UFC Referees Salaries in 2024: How much do UFC referees make in a year?
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) hosts very high intensity and high profile matches, which may lead to severe injuries to fighters. Thus the role of the UFC referee is very vital to prevent severe damage to fighters. A UFC referee also ensures fair results and he also has to be in the right positions to ensure no foul play. So, UFC referees earn best salary compared to other MMA promotion.
But a recent report showed that WWE referees earn more than UFC referees. Thus, the UFC has to increase wages for their referees to ensure fair play and accurate results.
UFC Referees Salaries 2024
A referee who has 2 to 5 years of experience in MMA is called a professional referee, and he or she earns $1,500 per match.
If they are selected to referee for a pay-per-view match, they are paid double, and sometimes they earn around $5,000 to $10,000 for a UFC pay-per-view fight. A professional referee’s annual income is approximately $250,000.
| Referees | Per Match Fees | Pay-per-view Fees | Yearly Earnings |
| Professional Referee | $1,000 to 2,500 | $5,000 to $10,000 | $250,000 to $350,000 |
| Entry Level Referees | $250 | N/A | $15,000 to $30,000 |
| Female Referees | $1000 | $3,500 | $60,000 |
A Rookie-level referee doesn’t have much experience and is getting accustomed to the rules and regulations. They are paid $250 per match and don’t get enough chances to referee a pay-per-view event due to lack of experience. A Rookie or Entry-level Referee’s annual income is approximately $30,000.
A female referee with appropriate experience in MMA is paid $1000 per match. If selected for a UFC pay-per-view fight, they are paid $3,500 or more. A female UFC referee earns around $60,000 annually.
How much do UFC referees get paid per PPV?
Firstly it depends on the importance of the match and how many viewers will follow that particular match. It is well known that not all referees get to referee a pay-per-view fight.
Only well experienced and professional referees like Herb Dean, John McCarthy, Marc Goddard, Mario Yamasaki, Kim Winslow, and Josh Rosenthal are mostly selected for such an event.
Highest Paid UFC Referees List
| Referee | Salary per fight | High profile fight fee | Annual salary |
| Herb Dean | $1,000 | $7,000 | $550,000 |
| Marc Goddard | $700 | $5,000 | $270,000 |
| John McCarthy | $1,000 | $5,000 | $350,000 |
| Mario Yamasaki | $700 | $3,500 | $270,000 |
| Kim Winslow | $250 | $1,000 | $50,000 |
Herb Dean is one of the most respected and highly paid UFC referees; in 2019, he was paid $15,000 for a pay-per-view fight and had $550,000 in annual earnings.
Referees like John McCarthy and Marc Goddard are paid around $8000 for a high profile match.
Kim Winslow is the highest-paid female referee and earns around $3,500 for a high-profile pay-per-view fight; her annual earnings are more than $50,000.