From Joanna Jędrzejczyk to $3.5 million per fight: the meteoric rise of women’s earnings in the UFC

Twelve years ago, when she first stepped into the UFC octagon, Joanna Jędrzejczyk could never have imagined that her earnings might one day be surpassed by those of a mere rookie. Yet today, a dominant female fighter can sign a contract worth $3.5 million per fight—a figure that would have seemed unreal in 2012, when the Polish star made her debut in the organization.
“At the start of my career, my paychecks were a fraction of what the new generation earns,” she admits. Indeed, her early contracts barely exceeded a few tens of thousands of dollars, whereas a rookie like Erin Blanchfield or Cheyanne Vlismas can now negotiate guarantees far higher than her cumulative earnings from her biggest fights.
The explosion in earnings is largely due to the end of the pay-per-view system, which redistributed wealth. Before 2020, bonuses heavily depended on PPV sales, leaving little room for athletes outside of marquee bouts. Now, the UFC guarantees much higher fixed amounts, even for less publicized fights. This change has allowed fighters like Zhang Weili or Valentina Shevchenko to build financially sustainable careers without relying on a single event.
However, this revolution has a downside: inequalities persist. While top female stars benefit from this windfall, less exposed fighters still struggle to make a decent living from the sport. Jędrzejczyk, whose reign from 2015 to 2017 remains etched in history, earned less than $2 million for five title defenses—a record at the time, but a paltry sum compared to today’s standards.
As the UFC continues to dominate global MMA, one question arises: will this exponential growth in earnings ever benefit all athletes, or will it remain the privilege of an elite few? One thing is certain: the organization has undeniably transformed the financial landscape of women’s MMA.