Are you wondering what Bruce Buffer’s salary is and how much the UFC pays him per fight?
In this article, we’ll look at Bruce Buffer’s annual salary, how much he earns per fight, whether the type of event affects his earnings, his net worth, and how his salary compares to other UFC announcers.
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How Much Does Bruce Buffer Make Per Fight in the UFC?
Bruce Buffer isn’t paid an annual salary and is paid per event. So, before we can calculate Bruce Buffer’s salary, we need to know how much he makes per fight, or per event.
Although Bruce Buffer isn’t paid per fight, it’s possible to break it down. The average amount of UFC fights per event is 12, and he’s paid $50,000 for a Fight Night event, meaning Bruce Buffer makes $4,166 per fight at a Fight Night event.
As Bruce Buffer is paid $100,000 for a PPV event, on average Bruce Buffer makes $8,332 per fight at a PPV event (numbered event).
Bruce Buffer’s Salary (UFC)
Now we know how much he makes per fight and per event, it’s possible to calculate his annual salary.
There’s an average of 42 events per year and Bruce works every PPV which is an average of 12 per year, while the remaining 30 Fight Night events are split fairly evenly between himself and Joe Martinez.
Some years Fight Nights may be split more so for one person, depending on illnesses, event location, and other unaccountable factors.
On average though, Bruce works an average of 27 UFC events per year (12 PPV & 15 Fight Nights). For the 12 PPV events, he earns $1.2 million, $100,000 per PPV. For the 15 Fight Nights, he earns $750,000, $50,00 per Fight Night.
This makes Bruce Buffer’s salary roughly $1.95 million.
There may also be discretionary bonuses he’s given like how the fighters are, depending on how Dana White’s feeling that night; although this has never been indicated or disclosed.
Is Bruce Buffer’s Salary Justified?
Yes, Bruce Buffer’s salary is justified, for many reasons.
The first reason is Bruce’s commitment to the UFC, he’s worked there for 26 years and said he wants to continue until at least 2031. He first started at UFC 8 on February 16, 1996, just 27 months after the first UFC event on November 12, 1993.
The second reason Bruce Buffer’s salary is justified is because of his professionalism. Since his start at UFC 8, Bruce hadn’t missed a PPV event in over 25 years until he caught COVID and couldn’t attend UFC 267 on Fight Island, on October 30, 2021.
That streak is unlikely to be beaten by any announcer in the UFC or any MMA promotion.
Another reason is he’s the best at what he does and is therefore irreplaceable. He’s known as ‘the voice of the octagon’ and people literally tune in to the UFC because they love to see Bruce Buffer do what he does.
He’s called to action on average 12 times per event and works between 6-8 hours each time.
No offense to Joe Martinez, who’s good as an announcer, but Bruce Buffer is levels higher and a key component to the UFC’s success over the years.
When announcing, Bruce has passion leaking through his body and voice. This is because he loves MMA, first venturing into combat sports at the age of 13, where he achieved the rank of green belt in Judo.
While training in Judo, he also started to train in tang soo do, a Korean blend of martial arts mainly involving karate – where he earned a black belt.
He continued to train throughout his twenties where he also picked up kickboxing before he stopped all training because of a second concussion which affected him mentally.
This is why Bruce Buffer is so good as an announcer, he loves MMA and loves to hype fighters and entertain fans, inside and outside of the stadium; he loves to bring the fight alive.
Furthermore, Bruce has to pay for travel and accommodation to all the UFC events, as well as his suits, and while it’s not bank-breaking, it still comes out of his earnings.
The last reason his UFC salary is justified is that he has the ability to earn a lot of money online through his website, where he offers custom-made audio and video introductions, ranging from $125 to $429.
He also has a Cameo account, where he charges around $375 for a personalized video, but there are also other options.
On his website, he also offers custom recordings and can be booked to work an event, where he likely receives offers in the thousands of dollars to announce at weddings and corporate and sporting events.
If the UFC weren’t to pay him a good amount, he’d likely get hired by another promotion like Bellator, or another sport, much like how his brother, Michael Buffer, has announced boxing for years.
Also, despite his love for the UFC, he’s wealthy enough to never work again, so if the pay was low he’d seek opportunities elsewhere or simply retire.
What Is Bruce Buffer’s Net Worth?
Bruce Buffer’s net worth is a minimum of $12 million. It’s easy to see how he’d be worth this much when he makes just under $2 million per year from the UFC, without considering his other announcing work and online business which generate undisclosed totals.
He’s worked in the UFC for over 25 years, so he’s likely to have been saving and building his net worth over time. He’s also a well-known poker player, with total earnings of just under $340,000.
How Much Does the UFC Announcer Make?
As we’ve established, Bruce Buffer makes $50,000 per Fight Night event and $100,000 per PPV event.
On the other hand, the other UFC announcer, Joe Martinez, makes an undisclosed fee. However, it’s likely to be around $25,000 per Fight Night event as he works whenever needed but is more replaceable than Bruce Buffer.
$25,000 is half of what Buffer makes but is a very good amount for an announcer considered as a backup.
Bruce Buffer also earns more as the announcer because he works only for the UFC in terms of MMA promotions, while Joe Martinez who began working for the UFC in 2007, has worked for many MMA promotions during this time, but is currently only announcing for Invicta FC alongside the UFC (2022).
The Bottom Line
Overall, Bruce Buffer is paid roughly $2 million per year for his services to the UFC, although it would be a lot more if he worked more events.
While some argue that’s too much money for someone who introduces a fight for a few minutes before a fight, he’s a valuable asset to the UFC and is easily one of the most irreplaceable people working there.
Especially when you consider the UFC generated over $1 billion in revenues in 2021.
You may also be interested in finding out the UFC earnings of fighters, Joe Rogan, UFC referees, UFC cutmen, and UFC ring girls.
