How much does Anderson Silva's salary represent for the UFC's coffers? Here are the numbers:

Anderson Silva He is one of the best fighters in UFC history. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/@ufc

The MMA world was taken by surprise with the news that Anderson Silva will receive approximately US$10,33 million (R$56,1 million, at the current exchange rate) as a settlement of the antitrust lawsuit filed by more than a thousand athletes against the UFC. The former Ultimate Middleweight Champion (up to 83,9 kg) was the name that obtained the largest amount in the entire case, which totals more than US$375 million, of which US$251 million is destined solely for eligible fighters. However, what do these payments represent for the company's coffers?

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In this context, SUPER LUTAS decided to put these numbers on paper and show how the legal action may (or may not) affect the organization.

The amount Anderson Silva will receive is less than 1% of UFC revenue.

Dana White (dir.) and Anderson Silva (left). at a UFC press conference. Photo: UFC/Disclosure

While this represents an impressive sum, especially when compared to the paychecks of most athletes worldwide, Spider's paycheck is a paltry fraction of the company's budget. In February of this year, TKO Group Holdings, owner of the UFC and controlled by Endeavor, publicly announced that the world's largest MMA organization's revenue in 2024 would be approximately US$1,406 billion (R$7,68 billion), US$114 million more than the previous year.

For comparison, the amount the UFC record holder will receive is equivalent to just 0,73% of the company's annual revenue. It's important to note that the Brazilian was automatically included in the process because he worked between 2010 and 2017, and it's up to him to accept the agreement.

The TKO Group joining the New York Stock Exchange pic.twitter.com/HfwMaNOtvt

—Dexerto (@Dexerto) September 12, 2023

Total action represents less than 30%

Dana White in post-UFC 297. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube/UFC

The situation changes slightly when comparing annual revenue with the value of the entire lawsuit, including eligible fighters and legal fees. However, it's far from representing a significant transfer to the company's coffers. The $375 million (over R$2 billion at the current exchange rate) represents 26,7% of all the money accumulated last year. In total, 1.067 fighters were covered by the settlement reached in court.

The lawsuit, filed in 2014 and approved in February of this year by Federal Judge Richard Boulware, was filed by athletes who alleged anticompetitive practices by the organization between 2010 and 2017. The lawsuit alleged that the UFC, then controlled by Zuffa (now part of the TKO Holdings group), monopolized the market and restricted competition among promoters, harming fighters' pay and mobility.

The UFC was accused of practicing exclusive contracts with restrictive clauses, threats of reprisals against athletes who fought for other organizations and acquisitions of competitors (Pride, WEC, Strikeforce) to centralize the market.