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News, Blog and GuidesVeteran fighter Thiago Santos will take on Magomed Ankalaev in a light heavyweight bout this Saturday for UFC Fight Night. How much is the Brazilian worth?
Gidget AlikpalaG_AlikpalaUpdate: Mar 10th, 2022 14:15 EST
Brazilian fighter Thiago Santos will go head to head with Magomed Ankalaev in a light heavyweight match where he will try to put an end to the Russian’s impressive undefeated streak.
With the losing skid behind him, Thiago Santos turns his attention to proving he's title worthy. 🏆#UFCVegas50 | More: https://t.co/jZzJa2G0du pic.twitter.com/VwjToA2jaS
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) March 9, 2022
Nicknamed ‘Marreta’ (or Sledgehammer), Santos has been described as one of the best fighters the light heavyweight division has ever had. What financial success has he achieved as a mixed martial artist?
How much was Thiago Santos’ first paycheck?
The 38-year-old started his career as a UFC fighter in August 2013, when he made his debut against Cezar Ferreira. He suffered a loss by submission in the very first round. His salary for that first match was $8,000.
The Brazilian then earned his first victory against Ronny Markes in 2014, in his second fight with the organization. He won via TKO in the first round, and his salary was nudged up to $9,600.
His pay went up slowly but surely the more he fought, win or lose. His received his first substantial purse in 2015, when he went up against Steve Bossé in UFC Fight Night. Santos won the match by knockout in the first round, and though his salary for the night was only $16,000, he bagged the Performance of the Night bonus of $50,000. On top of the win bonus and incentive pay, Santos took home a total of $97,000.
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How much was Thiago Santos’ biggest paycheck?
The Rio de Janeiro native hit pay dirt when he challenged Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2019. He lost via split decision but still pocketed $380,000 for his efforts. That is his largest paycheck to date.
After 31 fights, Santos’ record currently stands at 22-9. The official total pay for fighters is not easily available to the public, but we can make computations drawn from some officially released numbers.
