Harry Hunsucker – Syndication Server

UFC 278 salaries: Kamaru Usman, Jose Aldo top list of disclosed payouts

Former champions Kamaru Usman and Jose Aldo lead the way with six-figure paydays in Utah.

UFC 278 payouts have been released by the overseeing commissioning body.

Wednesday, MMA Junkie received a list of disclosed earnings from Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission head Scott Bowler, which oversaw the Aug. 20 pay-per-view event in Salt Lake City.

Atop the list of payouts is former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag], who pocketed $500,000 for his head kick knockout loss to [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]. Edwards earned $350,000 with his upset victory.

Co-headliner winner [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] earned $130,000 for his win over [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag], who earned $200,000. Rockhold openly criticized fighter pay in the lead-up to the bout.

Former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] took home $400,000 for a loss to [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag], who earned $198,000.

Heavyweight [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag] also pocketed $240,000 for his win over [autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag] ($36,000) on the prelims.

Scroll below to see a full list of payouts. It’s important to note the figures only represent the disclosed pursues. Performance bonuses, locker room bonuses, and additional compliance bonuses are not included.

UFC 278 post-event facts: Leon Edwards’ last-minute knockout enters record book

Leon Edwards’ knockout of Kamaru Usman was one of the latest finishes in the history of UFC championship fights.

The UFC’s ninth pay-per-view event of the year took place Saturday with UFC 278 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

The main event saw a new champion crowd, with [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) scoring a fifth-round knockout of [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) to claim the welterweight title, making history in the process.

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 278.

UFC 278 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Luke Rockhold nets $11,000 in farewell fight

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 278 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $226,000.

SALT LAKE CITY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 278 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $226,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 278 took place at Vivint Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 278 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili [/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Wu Yanan[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Harry Hunsucker[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: $4,500
vs. [autotag]Luis Saldana[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ange Loosa[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]A.J. Fletcher[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Francisco Figueiredo[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Aori Qileng[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jay Perrin[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Victor Altamirano[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Daniel da Silva[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

“UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2” – $226,000
“UFC on ESPN 41: Vera vs. Cruz” – $195,000
“UFC on ESPN 40: Santos vs. Hill” – $140,000
“UFC 277: Peña vs. Nunes 2” – $313,500
“UFC Fight Night 208: Blaydes vs. Aspinall” – $179,000
“UFC on ABC 3: Ortega vs. Rodriguez” – $179,000
“UFC on ESPN 39: Dos Anjos vs. Fiziev” – $157,500
“UFC 276: Adesanya vs. Cannonier” – $362,500
“UFC on ESPN 38: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot” – $140,500
“UFC on ESPN 37: Kattar vs. Emmett” – $189,000
“UFC 275: Teixeira vs. Prochazka” – $258,000
“UFC Fight Night 207: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik” – $149,000
“UFC Fight Night 206: Holm vs. Vieira” – $127,000
“UFC on ESPN 36: Blachowicz vs. Rakic” – $173,000
“UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje” – $320,000
“UFC on ESPN 35: Font vs. Vera” – $197,500
“UFC Fight Night 205: Lemos vs. Andrade” – $149,500
“UFC on ESPN 34: Luque vs. Muhammad 2” – $159,000
“UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie” – $293,500
“UFC on ESPN 33: Blaydes vs. Daukaus” – $186,500
“UFC Fight Night 204: Volkov vs. Aspinall” – $154,500
“UFC Fight Night 203: Santos vs. Ankalaev” – $198,000
“UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal” – $236,000
“UFC Fight Night 202: Makhachev vs. Green” – $138,000
“UFC Fight Night 201: Walker vs. Hill” – $140,000
“UFC 271: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2” – $282,500
“UFC Fight Night 200: Hermansson vs. Strickland” – $160,500
“UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane” – $241,000
“UFC on ESPN 32: Kattar vs. Chikadze” – $132,000

Year-to-date total: $5,814,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $11,981,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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Tyson Pedro def. Harry Hunsucker at UFC 278: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Tyson Pedro’s first-round TKO win over Harry Hunsucker at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag]’s first-round TKO win over [autotag]Harry Hunsucker[/autotag] at UFC 278 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. (Photos by Jeffrey Swinger, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC 278 predictions: Who are our three unanimous picks in Salt Lake City?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 278 main card, featuring Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards and Paulo Costa vs. Luke Rockhold.

	Usman vs. Edwards	Costa vs. Rockhold	Aldo vs. Dvalishvili	Pudilova vs. Yanan	Hunsucker vs. Pedro
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 134-86	Usman (71%)	Costa (73%)	Aldo (63%)	Pudilova (67%)	Pedro (92%)
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 149-76 2018 Champion	Usman	Costa	Aldo	Pudilova	Pedro
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 143-82	Usman	Costa	Aldo	Pudilova	Pedro
Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 141-84 2014 Champion	Usman	Costa	Dvalishvili	Pudilova	Pedro
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 139-86	Usman	Costa	Aldo	Pudilova	Pedro
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 135-90	Usman	Costa	Aldo	Pudilova	Pedro
Simon Samano @SJSamano 135-90	Usman	Costa	Dvalishvili	Pudilova	Pedro
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 134-91	Usman	Rockhold	Dvalishvili	Pudilova	Pedro
Nolan King @mma_kings 132-93	Usman	Costa	Aldo	Pudilova	Pedro
Brian Garcia @thegoze 130-95 2017 Champion	Usman	Rockhold	Dvalishvili	Pudilova	Pedro
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 122-103	Usman	Rockhold	Aldo	Pudilova	Pedro
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 107-118	Usman	Costa	Aldo	Pudilova	Pedro

The UFC has touched down in Utah this week and the welterweight title is on the line at the top of the bill.

