UFC 331 Discloses $650,000 Top Payday for Pantoja as Van Earns $500,000

Q: Did a shocking 12-second knockout just derail a highly-paid wrestling star's career at the hands of a $60,000 underdog?

Yes — it was a major setback, but not definitive proof his UFC career is derailed. At UFC 331, Gable Steveson, one of the sport’s most heavily promoted heavyweight prospects, was knocked out by Sean Sharaf in just 12 seconds. Sharaf entered as a massive underdog — reported at better than 10-to-1 and as high as 12-to-1 — and was disclosed to earn $60,000 ($30,000 to show, $30,000 to win). Steveson, by contrast, was listed at $160,000. The result was widely described as one of the biggest betting upsets in UFC history and the third-fastest heavyweight finish in UFC history. From a career standpoint, the loss is damaging because it came in only Steveson’s second UFC fight, against an opponent who was previously 0-2 in the promotion. It punctures the aura around an Olympic gold medalist who had been marketed as a blue-chip MMA talent and had Jon Jones in his corner. But “derail” may be too strong if it implies the end of his prospects. Steveson is still only 26, now 1-1 in the UFC and 4-1 in MMA, with elite wrestling credentials and obvious athletic upside. One punch in heavyweight MMA can radically alter perception, yet it does not erase long-term potential. What the knockout clearly did was halt his fast-track momentum. Instead of moving toward contenders, Steveson now likely needs developmental fights and proof that he can recover technically and mentally from a high-profile collapse.

3 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · Sep 20

$650,000 went to Alexandre Pantoja, the biggest disclosed UFC 331 purse, while flyweight champion Joshua Van drew $500,000 in Los Angeles.
California's athletic commission figures showed both headliners on flat fees with no win bonus; Arman Tsarukyan also received a flat $350,000 after knocking out Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event.
$110,000 was all Ruffy collected because he missed an equal win bonus, while other notable disclosed payouts included Patricio Pitbull and Marlon Vera at $400,000 each and Tai Tuivasa at $350,000.
$12,000 to $650,000 was the disclosed pay range across the card, with lower-end purses including Joo Sang Yoo at $12,000 and Ozzy Diaz at $25,000.