Edit..
My joke wasnt great.
Iâll be back
Former UFC star Quinton âRampageâ Jacksonâ believes the UFC can guarantee more entertaining fights by drastically increasing post-fight bonuses.
The worldâs leading MMA promotion is currently at the tail end of a nine-week stretch of consecutive events that began in late September with UFC Perth. That run will conclude in late November with UFC Qatar, and this week the UFC is set to return to Las Vegas following a visit to Abu Dhabi for UFC 321.
UFC 321 fell short of fan expectations even before the nightâs highly-anticipated main event between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane ended in a No Contest, and the back-to-back UFC Vegas cards coming up unfortunately donât offer much in the way of star power.
âRampageâ Jackson Proposes $1 Million âFOTNâ Bonuses
With the UFC set to kick off a new partnership with Paramount worth a reported $7.7 billion starting next year, former UFC titleholder Jackson suggested that a massive increase to âFight of the Nightâ bonuses might help incentivize fighters to put on more exciting contests.
âIf I was a promotor and I had the bankroll the UFC has, I would up the âFight of the Nightâ bonus.â Jackson explained on the Jaxxon Podcast (h/t Bloody Elbow). âI would up the âFight of the Nightâ bonus to a million dollars. So thatâs two million dollars per show. They can afford it. You are gonna get more exciting fightsâŚI would do a million, if I had made seven billion dollars just off selling the rights.â
A massive star in PRIDE before he joined the UFC, âRampageâ won the UFC light heavyweight title by knocking out Chuck Liddell in 2007 and defended his belt once before he lost to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86.
!(https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2637,h_2637,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_620,ar_1:1,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/mma_knockout/01k8r4m2qpevw708njjq.jpg ââRampageâ Jackson stands on the scale during weigh-ins for UFC 186.â)
âRampageâ Jackson stands on the scale during weigh-ins for UFC 186. / Jean-Yves Ahern-Imagn Images
Jackson went on to fight for Bellator following his lengthy UFC run (he did return to the Octagon for a one-off fight in 2015) and last competed in 2019 when he was knocked out by MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 237.
UFCâs New Paramount Deal Kicks Off in 2026
Fans are curious to see how the Paramount partnership and apparent death of the UFC pay-per-view model may change UFC events next year, but so far UFC CEO Dana White has been noncommittal regarding how the promotionâs fighters will actually benefit from the new deal.
The UFC previously awarded âKnockout of the Nightâ and âSubmission of the Nightâ bonuses before switching to a standard two âPerformance of the Nightâ bonuses per event to go along with âFight of the Nightâ. White and the promotional brass occasionally opt to hand out four âPerformance of the Nightâ bonuses if a card doesnât feature a standout fight, but the UFCâs post-fight bonuses have been essentially locked at $50,000 for well over ten years at this point.
!(https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mma_knockout/01k8r4vbavywh77vzph1.jpg âÄ˝udovĂt Klein and Mateusz RÄbecki won âFight of the Nightâ at UFC 321.â)
Ä˝udovĂt Klein and Mateusz RÄbecki won âFight of the Nightâ at UFC 321. / (Craig Kidwell/MMA Junkie)
UFC 321 saw Valter Walker and Quillan Salkilld both earn âPerformance of the Nightâ bonuses for earning the only two finishes on the cardâs prelims, while Ä˝udovĂt Klein and Mateusz RÄbecki also earned an extra $50K for their bloody âFight of the Nightâ war.
canz i finish posting first bon ?
Rampage Jackson Wants Million-Dollar UFC Bonuses
The veteran fighter made his case clear, arguing that fighters deserve better compensation for putting their bodies on the line.
âI feel like UFC bonuses should go up to a million dollars. Think about it, these guys are risking their lives, putting their health on the line every time they get in there. You gotta reward that kind of courage and skill. The current bonuses are just not cutting it anymore, especially for the top performers. If youâre gonna push the sport forward and motivate fighters to bring their best, that kind of incentive could change everything.â
Jackson went further, pointing to the UFCâs growing financial success as justification for the increase.
âYou see all these big pay-per-view numbers and growing audiences, so why not share that success with the fighters who bring it every single time? One million dollars for performance or fight of the night would be a game-changer. It shows how serious the UFC is about valuing fighters and the entertainment they provide.â
Since you ask nicely..
No.
