Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O’Malley 2 headlines UFC 316 for the UFC Bantamweight Title in a compelling rematch. But besides the 135-pound belt, how much UFC 316 prize money is up for grabs and what are both fighters’ expected fight purses?
UFC 316 Prize Money
The anticipation is palpable as UFC 316 takes centre stage at the Prudential Center on June 7. The card is headlined by the reigning 135-pound champion, Merab Dvalishvili, as he aims to defend his UFC Bantamweight Title for the second time against the former champion and #1 ranked contender Sean O’Malley.
Looking at the UFC 316 prize money on offer, both main event combatants are being paid rather fruitfully. As far as exact figures are concerned, official purses won’t be revealed until after the fight. However, there have been some rumors as to how much each fighter will earn.
On the surface it looks like both ‘The Machine’ could be in for a career-high payday for his rematch with ‘Suga’ this weekend. There were rumours that the champion was going to withdraw from UFC 316 altogether, but Dvalishvili broke his silence on his toe injury and confirmed he’d still be fighting.
This means he could be in for the biggest purse of his career on Saturday night. For O’Malley, Saturday’s fight will likely be one of the most lucrative of his career financially too, but won’t be the biggest purse of his career, even if he is victorious and reclaims the 135-pound belt.
The American has been one of the biggest UFC pay-per-view stars in recent years, so has earned far bigger purses than his counterparts on numerous occasions. He could still earn more than Dvalishvili this weekend at UFC 316, even if he were to lose again.
What Were The Dvalishvili vs O’Malley Purses For Their First Fight?
Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili have of course fought before. The pair did battle at UFC 306, with O’Malley going into the main event contest at the Sphere in Las Vegas as the reigning champion.
However, the belt changed hands with ‘The Machine’ becoming the bantamweight king for the very first time. On that occasion, both fighters earned seven-figure paydays.
Despite losing the fight and his UFC title, ‘Suga Sean’ reportedly took home a purse of $4,142,000 for his first battle with Merab back in September 2024. This remains the single biggest purse of Sean O’Malley’s career to date.
For Dvalishvili, as well as winning the UFC Bantamweight Title, the Georgian-American MMA star earned a reported total purse of $2,632,000. This remains the biggest purse of his career by quite some distance.
Since then, the champion has earned another seven-figure paycheque. Dvalishvili reportedly pocketed $1million+ for his successful title defense at UFC 311 against Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event.
Saturday’s UFC 316 showdown will undoubtedly be the biggest purse of Merab Dvalishvili’s career. For O’Malley, it could be the second or third most lucrative, but won’t come close to his UFC 306 payday last time out.
The 30-year-old earned $2,317,000 for his win against Chito Vera at UFC 299, as well as $1,506,000 against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 and $1,182,000 at UFC 292 in his victory over Aljamain Sterling when he became the bantamweight champion.
Dvalishvili just has the one seven-figure payday to date, but that will become three in the aftermath of UFC 316 this weekend in Newark, New Jersey. UFC 316 tickets are still available for fans to purchase last minute as well.
Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O’Malley 2 Fight Purses
Both men are expected to receive an individual fight purse at UFC 316, so depending on which man has their hand raised will determine how much the winner receives. This is due to there being several UFC bonuses up for grabs.
UFC prize money differs depending on the magnitude of the event and the names Dana White had fighting on the bill. For example, UFC 316 this weekend could have around $10m+ in prize money up for grabs in total.
Although official purses are yet to be revealed, you can expect Sean O’Malley to pocket between $2-3m for his main event bout at UFC 316.
Merab Dvalishvili could earn something similar, but will likely earn less than ‘Suga’, even if he were to win. Purely because of how big a star O’Malley is right now.
As previously mentioned, UFC 316 will see the champion earn a career-high payday, especially if he gets his hand raised. For the challenger, this will be his fifth seven-figure payday, but won’t be his biggest purse by any stretch.
Both men are in for big pay days and both thoroughly deserve it. Whoever has their hand raised with the UFC Bantamweight Title around their waist after the fight, will be in for a fruitful night in terms of earnings.
Check out our UFC 316 preview & predictions ahead of Dvalishvili vs O’Malley 2 on Saturday night at the Prudential Center.
Official UFC 316 Purses & Payouts (Top 10 Highest Purses)
| Fighter | Base Salary | Total Purse |
|---|---|---|
| Sean O’Malley | TBC | TBC |
| Merab Dvalishvili | TBC | TBC |
| Juliana Pena | TBC | TBC |
| Kayla Harrison | TBC | TBC |
| Kelvin Gastelum | TBC | TBC |
| Joe Pyfer | TBC | TBC |
| Kevin Holland | TBC | TBC |
| Vincente Luque | TBC | TBC |
| Patchy Mix | TBC | TBC |
| Mario Bautista | TBC | TBC |
