The anticipation is palpable for this weekend’s UFC 307. Two title fights take center stage that could very well shape the division for the long haul. Raquel Pennington meets former champ Julianna Pena in the pay-per-view co-headliner.
Alex Pereira vs Khalil Rountree is the top bill last fight of the night and has been gaining attention as such. But the feature co-mains on the PPV card (10 p.m. ET; 8 p.m. ET for prelims) is no less palpable. The co-main event fighters from UFC 307 faced off for the first time on Thursday after the pre-fight media day conference. It’s a clash passively brewing since the women shared the spotlight at “The Ultimate Fighter” – ‘TUF: Season 18’ Reality TV series.
UFC purses and prize money vary at events. The UFC 300’s purse was far higher than recent cards. Given the size of the event and the names UFC CEO Dana White had on the bill, the full Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaled $460,000 without even incentives. Thematic bonuses stretch it over a few million. While full commission payouts are hardly public anymore, the UFC 307 could equate to well over $3 million. ‘Rocky’ and her challenger will be big parts of that.
Salary of Raquel Pennington at UFC 307
Women’s bantamweight champion Raquel ‘Rocky’ Pennington makes a first defense against former titleholder Julianna Pena. Her UFC 307 co-main event payout could see her bank a big purse again. The Team Altitude MMA orthodox has built quite a body of work.
Pennington was one of the highest-paid fighters on the card at UFC 297 when she won the 135-pound title. She earned an estimated $290,000 when she last competed, and is expected to take home a similar or higher payday at UFC 307. Pennington, 35, comes into the foray riding a six-fight winning streak. She won the vacant title by defeating Mayra Bueno Silva in January. ‘Venezuelan Vixen’, meanwhile, hasn’t fought since losing the belt in 2022.
‘Rocky’ can earn a starter over $500,000 including a $100,000 guaranteed win bonus and $42,000 sponsorship for entering as champ. This is per the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which include payouts from outfitting requirements, media obligations, and royalty payments from merch sold. Her total purse can max out at $1.8m based on PPV revenue share.
Salary of Julianna Pena at UFC 307
For a card of the caliber of UFC 307, the bantamweight ‘Vixen’ will also hold a top spot. The former champ Julianna Pena (11-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is infamous for her upset over G.O.A.T. of WMMA Amanda Nunes. It was an MMA equivalent of the “Douglas/Tyson” moment which saw her win an estimated $332,000 as a show money purse. Consequently, per MMA Salaries, she also won a fight bonus against Nunes at UFC 277.
Julianna Pena can cause another high-earning upset at UFC 307 (Source: threads.net › @ufc)Pena will earn $400,000 in guaranteed money from the fight. This also includes guaranteed show money and Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay of $32K. It will also have PPV money and potential bonuses.
In her two-year layoff, Julianna Pena has not taken a liking to where ‘Rocky’ has put the division. Hence, she has all the motivation to change that and be a better brand champion. Should she win at Saturday’s UFC 307 (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews) co-mains, her purse would easily be nearer to the $500,000 – $700,000 bracket.
