UFC 116 Salaries: Lesnar Making 10 Times More Than Carwin

Shane Carwin file photo: Isaac Hinds/Sherdog.com

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will be paid $400,000 whether he wins or loses his title to Shane Carwin at UFC 116 “Lesnar vs. Carwin” on Saturday in Las Vegas.

The 32-year-old wrestler’s base pay, according to figures released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Friday, dwarfs that of opponent, Shane Carwin, who’s slated to make $40,000 plus another $40,000 in bonus pay should he topple Lesnar on Saturday. Lesnar has no reported win bonus listed, though it’s common knowledge that the former WWE champion shares in some of the pay-per-view profits the UFC collects from the events he appears in.

In the night’s co-main event, NSAC figures say Chris Leben stands to make a total $86,000 ($43K/$43K) if he beats Yoshihiro Akiyama in their middleweight matchup. The ethnic Korean star is listed as making $45,000 and an extra $25,000 in bonus win pay.

Leben took the bout on 13 days’ notice after stopping Aaron Simpson at “The Ultimate Fighter 11” Finale on June 19 in Las Vegas. Leben replaces an injured Wanderlei Silva.