Diaz Banks Event-High $200,000 Paycheck at UFC 137

Nick Diaz took home $200,000 for his three-round, unanimous decision win over B.J. Penn, making the former Strikeforce welterweight champ the highest-paid fighter on Saturday’s UFC 137 card at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

The 28-year-old Californian was paid a flat $200,000 “show” purse with no win bonus, according to payroll information obtained Monday from the Nevada State Athletic Commission by Sherdog.com.

Along with a trip to the hospital, Penn earned the show’s second-largest paycheck, as the former two-division UFC champ netted $150,000 in defeat.

Co-main event winner Cheick Kongo pulled in $140,000 (including a $70,000 win bonus) for his unanimous nod over the previously unbeaten Matt Mitrione ($10,000). Other top earners from the card included 205-pounder Brandon Vera ($120,000), former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight star Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic ($75,000) and surging lightweight contender Donald Cerrone ($54,000).

The undercard featherweight bout between Bart Palaszewski and Tyson Griffin was changed to a 148-pound catchweight affair when Griffin failed to hit his mark at Friday’s official weigh-ins, an NSAC official confirmed Monday to Sherdog.com. As a result, $8,500 from Griffin’s purse was awarded to Palaszewski.

As always, these figures do not account for taxes, license fees or any other deductions which may be taken from a fighter’s purse, nor do they include any sponsorship money or discretionary “locker room” bonuses which a promoter may issue.

UFC 137 ‘Penn vs. Diaz’ salaries:

Nick Diaz: $200,000

B.J. Penn: $150,000

Cheick Kongo: $140,000
(Includes $70,000 win bonus)

Matt Mitrione: $10,000

Roy Nelson: $40,000
(Includes $20,000 win bonus)

Mirko Filipovic: $75,000

Scott Jorgensen: $33,000
(Includes $16,500 win bonus)

Jeff Curran: $8,000

Hatsu Hioki: $30,000
(Includes $15,000 win bonus)

George Roop: $8,000

Donald Cerrone: $54,000
(Includes $27,000 win bonus)

Dennis Siver: $27,000

Bart Palaszewski: $28,500
(Includes $10,000 win bonus)

Tyson Griffin: $25,500

Brandon Vera: $120,000
(Includes $60,000 win bonus)

Eliot Marshall: $15,000

Ramsey Nijem: $20,000
(Includes $10,000 win bonus)

Daniel Downes: $5,000

Francis Carmont: $12,000
(Includes $6,000 win bonus)

Chris Camozzi: $8,000

Clifford Starks: $12,000
(Includes $6,000 win bonus)

Dustin Jacoby: $6,000