Mar 19, 2022; London, UK; Dan Hooker (blue gloves) before his fight against Arnold Allen during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC Qatar Payouts – How Much Did Arman Tsarukyan, Dan Hooker And Others Make?

Mar 19, 2022; London, UK; Dan Hooker (blue gloves) before his fight against Arnold Allen during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Fighter pay remains one of the most debated topics in MMA constantly. Boxers often earn significantly more for comparable level fights and audiences. The UFC keeps most financial details private from public scrutiny. Only certain athletic commissions require full disclosure of purses paid. This leaves fans guessing about what their favorite fighters actually take home.

International fight cards complicate things even further with different regulations. Qatar doesn’t have the same disclosure requirements as Nevada or California. The UFC uses a Fight Week Incentive Pay system for promotional activities. These tier-based payments supplement base purses for various fighters on cards. UFC Qatar payouts reveal interesting details about compensation at different career levels.

UFC Qatar Estimated Payouts

Arman Tsarukyan entered UFC Qatar as the number one lightweight contender. His base salary has hovered around $90,000 per fight historically. But the Armenian has consistently boosted his earnings through performance bonuses.. At UFC 300, his confirmed purse reportedly sat around $200,000. That figure excluded win bonuses and Dana White’s special three hundred thousand event bonus.

For UFC Qatar, considering everything together, estimates put his total around $300,000 excluding bonuses. But the UFC awarded him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for his submission finish. That brings his total closer to $350,000.

Dan Hooker came in as one of the highest-paid athletes on the entire card. He had earned $340,000 against Jalin Turner previously. All factors considered, Hooker walked away with approximately $300,000. Not bad for a losing effort against a top contender honestly.

Belal Muhammad made just over a million dollars for his title defense against Leon Edwards. But losing the belt to Jack Della Maddalena surely dropped those numbers significantly. For his fight against Ian Garry, estimates put Muhammad around $200,000 – $300,000. Ian Garry’s purse likely sat somewhere around $600,000. Beating a former champion solidified his position for a title shot next.

UFC Qatar Bonuses

The promotion handed out four Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Qatar worth $50,000 each. Besides Tsarukyan, Waldo Cortes-Acosta earned his bonus for the devastating first-round knockout of Shamil Gaziev. The Dominican heavyweight stepped in on incredibly short notice and delivered spectacularly.

Bringing back a bonus 🫡@ArmanUFC, @WaldoCortesUFC, @Kyoji1012, @LukeRileyMMA all earned a #UFCQatar POTN victory! pic.twitter.com/dmua69wrs4
— UFC (@ufc) November 22, 2025

Kyoji Horiguchi collected his $50,000 for the submission victory against Tagir Ulanbekov in his UFC return. Luke Riley grabbed the fourth bonus with his explosive knockout debut against Bogdan Grad.

(Image Credit: Per Haljestam – Imagn Images)

Arman Tsarukyan

Belal Muhammad

Dan Hooker

Ian Garry

Kyoji Horiguchi

Luke Riley

UFC Qatar

Waldo Cortes-Acosta

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!