going up to heavyweight. Even as big as Jon Jones is, as good as Jon Jones is, when Jon Jones was moving up to heavyweight, we're like, 'This is going to be interesting.'

"If he cleaned out a division and we were like, there's literally nobody left for this guy to fight, and he's 37, if he wants to move up to heavyweight [we'll let him], but that's not the case.”