Bellator 165 salaries: Michael Chandler, Benson Henderson lead payroll with $50,000
Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler and former UFC champion Benson Henderson led the disclosed payroll for Bellator 165, with both men cashing a flat $50,000 show purse for their electric headlining bout, according to information released Tuesday to MMA Fighting by the California State Athletic Commission.
Chandler edged Henderson via split decision to win a thrilling back-and-forth affair and successfully retain his Bellator lightweight title. Neither Chandler nor Henderson were slated to receive a win bonus for the contest, thus both men ended up pocketing a $50,000 disclosed fee for their performance.
The next-highest earner on the card was popular welterweight contender Michael Page, who cashed $40,000 for his listless decision victory over Fernando Gonzalez in the night's co-main event.
Notably, two other fighters other than Chandler and Henderson were scheduled to receive a flat show fee with no win bonus. Keri-Anne Taylor-Melendez, the wife of UFC lightweight Gilbert Melendez, earned an even $20,000 for her 47-second knockout over Sheila Padilla in her professional debut; while Kevin Ferguson Jr., the son of late Bellator star Kimbo Slice, earned a similar $6,000 flat fee in defeat for his debuting loss to Hamilton. Ferguson would not have earned a win bonus if he won.
Bellator 165 took place Nov. 19 at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The night's main event aired live on Spike TV.
A complete list of the Bellator 165 salaries can be seen below. As always, these figures do not represent a fighter's total earnings, as certain contractual clauses and promotional bonuses are not publicly disclosed.
Main Card (Spike TV)
Michael Chandler ($50,000 + no win bonus = $50,000) def. Benson Henderson ($50,000)
Michael Page ($20,000 + $20,000 = $40,000) def. Fernando Gonzalez ($20,000)
Adam Piccolotti ($12,000 + $12,000 = $24,000) def. Brandon Girtz ($14,000)
Keri-Anne Taylor-Melendez ($20,000 + no win bonus = $20,000) def. Sheila Padilla ($2,500)
Linton Vassell ($17,000 + $17,000 = $34,000) def. Francis Carmont ($21,000)
Preliminary Card (MMAFighting.com)
Aaron Hamilton ($2,000 + $2,000 = $4,000) def. Kevin Ferguson Jr. ($6,000)
Carrington Banks ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Jake Roberts ($6,000)
Diego Herzog ($1,500 + $1,500 = $3,000) def. Nick Pica ($1,500)
James Terry ($3,000 + $3,000 = $6,000) def. Justin Baesman ($2,500)
Dominic Sumner ($1,000 + $1,000 = $2,000) def. Justin Roswell ($1,000)
Dwight Grant ($1,500 + $1,500 = $3,000) def. Danasabe Mohammed ($1,500)
Sarah D'Alelio ($1,500 + $1,500 = $3,000) def. Jaimelene Nievera ($1,500)
Jeremiah Labiano ($2,500 + $2,500 = $5,000) def. Vince Murdock ($2,500)
Alvin Cacdac ($2,500 + $2,500 = $5,000) def. Steve Ramirez ($2,500)
J.J. Okanovich ($1,500 + $1,500 = $3,000) def. Luis Vargas ($1,000)
Beau Hamilton ($1,000 + $1,000 = $2,000) def. Victor Jones ($1,000)
Hugo Lujan ($1,000 + $1,000 = $2,000) def. Cesar Gonzalez ($1,000)