BKFC 41 created quite a stir and was one of the trending topics over the weekend – eclipsing UFC’s middling event at the Apex.
Bareknuckle hosted a slew of UFC stars for the double header maincard featuring Mike Perry against Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez against Chad Mendes.
BKFC is certainly waves in the combat sports industry.
Following his departure from the UFC, Eddie Alvarez signed with ONE FC. Despite his initial excitement, Alvarez’s time with the promotion was not ideal, and he left in 2021 after amassing a 1-2 record along with 1 no-contest.
With BKFC, Eddie has the chance to make things right and prove his worth. The promotion has given him the co-main spot in his debut, taking on a well-known name in Chad Mendes.
Chad Mendes vs. Eddie Alvarez is an instant classic! pic.twitter.com/6rlhUPsA8u
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) April 30, 2023
Money is always a hot topic in the world of combat sports.
While the exact payout for Eddie Alvarez’s BKFC debut is not confirmed, his opponent, Chad Mendes, revealed that he was being paid an exorbitant amount for his BKFC debut, more than Francis Ngannou’s payout at UFC 270. He recently retired but doubled down praising BKFC purse.
Mendes told media: “I had no desire (to compete again), but something like this came up, and obviously the pay is really good, and it’s something that’s new, which kind of excited me, so I did it. ”
If that is true, then Eddie, who is a bigger draw than Mendes, could make a similar amount. This payout would be more than the $150,000 Eddie Alvarez made against Conor McGregor at UFC 205.
“I just put it out there, ‘Beg me’, and [the UFC] begged me. That was all I wanted. That was all I asked.” – McGregor said of how his lightweight title shot came together.
Ariel Helwani asked Alvarez at the time how the deal got done and McGregor, as is so often the case, cut in. He declared:
“He got it done by signing his last contract. He didn’t even negotiate new money for himself. Imagine that?”
But it’s not all bad.
Alvarez’ contract is one of the rare contracts that became public due to the fact it was the subject in a lawsuit between UFC and Bellator. As per the PDF UFC promised Alvarez:
A tiered share of pay-per-view revenue, starting at $1 for each ‘buy’ between 200,000 and 400,000 buys, $2 per buy between 400,000 and 600,000 buys, and $2.50 per buy over 600,000 buys.
A starting salary of a $70,000/$70,000 show/win split, which includes $5,000 raises per win with a cap at $210,000.
UFC 205 reportedly did 1.3 million PPV buys, netting Alvarez a reported extra $1.75M on top of a paycheck so he likely came out of both as a happy camper.