Brian Ortega’s clash at UFC 303 against Diego Lopes may be the end of his run in the promotion’s featherweight division. ‘T-City’ had recently indicated in an interview with MMA Junkie that he is now looking to move to the lightweight division. The fighter noted, “There’s no title fight for me anytime soon because of what’s going on in the game,” as he pointed out that Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski’s position make it hard for him to envision himself getting a shot at the champion, Ilia Topuria, in the near future.

Ortega also revealed that he accepted the short-notice fight against Diego Lopes after Conor McGregor’s withdrawal shook up the UFC 303 card because he felt, “It’s just get in there, make the weight, fight, and it’s just crazy – and I love it.” As such, let’s take a look and learn all we know about what the two fighter’s earnings for this short-notice matchup are going to be!

What will be Brian Ortega’s payout for UFC 303?

The UFC 303 co-main event between Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes was originally scheduled to take place at 145 lbs but a surprise announcement came before the official weigh-ins began that the bout will now be contested at 155 lbs. According to a report shared by Ariel Helwani, the cause of this change was Ortega’s inability to make the 145 lbs weight limit due to the short-notice nature of the bout and Lopes accepted the change once he was informed of the same by the UFC.

With both fighters now having made weight, it appears that Ortega’s plan to move up became a reality sooner than he would have expected. ‘T-City’s last appearance at a UFC PPV came against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266 where he unsuccessfully challenged for the title.

According to numbers reported by MMASalaries.com, Ortega secured a base pay of $300,000 for the event, with $32,000 as his sponsorship purse bringing his total pay-out for the event to $332,000. As such, we can assume that the short-notice nature of UFC 303 might lead to a bump in the pay for Ortega and if he wins the bout, he can possibly secure a pay-out close to $500,000 or more for this event. However, it’s important to note the above numbers are just an estimation based on information available online.

In his interview with MMA Junkie, Ortega also stated that he’ll be donating $100,000 of his earnings from this event towards the ‘Fearless Church’ in Los Angeles as he confessed, “I’m going to use the money and give it to church. I’m going to help a lot of men. It’s basically the main reason why I accepted the fight.”

Diego Lopes’ salary for fighting ‘T-City’

Diego Lopes has made a name for himself with 3 out of 4 of his UFC fights ending with a stoppage victory for the Brazilian, making him a must-watch for MMA fans. According to a report by Sports Illustrated, Lopes secured a payout of $100,000 for his UFC 300 fight against Sodiq Yusuff which ended with a spectacular first-round KO finish for the Brazilian. However, he was fined $5,000 by the commission due to him jumping out of the cage to celebrate his victory!

As such, it can be estimated that for the short-notice fight against Ortega, he may secure a higher salary, and including the win bonus, he may approximately secure a payout of $250,000 or more. Once again, the numbers are an estimate based on publicly available information and not an accurate representation of the final salary.

In conclusion, the Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes bout at UFC 303 is not just a fight but a pivotal moment for both fighters. For Ortega, it’s a potential farewell to featherweight, driven by a noble cause. For Lopes, it’s another chance to showcase his skills on a grand stage and continue his rise in the UFC. Do you think Brian Ortega will be successful in the lightweight division? Share your thoughts in the comments below!