UFC 280 is set to feature the UFC bantamweight title defending fight of Aljamain Sterling against TJ Dillashaw at the co-main event in Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Aljamain Sterling is the current UFC bantamweight title holder. The funk master holds a record of 21 wins out of his 24 professional MMA appearances. At UFC 259, when Petr Yan was disqualified for illegal knee movement, this American became the bantamweight title champion.
After winning the title, Sterling had to fight Petr Yan again for a mandatory title-defending bout at UFC 273. The “Funk Master” beat “No Mercy” by a split decision to successfully defend the title. Now Sterling is set to defend his title for the second time against T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280.
T.J. Dillashaw, a former two-time UFC bantamweight champion, has an impressive record with 17 victories out of his 21 MMA appearances, eight of which were knockout victories, but the American has also lost in four bouts.
In 2019, it was thought that Lieutenant Dan used EPO before a fight against Henry Cejudo. This was later proven to be true. As a result, Dillashaw was given a two-year USADA suspension and had to give up his bantamweight championship.
The former champion, however, returned to the octagon in 2021 and defeated Cory Sandhagen by a split decision. He is now eyeing the UFC bantamweight championship.
Aljamain Sterling vs TJ Dillashaw purse, payouts, salaries
Even though the UFC keeps salaries of its athlete’s secret, we can still get a good idea of how much each fighter makes by looking at their previous matches, our UFC insider data, and information from many news outlets, authors, and the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Without further ado, let’s deep dive into the fight purse and payouts of Aljamain Sterling vs TJ Dillashaw.
How much will Aljamain Sterling make at UFC 280?
Aljamain Sterling’s bout on UFC on Fox 24 against Augusto Mendes earned him a small purse of $65,000 in April 2017. But as “The Funk Master” rose through the ranks of the bantamweight division, his fight purse got bigger. Namely, his fight with Cory Sandhagen earned him a total of $212,000.
Since becoming champion, Aljamain Sterling has bagged around $1 million in fight purses. His first title defense bout against Petr Yan earned him a huge payday—a split decision win earned him $1,142,000.
Aljamain Sterling will reportedly be earning a guaranteed purse of $1 million along with sponsorship deals; after calculating all the payments, this American will be grabbing $1.6 million for his upcoming title defending bout.
How much will TJ Dillashaw make at UFC 280?
At the beginning of his career, T.J. Dillashaw made a meager purse of $16,000 for a unanimous victory against Walel Watson at the UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger event. Dillashaw saw a rise in pay as he became the bantamweight champion. Before the drug suspension, fighting against Henry Cejudo earned him a hefty purse of $410,000.
In the comeback bout against Cory Sandhagen at the UFC on ESPN event secured him a whopping purse of $440,000, of which $200,000 was the winning bonus.
TJ Dillashaw will be earning a whopping $550,000 if he wins the upcoming title fight against Sterling, as the winning bonus for the title fight is reportedly $250,000.
