Jung Chan-sung UFC Pay 28 Million Won? "I Get More Than That"

Jung Chan-sung is talking about fight money on his YouTube channel 'Korean Zombie.' Photo by YouTube 'Korean Zombie' capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Min Jun-young] Jung Chan-sung, who is active in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), opened up about the fight money he has received so far and the fight money in the UFC.

On the 28th of last month, Jung Chan-sung said on his YouTube channel 'Korean Zombie' that the money he received for his first fight in Korea during his unknown days was 1 million won. He said, "There were times when I received 150,000 won. I also participated in a tournament where I won three matches in one day and received 1.6 million won."

He also mentioned that the amount increased significantly when he competed in WEC, which was his early entry into the U.S. market. "The base pay was $5,000 (about 5.5 million won). With bonuses added, it went up to 80 million won before tax," he said, recalling, "When I received 80 million won, I didn’t know where to spend it, so I just put it in my bank account and used a check card."

However, he avoided giving detailed explanations about the amount he currently receives in the UFC. He explained, "I cannot disclose the exact amount. The fight money for my most recent fight in Busan last December was reported as $23,000 (about 28 million won), but I receive more than that." He added, "The UFC also does not want to disclose fight money, and fighters do not want it either. This is to avoid standardizing fight money when competing in other organizations."

He briefly explained the UFC pay structure, saying, "The UFC base pay is $10,000 (about 12 million won), and if you win, you get $20,000, and sometimes a bonus of $50,000 is given." He added, "If you become a top-tier fighter, the amount increases significantly. That’s why people want to go to the UFC."

Regarding UFC bonuses, he said, "I don’t know the exact details, but there is a special bonus given by UFC President Dana White." He said, "I can say that for sure because I have received it. I don’t know if it’s from his own pocket, but it’s money given for the hard work, and I was very grateful."