Jul 22, 2023; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Tom Aspinall (red gloves) reacts to defeating Marcin Tybura (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC 321 Payouts – How Much Did Tom Aspinall, Cyril Gane, Mackenzie Dern And Others Make?

Jul 22, 2023; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Tom Aspinall (red gloves) reacts to defeating Marcin Tybura (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Fighter pay always sparks heated debates among fans and media members throughout the combat sports world. The UFC rarely publishes complete purse information for international events held outside the United States. This secrecy creates speculation about what fighters actually earn for risking their health inside the octagon. UFC 321 took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 25th with major stakes. Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane ended in disappointment after a No Contest verdict. Mackenzie Dern battled and won against Virna Jandiroba for the vacant strawweight title in the co-main event slot.

Both title fights carried significant financial implications beyond just championship glory and ranking positions. Past purse disclosures and credible projections help paint a picture of what fighters earned Saturday night. From multi-million dollar main eventers to undercard veterans grinding for six-figure paydays, everyone showed up to cash in.

UFC 321 Estimated Payouts

Tom Aspinall entered UFC 321 with serious momentum and strong negotiating leverage as the champion. Credible estimates suggested he could earn between $1.5 to $2 million for this title defense. That projection assumed a modest pay-per-view performance. Aspinall reportedly made around $682,000 for his interim title win at UFC 295. His UFC 304 payday reached approximately $1.9 million when including bonuses and other compensation sources.

All eyes on Abu Dhabi 👀

Watch #UFC321 LIVE on @ESPN PPV at 2pmET!

[ B2YB @Hspecialsurgery | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/YDA9VpPJSb
— UFC (@ufc) October 25, 2025

The British champion sounded confident during fight week about delivering a special performance worth the investment. Unfortunately, an accidental eye poke at 4:35 of round one ended everything prematurely. The fight was declared a no contest, leaving both fighters and fans completely disappointed. Whether Aspinall still receives his full purse despite the unfortunate ending remains unclear at this time.

Ciryl Gane came in as the challenger without a publicly known guaranteed purse figure for this bout. His earning potential would be around $800,000 to $1 million if he secured the victory. That estimate included his base guarantee plus potential win bonuses and pay-per-view revenue shares. Gane previously made approximately $500,000 for his first heavyweight title shot against Francis Ngannou at UFC 270.

Projections suggested Dern could earn around $550,000 for winning the title when including pay-per-view shares. That represents a career-high payday for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion. Jandiroba, despite being the lesser-known name between the two, likely secured a solid mid-six-figure purse.

Beyond the two title fights, several main card fighters earned substantial six-figure guarantees for their performances. These include the likes of Umar Nurmagomedov, Alexander and Jailton Almeida. The preliminary card featured fighters earning varying amounts based on contract terms negotiated. Some athletes on the early prelims might have earned as little as $12,000 to show and $12,000 to win.

UFC 321 Bonuses

The UFC rewarded two spectacular finishes at UFC 321 with $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses. Quillan Salkilld earned his bonus with one of the nastiest head kick knockouts fans will ever witness. The Australian caught Nasrat Haqparast flush with a perfectly timed right head kick at 2:30 of round one. Haqparast was knocked completely unconscious before he even hit the canvas.

A couple crazy finishes tonight 😮‍💨

Quillan Salkilld & Valter Walker take home a #UFC321 POTN bonus!

[ B2YB @PrimeHydrate ] pic.twitter.com/2TX4RlmYrI
— UFC (@ufc) October 25, 2025

Valter Walker continued his incredible finishing streak as he submitted Louie Sutherland with a heel hook at just 1:24 of the first round. This marked Walker’s fourth consecutive UFC victory, and incredibly, all four have come by first-round heel hook submission.

THESE TWO ALWAYS BRING THE FIGHT 😎

Ludovit Klein & Mateusz Rebecki each get a FOTN bonus from #UFC321

[ B2YB @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/v6BkJo5MK2
— UFC (@ufc) October 25, 2025

Ludovit Klein vs Mateusz Rebecki got the fight of the night bonus for their incridible action filled performance. They each also earned $50,000.

(Image Credit: Per Haljestam – Imagn Images)

Ciryl Gane

Mackenzie Dern

Mario Bautista

Quillan Salkilld

Tom Aspinall

UFC 321

Umar Nurmagomedov

Valter Walker

Virna Jandiroba

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!