No official fighter-level purse has been published for Dricus du Plessis or Sean Strickland at UFC 312. The figures in circulation are media estimates. Sporty Salaries put du Plessis’s show pay at $750,000 and Strickland’s at $500,000 in 2025, while The SportsRush reported Strickland’s base pay at $1 million. Those numbers conflict, and none should be treated as a confirmed salary or a payout the fighter actually received.
Why there is no official purse for this fight
Fight pay in the UFC is set in private contracts between the promotion and each athlete. The UFC does not publish individual purses for bouts, and the reporting we reviewed did not turn up a fighter-by-fighter commission filing or a UFC salary announcement for either headliner. That absence is a limit of the available reporting, not proof that no record exists. What it means for a reader is simple: anything you see with a precise dollar figure next to these names is an estimate by a publication, not a number from the fighter, the UFC or a regulator.
The reported figures
| Fighter | Reported figure | What the figure represents | Publisher and date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dricus du Plessis | $750,000 | Estimated show pay | Sporty Salaries, 2025 | Estimate |
| Dricus du Plessis | About $2 million | Projected pay-per-view share | Sporty Salaries, 2025 | Conditional projection |
| Dricus du Plessis | $2.89 million | Projected total | Sporty Salaries, 2025 | Projection; components not itemized |
| Sean Strickland | $500,000 | Estimated show pay | Sporty Salaries, 2025 | Estimate; conflicts with the $1 million figure below |
| Sean Strickland | $850,000 | Projected pay-per-view share | Sporty Salaries, 2025 | Conditional projection |
| Sean Strickland | $1.38 million | Projected total | Sporty Salaries, 2025 | Projection; components not itemized |
| Sean Strickland | $1 million | Reported base pay | The SportsRush, 2025 | Media report; not a UFC or commission disclosure |
| Sean Strickland | $32,000 | Reported sponsorship amount | The SportsRush, 2025 | Media report; win bonus not stated |
Why the numbers do not add up cleanly
The projected totals are larger than the sum of their listed parts. For du Plessis, $750,000 plus about $2 million in projected pay-per-view share comes to roughly $2.75 million, and the reported total is $2.89 million. For Strickland, $500,000 plus $850,000 comes to $1.35 million against a reported total of $1.38 million. The difference is presumably other amounts, but the source does not itemize them, so you cannot check them.
The two Strickland figures are the bigger problem. Sporty Salaries uses $500,000 for his show pay. The SportsRush reports $1 million as his base pay. These could reflect different definitions of base pay, different contracts or simple reporting error. Nothing in the reporting resolves the gap, so the honest reading is that Strickland’s base pay for this bout is uncertain within a range of $500,000 to $1 million, by media estimate.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- 7OZ HYBRID SPARRING GLOVE FOR VERSATILE TRAINING– Want one glove to master each discipline? The RDX 7oz Hybrid MMA gloves deliver boxing-style impact protection with MMA-style mobility in one sparring glove. The ergonomically designed Quadro-dome punch padding disperses impact while the open-palm, fingerless design enhances grip and control while grappling in MMA, Muay-Thai or BJJ. Add to this a sturdy wrist support strap and you've got one hybrid punching glove to conquer each sport!
- QUADRO DOME PUNCH PADDING FOR IMPACT DISPERSION– Worried about your fists and thumb while punching and striking? The RDX 7oz MMA sparring gloves feature innovative Quadro dome punch padding that blends multiple layers of foam, creating a formidable shield for your hands, and an innovative padded thumb. These layers work together to form one impact-dispersing surface that saves your fist and thumb from impacts due to powerful crosses, jabs and uppercuts! Strike harder and faster with RDX
- ERGONOMIC PRE‑CURVED SHAPE FOR NATURAL HAND FLOW– Tired of unyielding gloves that restrict movement? The RDX MMA bag workout gloves feature a segmented pre‑curved design that follows your natural hand shape for an ergonomic fit. Each foam segment flexes individually allowing natural hand movements without it feeling bulky or stiff. Add subtle, innovative touches like maya hide finger loops and you get a glove engineered to bend with your hand! Step-up your game with MMA gloves that move with you
- 52CM TRIPLE-LOCK STRAP FOR WRIST SUPPORT– Do your gloves slip no matter how tight you wear them? RDX MMA training and fighting gloves feature a 52CM long triple-lock closure strap with three hook-and-loop patches. This strap wraps around your wrist for a secure fit while providing rock solid wrist support. This innovative strap design lets you fine-tune the fit and then locks your wrist and sparring glove in place through every punch and grapple.
