It is rare nowadays for athletic commissions to release payouts and salaries for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) or Professional Fighters League (PFL) athletes, but California still does. That means we have accurate information on how much PFL fighters made at PFL San Diego: “McKee vs. Isbulaev,” which took place last night inside Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.
Main event winner A.J. McKee Jr. took home the biggest disclosed paycheck of the night, banking $100,000 for his dominant unanimous
decision win over Salamat Isbulaev (watch highlights).
Isbulaev, meanwhile, walked away with just $10,000.
Former Bellator Flyweight champion and PFL tournament winner Liz Carmouche also banked $100,000 for her second-round submission win over former UFC fighter Viviane Araujo (watch highlights). Araujo earned $20,000 in defeat.
Check out the full list of payments (courtesy of MMAFighting) below:
PFL San Diego main card:
- A.J. McKee: $100,000 (no win bonus)
- Salamat Isbulaev: $10,000 ($10k show/$10k win)
- Liz Carmouche: $100,000 ($50k show/$50k win)
- Viviane Araujo: $20,000 ($20k show/$20k win)
- Alexander Shabliy: $50,000 ($25k show/$25k win)
- Alfie Davis: $20,000 ($20k show/$20k win)
- Abraham Bably: $20,000 ($10k show/$10k win)
- Rob Wilkinson: $40,000 ($20k show/$20k win)
PFL San Diego prelims:
- Khasan Magomedsharipov: $40,000 ($20k show/$20k win)
- Joshua Weems: $10,000 ($10k show/$10k win)
- Ariane Da Silva: $13,000 ($13k show/$13k win)
- Jena Bishop: $40,000 ($20k show/$20k win)
- Justin Wetzell: $10,000 ($10k show/$10k win)
- Sarvardzhon Hamidov: $40,000 ($20k show/$20k win)
- Shannon Clark: $6,000 ($3k show/$3k win)
- Ilara Joanne: $10,000 ($10k show/$10k win)
- Cobey Fehr: $10,000 ($5k show/$5k win)
- Daniel Bzdigian: $5,000 ($5k show/$5k win)
As always, it is worth noting that these numbers are only what PFL disclosed to the California State Athletic Commission. Fighters could make more through sponsorships, locker-room bonuses or other undisclosed payments.
Still, some of the numbers are pretty jarring.
Wilkinson, for example, banked $1 million just four years ago for winning the 2022 PFL tournament. Araujo also earned $45,000 in just her third UFC fight back at UFC 245.
At PFL San Diego, she made less than half of that.
For more PFL San Diego results, coverage and highlights click HERE.
