Sept. 19, 2026Updated Sept. 20, 2026, 1:08 a.m. ET
LOS ANGELES – Joshua Van entered UFC 331 as the lone champion on the card but not as the highest paid in disclosed earnings. That distinction went to his opponent, Alexandre Pantoja.
The California State Athletic Commission released a full list of disclosed payouts to MMA Junkie before Saturday’s event at Crypto.com Arena. According to the payoff sheet, Pantoja was to be paid a flat $650,000, with Van coming in second at a flat $500,000. Van put his flyweight title on the line in a rematch with Pantoja that headlined UFC 331.
In the co-main event, lightweight top contender Arman Tsarukyan was set to earn a flat $350,000. His opponent, Mauricio Ruffy, fought on a show-win deal of $110,000 to show and $110,000 if victorious.
It’s worth noting the figures do not include performance nor discretionary bonuses, nor do they include letters of agreement, also known as “side letters,” that are used by the promotion, typically when dealing with high-profile athletes or other special cases.
UFC 331 disclosed payoutsJoshua Van: $500,000Alexandre Pantoja: $650,000Arman Tsarukyan: $350,000Mauricio Ruffy: $110,000Patricio Freire: $400,000 ($200,000 to show + $200,000 win)Doo Ho Choi: $85,000Sean Sharaf: $60,000 ($30,000 to show + $30,000 win)Gable Steveson: $160,000Alonzo Menifield: $310,000 ($155,000 to show + $155,000 win)Iwo Baraniewski: $50,000Marlon Vera: $400,000 ($200,000 to show + $200,000 win)Charles Jourdain: $108,000Robelis Despaigne: $200,000 ($100,000 to show + $100,000 win)Tai Tuivasa: $350,000Michael Aswell: $60,000 ($30,000 to show + $30,000 win)JooSang Yoo: $12,000Ryan Gandra: $28,000 ($14,000 to show + $14,000 win)Ozzy Diaz: $25,000Edmen Shahbazyan: $250,000 ($125,000 to show + $125,000 win)Brunno Ferreira: $95,000Casey O’Neill: $132,000 ($66,000 to show + $66,000 win)Eduarda Moura: $33,000Joanderson Brito: $158,000 ($79,000 to show + $79,000 win)Giga Chikadze: $93,000
