California Discloses PFL San Diego Pay as McKee, Carmouche Lead at $100,000

Q: With its ESPN deal ending, can PFL's new global strategy actually threaten the UFC's market dominance?

Not yet, but PFL’s strategy could make it a more credible No. 2 and pressure the UFC in specific markets. PFL has real assets. It bought Bellator, added recognizable names such as A.J. McKee, Liz Carmouche and Francis Ngannou, launched regional leagues in Europe, MENA and Africa, and built a “Super Fight” model that promises fighters at least 50% of pay-per-view revenue. It also has fresh capital, including Saudi-backed investment, and is seeking a new U.S. media partner for 2027 after ESPN. If it lands a bigger platform such as Netflix or Fox, that would materially improve reach. The UFC, however, still holds the decisive advantages: far stronger brand recognition, deeper roster quality, more proven stars, and a much larger global event machine. PFL’s disclosed San Diego purses also show the gap in commercial power. McKee and Carmouche led the card at $100,000 each, while much of the undercard earned between $5,000 and $40,000. That is not unusual for a challenger promotion, but it underlines that PFL is still operating well below UFC scale. PFL’s best path is not to beat UFC head-on in the near term. It is to win market share region by region, use local stars, and offer fighters alternatives on pay and flexibility. If its next media deal expands distribution and if Bellator talent is integrated more effectively, PFL can become a stronger global competitor. But threatening UFC dominance in the broad sense still looks premature.

2 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · Jun 28

$100,000 paydays for A.J. McKee and Liz Carmouche topped the California State Athletic Commission's disclosed purses for Saturday's PFL San Diego card.
McKee received a flat $100,000 with no win bonus, while main-event opponent Salamat Isbulaev took home $10,000 after a unanimous-decision loss.
Carmouche reached $100,000 through a $50,000 show purse and $50,000 win bonus in the co-main event; Viviane Araujo earned $20,000 in defeat.
Further down the card, Alexander Shabliy made $50,000, Rob Wilkinson, Khasan Magomedsharipov, Jena Bishop and Sarvardzhon Hamidov each earned $40,000, while the lowest disclosed purse was Shannon Clark's $6,000.