Pro Wrestling Star CM Punk Cleared More Than $1 Million for His UFC Debut Against Mickey Gall
Pro wrestling star CM Punk banked over a million dollars for his UFC debut in 2016.
Per a report from Anton Tabuena of Bloody Elbow, CM Punk, real name Phil Brooks, took home $1,042,736 following his debut inside the Octagon against Mickey Gall at UFC 203. Punk lost the bout via a rear-naked choke at the 2:14 mark in the opening round.
That averages out to roughly $7,781 per second.
In December 2014, a group of MMA fighters, including Cung Le, Nate Quarry, Jon Fitch, and others joined together to file a class-action lawsuit against the UFC and its parent company Zuffa LLC. These representatives are arguing that the UFC used “improper strategies” to control the market for MMA fighter services.
Nearly 10 years later, it appears that the promotion will be headed to trial on April 8, 2024 after Richard. F. Boulware, a United States District Court Judge, in the District of Nevada elevated the antitrust case to a class-action lawsuit and then denied the UFC’s appeal of that decision.
CM Punk isn’t the only former fighter to see his financials revealed
Judge Boulware also requested that all records pertaining to the UFC antitrust lawsuit be unsealed with very limited redactions for health and contact information. In the report from Bloody Elbow, one of these unsealed documents, Roger D. Blair’s re-filed expert report, included payouts made to fighters between 2011 and 2016.
The report revealed payouts for some of the UFC’s biggest stars, including Conor McGregor and former bantamweight women’s world champion Ronda Rousey. These documents detailed not just the show, win, and performance bonuses disclosed to athletic commissions and the public, but also non-disclosed payments like pay-per-view bonuses, side letters, and discretionary bonuses.
Essentially, all the payments made to a fighter related to their bouts.
