Bellator 238 Salaries: Julia Budd banks 100k more than Cris Cyborg

Julia Budd received $100,000 more for her performance at Bellator 238 than the woman that beat her for the title, Cris Cyborg.

The two main eventers went toe to toe for the Bellator Featherweight Championship, and after a fascinating encounter, it was Cyborg who cemented her place in the record books with an impressive fourth-round TKO.

However, despite the win, MMA Fighting is reporting that Cyborg was actually paid quite a bit less than the reigning champion.

Main card (DAZN)

Cris Cyborg ($250,000 + no win bonus = $250,000) def. Julia Budd ($350,000)

Darrion Caldwell ($25,000 + no win bonus = $25,000) def. Adam Borics ($28,000)

Juan Archuleta ($50,000 + no win bonus = $50,000) def. Henry Corrales ($38,000)

Sergio Pettis ($30,000 + $30,000 win bonus = $60,000) def. Alfred Khashakyan ($10,000)

Raymond Daniels ($20,000 + no win bonus = $20,000) def. Jason King ($3,000)

Emilee King ($3,000 + $3,000 win bonus = $6,000) def. Ava Knight ($5,000)

Prelim/Postlim card 

Tony Bartovich ($1,500 + $1,500 = $3,000) def. Jarrett Connor ($1,200)

Ricardo Seixas ($2,000 + $2,000 = $4,000) def. Dominic Clark ($2,000)

Joshua Jones ($2,250 + $2,250 = $4,500) def. Brandon Bender ($2,000)

Aaron Pico ($22,500 + $22,500 win bonus = $45,000) def. Daniel Carey ($10,000)

AJ Agazarm ($20,000 + $20,000 = $40,000) def. Adel Altamimi ($14,000)

Jay Jay Wilson ($5,000 + $5,000 win bonus = $10,000) def. Mario Navarro ($2,000)

Curtis Millender ($8,000 + $8,000 win bonus = $16,000) def. Moses Murietta ($4,000)

Anthony Taylor ($3,000 + $3,000 win bonus = $6,000) def. Chris Avila ($3,000)

Miguel Jacob ($1,500 + $1,500 win bonus = $3,000) def. David Pacheco ($1,500)

Bellator boss Scott Coker noted that the contract Cyborg signed is incentivized, without giving away too many details, adding that it could wind up being one of the biggest deals in the history of mixed martial arts.

This figure is half the amount that Cyborg received for her fight against Amanda Nunes in the UFC, but even with that being the case, she seems to be happier in Bellator than she ever was in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Whether or not Bellator can find suitable opposition for her over the course of the next few years remains to be seen, but either way, she has already confirmed her place in the record books as one of the two best female fighters of all time – with some still thinking she holds the number one spot.

What do you think of what Cris Cyborg is earning in Bellator?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 1/27/2020.