Yahoo Sports UFC 291 fighter pay: Kevin Holland leads limited list after Utah commission amends policy
The sanctioning body for combat sports in Utah has released UFC 291 disclosed payouts – but for only four of the athletes.
Kevin Holland stood atop a list of disclosed paydays that included also Bobby Green, Gabriel Bonfim, and CJ Vergara, as the four fighters who declined to opt into a pre-fight non-disclosure agreement.
Athletes who competed on the July 29 card in Salt Lake City were given the option by the the Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission (PSUAC) to make their purse amounts publicly accessible, as revealed by manager Alex Davis on July 28, following official weigh-ins.
Previously, fighter purse information had been released as public record. Though PSUAC executive director Scott Bowler initially declined to provide the information to MMA Junkie after UFC 278 in August 2022, it was eventually provided.
After a recent request for UFC 291 fighters’ purses, Bowler, who also serves as vice president of the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC), explained the change in a written response letter to MMA Junkie and called the information “trade secrets.”
“The athletes… have expressed valid concerns regarding the public disclosure of the compensation amount in bout agreements because public disclosure of their purse amounts will negatively impact their individual ability to negotiate compensation or purse amounts for future events,” Bowler wrote. ”
You can read Bowler’s full response here.
Scroll below to see the salaries for the four athletes who declined to sign the waiver and how much they pocketed for their wins.
CJ Vergara: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus) for win over Vinicius Salvador
Gabriel Bonfim: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) for win over Trevin Giles
Kevin Holland: $357,000 (includes $178,000 win bonus) for win over Michael Chiesa
Bobby Green: $300,000 (includes $150,000 win bonus) for win over Tony Ferguson
