PFL San Diego salaries: Main event fighter made $10,000 in losing effort

Fighter salaries for PFL San Diego, disclosed by the California State Athletic Commission, reveal a stark disparity between headliners and the undercard.

A.J. McKee earned $100,000 as a show fee with no win bonus attached, reflecting his status as a Bellator-era star and main event draw. His opponent Salamat Isbulaev collected only $10,000 to show and $10,000 to win—taking home $10,000 total after his loss.

In the co-main event, Liz Carmouche earned $50,000 to show and $50,000 for her victory, totaling $100,000. Her opponent Viviane Araujo made $20,000 as a show fee and received nothing additional after submitting to a guillotine choke.

Other main-card earners included Alexander Shabliy ($50,000 total, winner), Alfie Davis ($20,000, loser), Abraham Bably ($20,000, loser), and Rob Wilkinson ($40,000, winner).

Preliminary fighters ranged from $3,000 show fees (Shannon Clark) to $20,000, with win bonuses typically matching show fees. Here is the complete breakdown:

A.J. McKee: $100,000 to show, no win bonus — $100,000 — WIN Salamat Isbulaev: $10,000 to show, $10,000 to win — $10,000 — LOST Liz Carmouche: $50,000 to show, $50,000 to win — $100,000 — WIN Viviane Araujo: $20,000 to show, $20,000 to win — $20,000 — LOST Alexander Shabliy: $25,000 to show, $25,000 to win — $50,000 — WIN Alfie Davis: $20,000 to show, $20,000 to win — $20,000 — LOST Abraham Bably: $10,000 to show, $10,000 to win — $10,000 — LOST Rob Wilkinson: $20,000 to show, $20,000 to win — $40,000 — WIN Khasan Magomedsharipov: $20,000 to show, $20,000 to win — $40,000 — WIN Joshua Weems: $10,000 to show, $10,000 to win — $10,000 — LOST Ariane Da Silva: $13,000 to show, $13,000 to win — $13,000 — LOST Jena Bishop: $20,000 to show, $20,000 to win — $40,000 — WIN Justin Wetzell: $10,000 to show, $10,000 to win — $10,000 — LOST Sarvardzhon Hamidov: $20,000 to show, $20,000 to win — $40,000 — WIN Shannon Clark: $3,000 to show, $3,000 to win — $6,000 — WIN Ilara Joanne: $10,000 to show, $10,000 to win — $10,000 — LOST Cobey Fehr: $5,000 to show, $5,000 to win — $10,000 — WIN Daniel Bzdigian: $5,000 to show, $5,000 to win — $5,000 — LOST