UFC 331 purses in Los Angeles highlight title stakes and pay gap on major card
The fighter salaries for UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Saturday have been disclosed by the California State Athletic Commission, offering a clear look at how one of the premier cards on the calendar was structured financially from the main event down to emerging talent.
Headline bouts on a major Ultimate Fighting Championship event are typically contested under the unified rules and regulated by the host state’s athletic commission. In California, that framework is overseen by the California State Athletic Commission, which is responsible for approving bout agreements and reporting disclosed purses. The promotion itself operates under the wider regulatory umbrella of mixed martial arts rulesets recognized by leading authorities such as the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.
Pantoja and Van lead the way in flyweight title clash
At the top of the disclosed payroll is former UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja, who is set to earn a flat $650,000 for his appearance in Los Angeles. The Brazilian enters UFC 331 attempting to reclaim the 125‑pound title after a freak injury cost him the belt in his previous outing, a detail that underlines both the competitive and financial importance of his return to championship contention.
Pantoja’s purse is listed as a flat fee with no win bonus, reflecting a structure increasingly common for established champions and ex‑champions who negotiate guaranteed money rather than the traditional “show and win” split.
Opposite him, reigning flyweight titleholder Joshua Van is set to earn a flat $500,000. Like Pantoja, Van’s deal is reported as a straight fee with no win bonus attached. That alignment at the top of the card illustrates how modern UFC title fights can feature both champion and challenger operating on guaranteed, non-escalating purses tied to their status rather than solely to the result on the night.
Tsarukyan’s contender breakthrough backed by six‑figure purse
In the co‑main event, Arman Tsarukyan further cemented his status in the lightweight division by knocking out Mauricio Ruffy, a result that solidified him as the No. 1 contender at 155 pounds. Tsarukyan’s compensation is listed as a flat $350,000, again with no win bonus attached to his performance.
Tsarukyan’s move into a flat‑fee bracket places him financially in the second tier of the card, below the flyweight title pairing but ahead of most of the rest of the line‑up. That structure reflects his position on the verge of a title opportunity and reinforces how contender status can translate into more predictable, guaranteed income as fighters climb closer to championship bouts.
For Ruffy, the financial model looks very different. He earned $110,000 “to show” and was contracted for a matching $110,000 win bonus that was not triggered by his defeat. The outcome leaves him with half of his potential purse, illustrating how the show‑and‑win system can magnify the financial swing attached to a single result, particularly for fighters just outside championship level.
Disclosed purses for UFC 331 in Los Angeles
The full list of reported UFC 331 salaries released by the California State Athletic Commission is as follows:
- Alexandre Pantoja: $650,000 – no win bonus
- Joshua Van: $500,000 – no win bonus
- Arman Tsarukyan: $350,000 – no win bonus
- Mauricio Ruffy: $110,000 to show, $110,000 to win
- Patricio Pitbull: $400,000 ($200,000 to show, $200,000 to win)
- Sean Sharaf: $60,000 ($30,000 to show, $30,000 to win)
- Alonzo Menifield: $310,000 ($155,000 to show, $155,000 to win)
- Robelis Despaigne: $200,000 ($100,000 to show, $100,000 to win)
- Joanderson Brito: $158,000 ($79,000 to show, $79,000 to win)
- Casey O’Neill: $132,000 ($66,000 to show, $66,000 to win)
- Edmen Shahbazyan: $250,000 ($125,000 to show, $125,000 to win)
- Ryan Gandra: $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win)
- Michael Aswell: $60,000 ($30,000 to show, $30,000 to win)
- Marlon “Chito” Vera: $400,000 ($200,000 to show, $200,000 to win)
- Charles Jourdain: $108,000
Flat fees vs show‑and‑win: what the structure reveals
UFC 331 presents a clear split between fighters on flat‑fee contracts and those working under the more traditional show‑and‑win format. Pantoja, Van and Tsarukyan sit in the flat‑fee group, which guarantees their full purse regardless of result and underlines their positioning as headline acts around whom the event is built.
By contrast, fighters such as Ruffy, Pitbull, Menifield, Despaigne and Vera are tied to deals that double their disclosed income if they win. For Patricio Pitbull and Marlon “Chito” Vera, that means the potential to reach $400,000 with victory from a $200,000 base. Menifield and Despaigne each stand to double six‑figure show purses, while mid‑card and emerging names like Joanderson Brito, Casey O’Neill, Edmen Shahbazyan and Michael Aswell also operate on this structure at lower tiers.
At the entry end of the card, the contrast is sharpest. Ryan Gandra’s $14,000 to show and $14,000 to win highlights the scale of the gap between established names and fighters still attempting to secure their place in the organisation. For those athletes, the win bonus can represent not just competitive reward but a decisive factor in funding full‑time preparation and building a future in the sport.
Career positioning and competitive stakes across the card
The disclosed purses also help frame where each athlete sits in the wider competitive landscape. Pantoja’s $650,000 and Van’s $500,000 reflect their roles at the very top of the flyweight division, with both fighters entering UFC 331 as current or former titleholders at 125 pounds. Their earnings reinforce that championship‑level flyweights are now aligned with six‑figure base pay on major cards, a signal of how lighter divisions have consolidated their profile within the promotion.
Tsarukyan’s $350,000 as an established lightweight contender compares closely with the top non‑title performers on the card. Vera and Pitbull are both listed with total potential earnings of $400,000, underlining their status as proven, fan‑recognised names who continue to occupy high‑stakes roles on pay‑per‑view and marquee events.
At the same time, the progression from Shahbazyan’s $250,000 potential to O’Neill’s $132,000 and Brito’s $158,000 illustrates a middle group of fighters who have moved well beyond entry‑level deals but are still building towards the guaranteed sums now attached to champions and long‑standing contenders.
Regulatory oversight and transparency
The release of UFC 331 salaries underscores the role state commissions still play in bringing a degree of transparency to fighter compensation at high‑profile events. While not all revenue streams are reflected in the disclosed numbers – such as pay‑per‑view points, discretionary bonuses or sponsorship agreements – the base purses published by the California State Athletic Commission provide a rare, official snapshot of how an elite mixed martial arts event rewards its competitors from top to bottom.
In a sport where championship opportunities, rankings and future bookings are intertwined with performance and availability, the UFC 331 salary sheet offers an additional lens on how competitive status translates into guaranteed income, how much risk is built into show‑and‑win contracts, and how steep the climb remains for fighters starting out on the undercard in Los Angeles.