UFC featherweight Steve Garcia has an idea for changing the promotion’s bonus structure so that more fighters could benefit financially from their performances.
Garcia (16-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is coming off a 96-second knockout over Seung Woo Choi at UFC on ESPN 60. It was his fourth consecutive knockout finish, setting the longest current streak in the UFC. More importantly for Garcia, he earned a $50K Performance of the Night bonus, which he described as a “financial blessing.”
The UFC typically hands out four $50K bonuses, with a general structure of one Fight of the Night award and two Performance of the Night awards. Depending on how the event unfolds, that could change to all POTN bonuses with no FOTN.
For certain pay-per-view events, the UFC has raised the bounty at fighters’ request at press conferences. Most recently, at UFC 304, UFC CEO Dana White agreed to raise the bonuses to $100K. However, after the event’s completion, White vowed never to raise bonuses at a press conference again.
Garcia has an idea to change things up. In a finish-based structure, Garcia’s idea could potentially pay out extra cash to every winner on the card.
“If you really want to incentivize finishes, you don’t have to make it $50,000,” Garcia told MMA Junkie Radio. “You can make it $25,000, and if it was the best one of the night, then sure, make it $50,000.
“I think that everybody that gets a finish like that on the card should extra money because they’re trying their hardest. I mean, I know I am. I don’t know if anybody else is just like out there just nonchalant trying to finish people, but I’m literally trying to kill the person standing across from me, so I like that idea.”
Garcia earned his second bonus in seven fights with the promotion for knocking out Choi. His was for a first-round knockout of Chase Hooper in October 2022.
For Garcia, the idea of changing the bonus structure is simply one to give fighters a little more cash. Like many others on the roster, Garcia works an additional job outside of fighting, which takes away from solely focusing on competing in the premier MMA promotion on the planet.
“For me, it’s really hard to talk about it because the fighter pay is almost like a touchy subject,” Garcia said. “If I can grab more, I’m going to grab more, right? But in my head, I like to meet in the middle, you know what I mean? So, if I can guarantee me some more cash, I’m going to.
“… I truly believe even when you first start in the UFC, you should honestly be able to do it full time without having to worry about working. Even when I was in the UFC, I worked – I still work. … Financially, this is mainly what I do. This is where all my eggs are, mainly. It’s tough. It’s really tough.”
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