Josh Thomson recently shed some light on a Bellator fighter’s eyebrow-raising earnings.
Earlier this year, Paulo Costa was expected to face Robert Whittaker at UFC 284. ‘Borrachinha’ ultimately put the kibosh on the bout, confirming he’d never signed off on the clash and would not compete unless he was paid more.
The fight cancellation was the latest in a long line of issues between Costa and the UFC over his contract. Once a very active fighter, ‘The Eraser’ noticeably reduced his schedule following his disappointing TKO loss to Israel Adesanya back at UFC 253.
More recently, Costa has happily confirmed that a far more lucrative UFC contract is in the process of going through. The new deal will reportedly see the ‘secret juice’ maestro earn $1 million per fight.
“More Than A Million Dollars A Fight” - Josh Thomson On Potential Highest Earning Brazilian Star In MMA
During a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, Thomson shared his thoughts on Costa’s expected new contract. While he was happy for ‘Borrachinha’, he was quick to highlight that the Brazilian star will lose much of his income on outside factors such as taxes and his coaching tea
“He’s making a million dollars a fight, great for him, I’m happy for him,” Thomson said. “Okay, he’s gonna pay the international tax rate right off the top, and then his coaches are gonna take their percentage, he’s making half that.”
When asked whether or not Costa would be the highest paid Brazilian fighter in the world on this new contract, Thomson confirmed he would not be. While it’s possible Costa could be the highest paid within the UFC, Thomson revealed Cris Cyborg earns more than a million per fight in Bellator, where she’s the reigning Women’s Featherweight Champion.
“In terms of being the highest paid, maybe in the UFC, but, I mean, I know Cris Cyborg makes more than a million dollars a fight.”
For now, it appears Costa wants to face either Khamzat Chimaev or Sean Strickland when he finally returns to the Octagon.