When Nate Diaz said he wasn't getting paid enough to make the 155-pound weight limit, he wasn't kidding.
The wily Stockton slugger took home a measly $30,000 for his first-round technical knockout win over Gray Maynard in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 18 Finale (watch the replay here), which took place last Saturday night (Nov. 30, 2013) at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"The Bully" banked $45,000 in defeat, according to Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
The rest of the cast and crew from last weekend's FOX Sports 1 extravaganza -- comprised mostly of TUF guys (and gals), earned the standard $8,000/$8,000 split for services rendered -- with a few exceptions -- following time spent on the combat sports reality show.
Here are the complete TUF 18 Finale payouts and salaries:
Nate Diaz: $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 to win)
Gray Maynard: $45,000
Diaz def. Maynard via technical knockout
Julianna Pena: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Jessica Rakoczy: $8,000
Pena def. Rakoczy via technical knockout
Chris Holdsworth: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
David Grant: $8,000
Holdsworth def. Grant via submission
Jessamyn Duke: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Peggy Morgan: $8,000
Duke def. Morgan via unanimous decision
Raquel Pennington: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Roxanne Modafferi: $8,000
Pennington def. Modafferi via unanimous decision
Akira Corassani: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Maximo Blanco: $17,000
Corassani def. Blanco via disqualification
Tom Niinimaki: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Rani Yahya: $20,000
Niinimaki def. Yahya via split decision
Jared Rosholt: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Walter Harris: $8,000
Rosholt def. Harris via unanimous decision
Sean Spencer: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Drew Dober: $8,000
Spencer def. Dober via unanimous decision
Josh Sampo: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Ryan Benoit: $8,000
Sampo def. Benoit via submission
The total disclosed payroll for TUF 18 Finale was $312,000.
Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc.
For example, the UFC often hands out extra cash for "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night." To check out these figures for TUF 18 Finale -- including the extra grease for Diaz's pockets -- click here.
For complete TUF 18 Finale results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here.