Former UFC light heavyweight Rashad Evans recently revealed he received a massive $400,000 “backroom bonus” from Dana White after knocking out Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 in 2008.
Evans made the revelation during an appearance on the Jaxxon Podcast with Rampage Jackson. When asked how he was treated after scoring the huge upset KO win over the beloved Liddell, Evans stated:
“I remember Dana being real cool. I think it was next morning, that’s when he used to do the backroom checks. They wrote me a check for like $400K.”
The devastating knockout of Liddell was a career-defining moment for Evans. He landed a huge overhand right that rendered Liddell unconscious in the second round of their main event fight. The victory solidified Evans as a legitimate light heavyweight title contender.
Despite being one of the most memorable knockouts in UFC history, Evans lamented that the promotion doesn’t feature the highlight much. However, he acknowledged the win was the turning point that elevated his career trajectory.
Co-host Bear D’Egidio remarked on how Liddell was one of the toughest stars the UFC had ever promoted at the time. The knockout loss signaled the beginning of the decline for the beloved “Iceman.”
The $400,000 backroom bonus sheds light on just how meaningful Evans’ KO of Liddell was to Dana White and the UFC. While the knockout may have marked a passing of the torch, it was clearly an iconic moment that the promotion rewarded handsomely behind the scenes.
The backroom bonuses are a thing of the past. In another interview Evans said:
“Back in the day, back in the day, man, they have come through with these back room bonuses that I used to get their head bottles. They came in and cut me a check for 375 K at breakfast the next day, and I felt good God, I’ve never seen that kind of money before.”
