UFC Fresno salaries: Marlon Moraes cashes $146,000 for second UFC win in a month

Former WSOF bantamweight champion Marlon Moraes handily led the disclosed payroll for UFC Fresno, earning $146,000 for his highlight-reel knockout of Aljamain Sterling on Saturday night. The California State Athletic Commission released the event’s finalized salary information Wednesday to MMA Fighting.

Moraes defeated Sterling with a thunderous, ‘Knockout of the Year’ candidate knee-to-the-head in just 67 seconds on the night’s main card. The win was Moraes’ second over the past month, marking a quick turnaround after his Nov. 11 victory over John Dodson. By contrast, Sterling earned $36,000 in the losing effort.

UFC Fresno took place Dec. 9 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. The night’s main card aired live on FOX Sports 1.

No other fighter on the card except Moraes cleared the six-figure mark in salary earnings. The closest was longtime featherweight contender Cub Swanson, who earned $76,000 for his submission loss to Brian Ortega in the night’s main event.

In addition to their commission-reported salaries, Moraes, Ortega (x2), and Swanson also took home $50,000 fight night bonuses for their performances.

A complete list of the UFC Fresno salaries can be seen below. As always, these figures do not represent a fighter’s total earnings, as certain sponsorship incomes or discretionary bonuses are not publicly disclosed.

Main Card (FOX Sports 1)
Brian Ortega ($29,000 + $29,000 = $58,000) def. Cub Swanson ($76,000)
Gabriel Benitez ($14,000 + $14,000 = $28,000) def. Jason Knight ($31,000)
Marlon Moraes ($73,000 + $73,000 = $146,000) def. Aljamain Sterling ($36,000)
Scott Holtzman ($20,000 + $20,000 = $40,000) def. Darrell Horcher ($15,000)
Eryk Anders ($14,000 + $14,000 = $28,000) def. Markus Perez ($12,000)
Benito Lopez ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Albert Morales ($15,000)

Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1)
Alexis Davis ($32,000 + $32,000 = $64,000) def. Liz Carmouche ($30,000)
Andre Soukhamthath ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Luke Sanders ($12,000)
Alex Perez ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Carls John de Tomas ($10,000)
Frankie Saenz ($20,000 + $20,000 = $40,000) def. Merab Dvalishvili ($10,000)

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Alejandro Perez ($23,000 + $23,000 = $46,000) def. Iuri Alcantara ($39,000)
Davi Ramos ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Chris Gruetzemacher ($12,000)
Trevin Giles ($14,000 + $14,000 = $28,000) def. Antonio Braga Neto ($10,000)