Brock Lesnar was well compensated for his unanimous-decision victory at UFC 200 against Mark Hunt.
The Nevada Athletic Commission revealed to Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting that Lesnar was paid $2.5 million for his appearance, a figure that was first reported on Saturday by Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole.
Lesnar made more than three times as much as the next-closest fighter at UFC 200, per Iole:
Fighter | Purse |
Brock Lesnar | $2,500,000 |
Mark Hunt | $700,000 |
Anderson Silva | $600,000 |
Miesha Tate | $500,000 |
Daniel Cormier | $500,000 |
Jose Aldo | $400,000 |
Cain Velasquez | $300,000 |
Frankie Edgar | $190,000 |
Travis Browne | $120,000 |
Amanda Nunes | $100,000 |
Iole added that Daniel Cormier was originally set to earn $1 million before the UFC pulled Jon Jones from the main event for an anti-doping violation.
Lesnar's payout is impressive when you consider Conor McGregor previously set the record for highest single purse when he earned $1 million at UFC 196.
Of course, the UFC was always going to have to pay a king's ransom to get Lesnar back in the Octagon despite the fact that he hasn't fought since December 2011. According to Forbes, he earns $6 million per year from WWE. The Wrestling Observer noted that the former heavyweight champion's return to the UFC was a smart decision:
Despite his long absence, Lesnar remains one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts, and his presence on the card tipped the scales for many fans when it came to purchasing UFC 200.
During his pre-fight press conference, Lesnar refused to say whether Saturday was the last time he fights in the UFC, per MMA Fighting's Marc Raimondi. Considering how much he's earning this weekend, it's a safe bet Lesnar will be back once again on the heels of his victory.
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