- OPEN PALM DESIGN FOR SEAMLESS STRIKING AND GRAPPLING– Need freedom to switch from grappling to striking on the go? Our MMA grappling gloves are built with an innovative open-palm and fingerless design that enhances your grip during clinch control and ground work. This flexible design allows you to open and close your fist easily making it ideal for shifting between striking and grappling. Equip yourself with RDX MMA fingerless gloves and dominate the cage with RDX!
What each component means
Show pay
Show pay is the guaranteed amount a fighter receives for competing, regardless of the result. It is the most stable component and the one most likely to be reflected in a contract. Even so, it is an estimate here because neither fighter has disclosed it.
Win bonuses
Win bonuses are paid on top of show pay if the fighter wins, and performance bonuses may be paid separately. No win bonus figure for either fighter appears in the reporting we reviewed, so any total that includes one should be treated as unverified.
Rank #2
- 7OZ HYBRID SPARRING GLOVE FOR VERSATILE TRAINING– Want one glove to master each discipline? The RDX 7oz Hybrid MMA gloves deliver boxing-style impact protection with MMA-style mobility in one sparring glove. The ergonomically designed Quadro-dome punch padding disperses impact while the open-palm, fingerless design enhances grip and control while grappling in MMA, Muay-Thai or BJJ. Add to this a sturdy wrist support strap and you've got one hybrid punching glove to conquer each sport!
- QUADRO DOME PUNCH PADDING FOR IMPACT DISPERSION– Worried about your fists and thumb while punching and striking? The RDX 7oz MMA sparring gloves feature innovative Quadro dome punch padding that blends multiple layers of foam, creating a formidable shield for your hands, and an innovative padded thumb. These layers work together to form one impact-dispersing surface that saves your fist and thumb from impacts due to powerful crosses, jabs and uppercuts! Strike harder and faster with RDX
- ERGONOMIC PRE‑CURVED SHAPE FOR NATURAL HAND FLOW– Tired of unyielding gloves that restrict movement? The RDX MMA bag workout gloves feature a segmented pre‑curved design that follows your natural hand shape for an ergonomic fit. Each foam segment flexes individually allowing natural hand movements without it feeling bulky or stiff. Add subtle, innovative touches like maya hide finger loops and you get a glove engineered to bend with your hand! Step-up your game with MMA gloves that move with you
- 52CM TRIPLE-LOCK STRAP FOR WRIST SUPPORT– Do your gloves slip no matter how tight you wear them? RDX MMA training and fighting gloves feature a 52CM long triple-lock closure strap with three hook-and-loop patches. This strap wraps around your wrist for a secure fit while providing rock solid wrist support. This innovative strap design lets you fine-tune the fit and then locks your wrist and sparring glove in place through every punch and grapple.
- OPEN PALM DESIGN FOR SEAMLESS STRIKING AND GRAPPLING– Need freedom to switch from grappling to striking on the go? Our MMA grappling gloves are built with an innovative open-palm and fingerless design that enhances your grip during clinch control and ground work. This flexible design allows you to open and close your fist easily making it ideal for shifting between striking and grappling. Equip yourself with RDX MMA fingerless gloves and dominate the cage with RDX!
Pay-per-view share
Headliners can earn a share of revenue from pay-per-view buys, which depends on how many purchases the event generates. Because that revenue is not known until after the event, a figure like “about $2 million” is a projection. A fighter’s actual PPV income can be higher or lower than the projection, and it may be paid on a schedule that differs from show pay.
