UFC veteran and former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson believes there’s a simple way to make fights more exciting — give the athletes a reason to go for broke. Following a weekend of uneven action at UFC 321, Jackson suggested the promotion should massively raise post-fight bonuses to motivate fighters to take more risks inside the cage.
Jackson voiced his thoughts while discussing the event on his JAXXON Podcast, where he and his co-hosts critiqued several underwhelming bouts, including Jailton Almeida’s slow-paced performance.
“I’m going to tell you how the UFC could fix it,” Jackson said. “If I was a promoter, and I had the bankroll the UFC had, I would up the Fight of the Night bonus. They just made seven billion more dollars just for rights, right? I would up the Fight of the Night bonus to a million dollars. So there’s two more million dollars per show, they can afford it. You’re going to get more exciting fights.”
The UFC’s Bonuses Have Stayed the Same for Years
Since 2013, the UFC has consistently handed out $50,000 for Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night awards. Despite the organization’s growth and revenue surges, those numbers have rarely changed.
Jackson pointed out that after the UFC’s $7.7 billion broadcast agreement with Paramount, the company could easily afford to share more of its profits with the athletes. The six-year deal begins in 2026, and Jackson thinks now is the right time to give fighters a meaningful reason to entertain.
“I would say they’re going to up it [100 percent], like [$100,000], right? I would do a million if I make seven billion dollars just off selling the rights?” he added.
The conversation followed widespread criticism of UFC 321, which featured several strong technical performances but few memorable moments. The event set a record for the most takedowns landed in a single card, yet fans complained about the lack of standup exchanges and finishes.
The card included bouts such as Mackenzie Dern vs. Virna Jandiroba and Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista, which showcased high-level skill but little drama. The co-main and main events failed to deliver fireworks, and the Alexander Volkov vs. Jailton Almeida matchup in particular was called “sleepy” by viewers online.
For Jackson, the problem isn’t necessarily with the fighters’ abilities — it’s with their motivation.
“I think this is how you fix it,” he said. “You want more exciting fights? … Because that Fight of the Night bonus be bigger than some people’s purse.”
The issue of entertainment versus safety is one that has followed the UFC for years. Fighters typically receive show and win money, which means a cautious strategy can secure half their paycheck — while taking risks might end in defeat. Many newer fighters, especially those signed from the Contender Series, earn relatively small base salaries and can’t afford to gamble their income for the sake of putting on a show.
Jackson, who earned three Fight of the Night bonuses during his eight-year UFC run, argues that changing the incentives could reignite the energy of earlier eras when fighters went all out. “You’re going to get more exciting fights,” he repeated, stressing that higher rewards would naturally produce higher intensity.
While the UFC has not confirmed any million-dollar bonuses, Dana White did recently state that post-fight awards will increase starting next year. Speaking at a Contender Series press conference, White hinted that the new Paramount partnership will bring more money to fighters.
“The low-hanging fruit that’s easy to answer? Bonuses are obviously going up,” White said. “That’ll be big, and forget about the tide rising with all the other fighters, just the number that the bonuses bring to a fighter, it’s millions of dollars.”
Jackson’s proposal might sound ambitious, but it reflects a growing conversation about fighter compensation in mixed martial arts. He believes that significant financial rewards for performance would not only boost fan enjoyment but also improve morale among athletes who often take tremendous risks for relatively small pay.
