UFC veteran Michael Johnson is gearing up for his 43rd professional fight at UFC 318 as he takes on ‘Golden Boy’ Daniel Zellhuber on 19 July. ‘The Menace’ is one of the longest-tenured fighters in Dana White‘s promotion is still going strong even after 15 years in the UFC. This might make fans wonder what Johnson’s bank account looks like since he’s been competing at the highest level for a long time. Ahead of his next fight, that’s exactly what we’ll be looking at in this article.
Michael Johnson’s first fight under the UFC banner, which took place on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs Team Koscheck Finale, saw him lose. But Dana White would sign him up anyway, and since then, he’s stuck with the Las Vegas-based promotion. However, Johnson is not one of those fighters who’ve reached the million-dollar mark. Here’s what we know.
Michael Johnson’s 2025 net worth and endorsements
It’s easy to find details about superstars like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones when it comes to their financial details, but for Michael Johnson, things aren’t exactly the same. There is no credible source that indicates the net worth of ‘The Menace’, so we can’t be too sure of that aspect of Johnson’s financial details. However, the UFC veteran does look like he’s got a considerable amount of money, since he’s got some sponsorship deals as well.
As we all know, the UFC pays its fighters for the gear, sponsored by Venum. Michael Johnson also receives that amount after every fight, and reports claim that he earns around $4,000 to $21,000 per fight week from that deal. Another endorsement Johnson has been with Titan Nutrition, and more than a decade ago, the veteran had a sponsorship deal with GrilliT Inc.
But now, let us turn over to the most important aspect of a UFC fighter’s career, which is his UFC payouts and overall earnings. And guess what? It’s shockingly low. Let’s take a look at that front.
Michael Johnson’s surprisingly low UFC career earnings
Despite 15 years of competing under the UFC banner, Michael Johnson has yet to cross the million-dollar mark. He had a total of 30 fights in Dana White’s promotion, but the lightweight fighter has only been able to earn $572,000 from all those fights combined to date, according to many sources. When we look at the earnings per year, Johnson has only been able to make $38,000 every year.
In addition to his fight payouts, Michael Johnson also receives money in the form of Compliance Pay from the UFC. But when it comes to his highest payout for a single fight, there are no details available in the public domain. However, it seems like what he’s been earning hasn’t really helped. That’s because, at one point, Johnson confessed to having faced some financial issues after he was inactive from the UFC a couple of years ago. Here’s what he had to say.
Michael Johnson admits to being ‘broke’ despite an over-decade-long career
Michael Johnson’s UFC run hasn’t been a great one. It’s been a mixed bag, as he never even came close to sniffing a title shot. But he had his top moments, with his KO win over Alan Patrick standing out as the most impressive one. That fight took place in 2022, and it was around that time when Johnson started facing severe financial issues, which he claims was a “dark hole.” That win gave the veteran some much-needed happiness.
“I’ve been through a lot in my life. I’ve had a lot of big wins. I’ve had a lot of devastating losses, but that’s [the win over Patrick] probably one of the better moments in my life just because I was in such a dark hole,” Michael Johnson told MMA Junkie in 2022. “[I] went through so much to get to this point, a year and a half layoff, being broke, trying to figure out things. It feels good.”
Well, Michael Johnson is still in the UFC, so maybe some good performances could help him earn a little extra, as he’s got a bonus to look out for. However, Daniel Zellhuber won’t be an easy opponent, and hence, we’ll have to wait and see how things pan out for Johnson. Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
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