Sponsorship payments
Fighters often receive sponsorship money tied to their appearance or their own sponsor deals. The $32,000 sponsorship amount reported for Strickland is a single media figure and is not described as a UFC disclosure.
Rank #3
- Versatile MMA Gloves: Suitable for sparring, grappling, punching bag, Muay Thai training, and other combat sports.
- Hybrid Open Palm Design: Allows for secure grip during grappling while protecting the knuckles during strikes.
- Excellent Leather Construction: Enduring and long-lasting leather material for superior performance.
- Wrist Support: Reinforced wrist support provides stability and injury prevention during intense training.
- Unisex Sizing: Available in various sizes to accommodate both men and women fighters.
Event-wide economics are a different number
The UFC’s retrospective impact report for UFC 312 put event gate revenue at $12.3 million AUD and event-wide salaries and wages at $16.9 million AUD. Those totals cover the whole card, its staff and the wider economic footprint. They are not the purses of the two headliners and cannot be divided to estimate their pay.
The result is verified
The official scorecards record Dricus du Plessis winning the middleweight title rematch against Sean Strickland by unanimous decision, 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46. That outcome is settled. The pay estimates should be read separately from it, because a show-pay figure is paid whatever the result, while bonuses and PPV-linked income depend on performance and how the event sells.
Rank #4
- SETTING THE STANDARD: Venum Challenger MMA Sparring Gloves deliver truly excellent value for beginner to intermediate athletes who train 3-4 times a week.
- DURABLE SYNTHETIC LEATHER WITH HIGH-QUALITY STITCHING: Designed for sparring and training, these gloves are made with tough synthetic leather and reinforced stitching to withstand regular use.
- ERGONOMIC DESIGN WITH IMPROVED HAND MOBILITY: Features a pre-curved shape and open palm design that allow for a natural hand position and enhanced grip during grappling and striking.
- MULTI-LAYER FOAM PADDING FOR IMPACT PROTECTION: Equipped with layered foam to effectively absorb and disperse shock, protecting your knuckles and wrists from injury during sparring.
- STRONG HOOK & LOOP WRIST CLOSURE FOR SECURE FIT AND SUPPORT: The wide adjustable hook and loop strap offers excellent wrist stability, reducing the risk of sprains and ensuring a snug fit.
How to read a fighter pay claim
- Check the label. “Estimated,” “projected,” “reported base pay” and “official purse” mean very different things. Only a figure that a named party has confirmed should be called official.
- Check whether the total is itemized. If the components do not add up to the total, the difference is unexplained.
- Check the date and publisher. Both estimates here were published in 2025, after the event, and they come from different outlets with different methods.
- Check whether a figure is gross. Estimates do not show taxes, manager commissions, training costs or other deductions, so none of these numbers is a take-home amount.
- Check whether a figure is conditional. PPV shares and bonuses depend on outcomes and sales that are not known in advance.
If you are comparing the two fighters, compare the type of figure first. Show pay for du Plessis ($750,000) and for Strickland ($500,000 or $1 million, depending on the report) are the only directly comparable base numbers, and even they rest on estimates from different sources.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- SETTING THE STANDARD: Venum Challenger MMA Sparring Gloves deliver truly excellent value for beginner to intermediate athletes who train 3-4 times a week.
- DURABLE SYNTHETIC LEATHER WITH HIGH-QUALITY STITCHING: Designed for sparring and training, these gloves are made with tough synthetic leather and reinforced stitching to withstand regular use.
- ERGONOMIC DESIGN WITH IMPROVED HAND MOBILITY: Features a pre-curved shape and open palm design that allow for a natural hand position and enhanced grip during grappling and striking.
- MULTI-LAYER FOAM PADDING FOR IMPACT PROTECTION: Equipped with layered foam to effectively absorb and disperse shock, protecting your knuckles and wrists from injury during sparring.
- STRONG HOOK & LOOP WRIST CLOSURE FOR SECURE FIT AND SUPPORT: The wide adjustable hook and loop strap offers excellent wrist stability, reducing the risk of sprains and ensuring a snug fit.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches
