Controversial or not, Jeremy Stephens’ latest win has got him paid.
Stephens knocked out Josh Emmett in devastating fashion in the second round of their 145-pound contest, but not without cause a stir in the process. After flooring Emmett with a left hook and delivering a barrage of elbows, it appeared that “Lil Heathen” may have landed an illegal knee that went unnoticed by referee Dan Miragliotta, sparking instant debate about whether the strike landed or not.
Stephens, the only fighter to crack the six-figure mark on the card, was also awarded a $50,000 performance bonus on fight night on top of his purse. Emmett pulled down a $45,000 purse in defeat.
Other notable earners on the event include former UFC title challenger Jessica Andrade, who cleared $96,000 for her unanimous decision win over Tecia Torress and all-action fighter Alan Jouban netted $80,000 on top of a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus for his second-round knockout of Ben Saunders. Victorious under carders Sam Alvey and Rani Yahya both took home $92,000 for their respective stoppage wins over Marcin Prachnio and Russell Doane.
Note: The disclosed purses reported by state athletic commissions do not include any performance-based or discretionary bonuses that may be awarded to a fighter by the promotion. Additionally, the reported figures do not reflect any deductions made by the commission for taxes, insurance, etc., and do not include any sponsorship money that a fighter may acquire for their performance.
UFC on Fox 28 Salaries:
Jeremy Stephens: $126,000 (includes $63,000 win bonus)
Josh Emmett: $45,000
Jessica Andrade: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus)
Tecia Torres: $36,0000
Ilir Latifi: $66,000 (includes $33,000 win bonus)
Ovince St. Preux: $83,000
Max Griffin: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
Mike Perry: $40,000
Brian Kelleher: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
Renan Barao: $53,000
Marion Reneau: $56,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus) Sara McMann: $38,000
Angela Hill: $42,000 (includes $21,000 win bonus)
Maryna Moroz: $23,000
Alan Jouban: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus)
Ben Saunders: $23,000
Sam Alvey: $92,000 (includes $46,000 win bonus)
Marcin Prachnio: $25,000
Rani Yahya: $92,000 (includes $46,000 win bonus)
Russell Doane: $22,000
Alex Perez: $21,600 (includes $12,000 win bonus)*
Eric Shelton: $14,400
Manny Bermudez: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
Albert Morales: $15,000
* Perez missed weight and forfeited 20 percent of his purse’s show money to Shelton.