UFC 278 takes place Saturday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

The main event features a highly anticipated rematch between welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) and [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC). The two first fought in December 2015 in Usman’s first fight after winning Season 21 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Usman won a unanimous decision. Usman is a big -370 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Edwards is +265. All of our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Usman to defend his title yet again. He’s one of three unanimous picks on the main card.

The co-main event features the return of former middleweight champ [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC), who will be fighting for the first time in more than three years when he meets [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC). Costa is a -380 favorite at the betting window, but he’s not a unanimous pick. Still, he has a big 8-3 lead in our picks.

Also on the main card, former featherweight champ [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (31-7 MMA, 13-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) at bantamweight. Although Dvalishvili is a -140 favorite, it’s Aldo who has a 7-4 picks lead.

[autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 2-5 UFC) is just a slight -125 favorite in her women’s bantamweight bout against [autotag]Wu Yanan[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 1-4 UFC), but she’s one of our three unanimous picks despite the closest odds on the entire 12-fight event.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) is the event’s biggest betting favorite at 8-1. Not surprisingly, he is a unanimous pick from our staff members in his light heavyweight bout against [autotag]Harry Hunsucker[/autotag] (7-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC).

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Usman (71 percent), Costa (73 percent), Aldo (63 percent), Pudilova (67 percent) and Pedro (92 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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Harry Hunsucker baffled by matchup with Tyson Pedro – another Australian – at UFC 278

Harry Hunsucker finds it funny that the UFC keeps matching him up against fighters from Australia or New Zealand.

SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Harry Hunsucker[/autotag] finds it funny that the UFC keeps matching him up against fighters from the Australasia area.

Hunsucker (7-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) meets [autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag] in Saturday’s UFC 278 main card opener at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Australia’s Pedro (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) will be the third fighter Hunsucker will fight from that region. The Kentucky native dropped his first two UFC fights to Tai Tuivasa and Justin Tafa.

“Man, they’re all tough fights,” Hunsucker told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at Wednesday’s UFC 278 media day. “If you end up here, every fight you’re going to get in is tough. It’s obviously a tough matchup. I don’t know what Australia and New Zealand (have) got against me, but I’m not the man to say no. If anybody’s known me my whole life, I’m not the guy to say no to anything. I step up any time they ask me. I’ve never said no, and you can ask Mick Maynard that. I’ve never said no, no matter the case, so it is what it is.

“I just want to know what the hell is going on, man. We couldn’t get anybody else? Australia is the only place they could find me a fight from? Again, it is what it is. It doesn’t matter who they are or who they’re from, I’ve never said no to a fight my whole life.”

Despite losing his first two octagon bouts and in the search of his first UFC win Saturday, Hunsucker isn’t feeling any pressure.

“I don’t care,” Hunsucker said. “It doesn’t matter, at the end of the day. I’m going to come out, put on my best performance that you guys have ever seen me, and I’m going to shock the world – I promise you.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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5 fights added to UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, headlined by Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards 2

Check out the up-to-date UFC 278 lineup including five new additions to the Aug. 20 card in Salt Lake City.

Previously announced, welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) will defend his title against top contender [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in a rematch of their December 2015 clash.

Also on the card, former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (31-7 MMA, 21-6 UFC) battles [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and middleweights [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] square off in a long-awaited matchup.

Monday, the promotion officially announced 12 fights are set for the event. Five of the fights were not previously reported. Scroll below to see the new additions followed by the official lineup.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (June 13-19)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from June 13-19.

Tyson Pedro booked for UFC 278 return vs. Harry Hunsucker in Salt Lake City

At UFC 278, Tyson Pedro will welcome Harry Hunsucker to the light heavyweight division.

A light heavyweight matchup is headed to Salt Lake City.

At UFC 278, [autotag]Harry Hunsucker[/autotag] (7-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) will drop down a weight class to fight [autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) in a three-round light heavyweight bout. The event takes place Aug. 20 at Vivint Arena.

Two people with knowledge of the booking recently confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Hunsucker, 33, seeks his first UFC win in his third attempt. His first two promotional appearances were at heavyweight. After a knockout loss to Tai Tuivasa, Hunsucker was finished again, this time by a Justin Tafa head kick. Hunsucker has competed as a light heavyweight before, but not since his amateur days.

Pedro, 30, returned from a layoff of more than three years in April when he finished Ike Villanueva with strikes in Round 1. The win snapped a two-fight skid for Pedro, whose most recent win prior was in February 2018.

With the addition, the UFC 278 lineup includes:

Champion Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards
Paulo Costa vs. Luke Rockhold
Luis Saldana vs. Sean Woodson
Qileng Aori vs. Jay Perrin
Victor Altamirano vs. Jake Hadley
Harry Hunsucker vs. Tyson Pedro

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