Being kicked in the head has its consolations.
Try several million of them in the case of Dricus du Plessis, who in 2024 pocketed around R40-million for two fights, including his UFC middleweight championship win against Sean Strikland in January.
The bulk of his earnings came via a base salary and win bonuses, but he’s hopped on the endorsement bandwagon too, rivalling the world champion Springboks as sponsorship gold.
He is far and away the first Mixed Martial Artist from South Africa to crack the rich list, although SA sport’s biggest earner in 2024 is Dean Burmester, whose affiliation with LIV golf saw his annual earnings rocket to a staggering R157-million.
Gary Player, with a net worth estimated at $250-million, chiefly earned through golf course design, is comfortably among the all-time richest SA sportsmen.
Ernie Els didn’t fare too badly either, pocketing a cool R43-million in winnings in 2024, thanks in part to 10 top 10 finishes.
The Bok superstars are also swimming in cash. Siya Kolisi’s total annual earnings, including endorsements and sponsorships, are believed to range between R60-million and R70-million.
According to WalesOnline, Cheslin Kolbe was on a contract worth R21,9 million with Tokyo Sungoliath. His Bok contract adds several more million, making him among the top three earners in world rugby.
Not far behind are Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard.
As far as can be ascertained, Lyle Foster, who plays for Burnley in the second tier of English football, is the highest paid SA footballer with a weekly salary of R572 000.
Keagan Dolly and Thembinkosi Lorch are firmly in his slipstream, earning around R5-million annually.
Among cricketers, Heinrich Klaasen was the highest-paid South African cricketer, having been bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for R10.8 million last season. Last week, the Sunrisers stumped up R49,3-million for the big hitter, clearly aware of the value he brings.
He’s clearly come a long way from the days when he and Aiden Markram used to share a flat.
Apart from franchise cricket, where the pay is better, South Africa’s leading cricketers are on basic annual contracts ranging from approximately R1,2-million to R3-million.
This can be doubled by match fees, bonuses, and commercial agreements, with a separate rights deal typically in place at World Cups.
Du Plessis is the newest entrant on the rich list based on his two biggest wins, against Strickland and Israel Adesanya, several months after his UFC title win.
His biggest payout came at UFC 297, when he challenged the newly-minted middleweight champion Strickland.
Du Plessis’ next title defence is far more likely to take place in Las Vegas in February than South Africa.
Despite the grandstanding, no major metro has offered a financial guarantee to host the fight, an important caveat given that the UFC don’t do charity. They want cold, hard cash.
Cape Town’s bid is built on little more than fantasy, although quiet negotiations with Sun City got a long way down the road.
For now, though, bank on Sin City.
According to MMA Salaries, Du Plessis had a base salary of $300 000 and, with his split decision victory over the champion, he pocketed an additional $300 000 win bonus. With $32 000 earned in sponsorship, Du Plessis walked away with a total of $632 000.
In 2020, when he made his UFC debut, he gave his winning cheque to his parents to pay off their house.
His endorsements with brands like Ultimate Sports Nutrition, World Sports Betting, Mercedes-Benz, Old School, Luxury Time, Banxso, Monster Energy and Titan Secure also contribute to his income. For good measure, he also has his own line of sport drinks and biltong.
Du Plessis has also benefited from the UFC’s unusual pay structure.
Under the organisation’s compliance pay system, fighters receive money generated through their UFC contracts. This system compensates fighters based on the number of UFC fights they’ve had, including past fights in rival promotions. Additionally, experienced fighters are eligible for royalty payments, amounting to approximately 20-30 percent of UFC merchandise sales.
Breaking it Down
UFC 297 (January 2024)
• Base Salary: $300 000
• Win Bonus: $300 000
• Sponsorship: $32 000
• Total for UFC 297: $632 000
UFC 305 (August 2024)
• Base Salary: $500 000
• Win Bonus: $500 000 (since the win bonus doubles the base pay)
• Sponsorship: $42 000
• Performance Bonus: $43 000
• Total for UFC 305: $1 085 000
Estimated Additional Earnings
• Total Earnings: $1,7-million (from the provided UFC fights and bonuses)
Endorsements and Sponsorships
• As of August 2024, additional earnings from endorsements are part of the $2-million total mentioned, so let’s assume:
o Endorsements contribute the remaining: $283 000
Grand Total Earnings for 2024
• Total Earnings: $2-million (as mentioned, including all fights and endorsements)
Biggest Payout
• UFC 305 was the biggest payout: $1 085 000.
