Ortiz says he is in fact getting a base purse to fight Liddell

Boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya has been vocal that fighter compensation in MMA is inadequate.

I’m really looking forward to getting into the MMA world and making sure that these fighters are being compensated well, said De La Hoya to Fight Hub TV earlier this month, as transcribed by MMAjunkie. Because, look, we risk our lives up in the ring. So fighters should be compensated extremely well. … The current structure’s terrible. I’ve been talking to many, many fighters in the MMA, and it’s ridiculous what they get paid. It’s crazy. It gets me sick to my stomach. So I’m going to start Golden Boy MMA for a reason, and it’s going to start with Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, to pay them correctly, to pay them what they deserve.

However, in July at a UFC Hall of Fame media scrum Tito Ortiz said he would not be receiving a base purse to fight Liddell.

This fight, I’m not getting paid no money, said Ortiz to MMAjunkie. I’m not getting a million dollar payday guaranteed. I make money when someone buys the pay-per-view. I make money when someone buys a ticket to the fight. My job is to perform the way I’ve always performed over the last 21-and-a-half years. That’s what I’m going to do. No base purse. That’s how bad I want this fight. I’m coming in as a partner. I believe in my fans. I believe in Chuck’s fans. I believe in the promotion De La Hoya can do. They want to see me beat Chuck Liddell and get my hand raised over him – they’ll tune into this pay-per-view.

In a later interview with Steven Marrocco, Ortiz said he would, in fact, be receiving a base, albeit a smaller one.

It’s nothing compared to what I used to get paid, let me tell you that, said Ortiz to Steven Marrocco for MMAjunkie. 

My mind is right. I don’t have the UFC flying me out two weeks before the fight doing the Latino ESPYs to present an award I never presented, getting sick on the way back. I’m not doing a bunch of PR for them right before the fight. Many things.

This fight resembles the fight against Chael Sonnen, someone who I don’t like because he showed his true loyalties. He showed how a friendship shouldn’t be.

I have an opportunity to smash [Liddell]. He’s not my friend. I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing this for my legacy, to show not just my fans, but myself, that I’m better than him. On even terms, I’m better than him, and I know it.

It’s going to be a huge pay-per-view. It’s going be enormous. People want to see either see me get my ass kicked, or Chuck get his ass kicked.

Ortiz fights Liddell on November 23, live on Pay Per View.