“I am a family guy” is what former interim UFC Featherweight Champion Yair Rodriguez said on UFC Destined for ESPN MMA back in 2021. The Mexican is from a humble background, loves his parents, and no matter how hard life gets, they always stick together. “We didn’t have much money, and the struggle more than anything was for my mom and dad,” he further said in the same interview. He tried to hide the tears in his eyes while talking about his dad, but the emotions were palpable in his voice. This man was forged with a strong family bond, but they did struggle financially.
His mother always told him to ‘be humble,’ and today, after being a former interim champ and fighting against elite combatants, he still abides by what his mother said. ‘El Pantera’ has a record of 19-5-0 (1 NC) in MMA, 10 wins among his 15 UFC fights, and yes, a sizeable net worth by now. Nevertheless, he never forgets to be humble and gives back to the community through charity, like the time he donated to the children of Fundación Corazón de Niña. All this and more, as we explore Jair Rodriguez’s net worth.
Yair Rodriguez’s 2025 net worth and endorsements
According to Front Office Sports, Rodriguez is the 4th on the list of highest-paid UFC featherweights. He stands at $2.6 million according to this article published in 2024. As per Firstsportz.com, his total net worth is approximately $4-7 million, and his biggest payout was against Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night 139 ($225,000).
The Mexican UFC star proved that he is a force to be reckoned with by winning The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America tournament. Since then, he has dazzled the fans with his fan-friendly, high-octane fighting style after entering the UFC in 2014. He not only made a secure financial future from his UFC earnings but also from social media accounts and endorsements.
As per Firstsportz.com, he has sponsorships with Zignum Mezcal, Toyo Tires, and Monster Energy. He promotes and endorses the products from these companies through his Instagram page. He has capitalized quite well on his earnings, but does not forget to give back to society as well.
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He decided to donate to Fundación Corazón de Niña before his fight with Josh Emmett. This is an NGO for disadvantaged children and youth in Mexico. “It was a pleasure to visit these kids and bring joy to the newer generation because they are the future of Mexico,” said Rodriguez per UFC. “Thank you to Fundación for hosting me for this event, and I look forward to doing more community activations like this throughout Mexico in the future.” Now that we know about his net worth and endorsements, let’s have a look at his career earnings.
How much does ‘El Pantera’ earn? Payouts & Salary
‘El Pantera’ has already established himself as a dynamic and exciting fighter, especially for his striking skills and ability to finish fights. Naturally, he earns a substantial amount of money from his UFC contracts. According to the data available to the general public, the #5 featherweight star’s initial payout cheque was around $50,000 for his first fight at UFC 180 in November 2014. However, he also faced hardships in the UFC before becoming a star when he was let go by the banner in 2018.
It all started with the UFC, enthusiastic to keep Rodríguez busy and test him against the elites, presented him a fight against Zabit Magomedsharipov, a then-rising star in the featherweight division. However, Rodríguez reportedly rejected the matchup, giving his reasons about the timing of the fight. To Dana White, this showed a lack of readiness to compete, and he decided to let him go.
However, he returned to fight Chan Sung Jung in November 2018 and defeated him via KO. Rodriguez garnered the highest pay of $225,000 in this fight, as per MMA Salaries. Including a win bonus of $60,000 on his base salary, a performance bonus of $100,000, and a sponsorship of $5,000.
After that, he garnered $161,000 in total after his loss to Max Holloway at UFC Vegas 42 in 2021. As per MMA Salaries, he received $195,000 after his victory over Jeremy Stephens at UFC on ESPN 6 in 2019. As of April 9, 2025, Yair Rodriguez’s disclosed earnings from the UFC are approximately $592,000 as per Tapology. How much do you think the Mexican star will bag for his fight against Patricio Pitbull at UFC 314? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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