UFC to pay fighters Bitcoin bonuses based on fan vote

The UFC will pay three fighters on each pay-per-view card a bonus in Bitcoin based on their ranking in an online fan vote, the promotion announced Thursday.

Debuting Saturday at UFC 273, the Fan Bonus of the Night will award $30,000, $20,000, and $10,000 to fighters who place first, second, and third, respectively, in a public online vote.

"Crypto.com has been an official UFC partner for less than a year, and I'm telling you, they are already one of the best partners we've ever had," UFC president Dana White said. "They're constantly coming up with new ideas about how we can work together to connect with the fans. This new Fan Bonus of the Night is an awesome way to get fans more engaged in our events while rewarding the fighters for badass performances."

Voting will open at the start of the pay-per-view preliminaries and end one hour after the event's conclusion. Fans will have three votes in each pay-per-view and can back any fighter on the card.

The UFC will continue awarding its Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses, worth $50,000 each, at the end of each pay-per-view and non-pay-per-view card.