Believe it or not, UFC President Dana White still wants you to know UFC stars make more than their boxing counterparts.
Fighter pay in MMA and especially the UFC has been a subject of conversation in combat sports circles for years. However, as the UFC continues to make bigger profits than the year before, and somehow do so in spite of a global pandemic affecting most industries, the topic of how many zeroes are on UFC fighters’ checks has never been more relevant.
Athletes on the roster, media, fans, and even Jake Paul of all people have questioned the revenue chunk imbalance between the UFC and its fighters. In a new interview with “>Yahoo Sports [h /t MMAJunkie] ahead of the organization’s latest pay-per-view event UFC 269, White spoke on the topic and looked to dispel the perceived myth that boxers make more than UFC talent — at any level.
Dana White wants you to believe UFC fighters are very well payed
Listen, when you talk about the elite — I’m putting on 44 fights in a year, right? And people are buying these pay-per-views, you know, 13 or 14 a year, watching all the other ones building, whatever. Then you look at what most of these guys make. Most UFC fighters make more than boxers. OK? White said.
Most UFC fighters make more than boxers, especially at a lower level. Then, the guys, you know, the [Khabib Nurmagomedov’s], the [Conor McGregor’s], the [Ronda Rousey’s], you know, even the Jon Joneses. These guys make more than most of these [boxers] that are fighting for big title fights. Don’t believe the bullsh*t,” he continued. “Don’t believe all the stuff you hear. These guys make a lot of money.
2021 has been a record year for the promotion. With fans returning to events, the UFC has had sellout crowds and had two separate million buy PPV events despite being behind an ESPN+ subscription paywall. However, general revenue increases for the promotion isn’t a tide that raises all the fighter’s pay boat.
Since competitors are not unionized and can’t collectively bargain revenue sharing — like the NFL, NBA, and MLB where money is almost evenly split between the leagues and players — UFC talent earns below 20% of the Octagon income pie.
Boxing’s biggest star Canelo Alvarez reportedly made $40 million for his recent win over Caleb Plant. Heavyweight king Tyson Fury is believed to have earned $18 million for his trilogy fight against fellow heavyweight star Deontay Wilder a few months ago. And pound-for-pound talent Terrence Crawford, a less consistent box office draw, took home $4 million for his most recent bout.
[brid video=”895539″ player=”25478″ title=”UFC%20268%20PostFight%20Dana%20White” duration=”1337″ description=”With UFC 268 in the books, UFC President Dana White spoke to the media about the night’s results and gave the attendance, gate, and performance bonus run down.” uploaddate=”2021-11-07″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19027/thumb/895539_s_1636268675443.jpg” contenturl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19027/sd/895539.mp4″]
When the Cheyanne Vlismas’ and Chris Curtis’ of the world talk about their financial difficulties after recent Octagon wins, and fighters like Molly McCann and Tom Aspinall are brought to tears from one $50,000 bonus check, it’s hard to believe the UFC roster is one full of wealthy and well-paid cage fighters.
What are your thoughts on White’s recent comments?
