SUMMARY
- The UFC has faced ongoing debates and legal challenges related to fighter pay.
- While well-known fighters receive significant compensation, there is a visible contrast in pay between them and lesser-known fighters.
They say money can’t buy happiness, but for the president of UFC, it bought dynasties. The Ultimate Fighting Championship, a tag compared to mixed martial arts glory, is not just a promotion company. It is a 9-10 billion dollar colossus, that a group of people who loved the martial arts, sculpted from the ground up. Dana White along with the Fertitta brothers, Lorenzo and Frank built their empire to the behemoth it is today.
Yet, at the center of many debates lies the question of UFC fighter pay. While the well-known fighters get a lot of money as base pay excluding the PPV points. The contrast is highly visible from what they pay their lesser-known fighters. Adding fuel to the fire, The UFC has found itself entangled in legal battles with numerous fighters, including the ongoing $1.6 billion anti-trust lawsuit, who argue that the organization abused its dominant market position to limit and control fighter pay.
In a recent interview with Vivek Ramaswamy, White talked about fighter pay and why some fighters earn more. Shedding light on how the organization compensates its fighters, he clarified that fighters are considered independent contractors.
Dana White talks fighter pay.
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When asked how he decided how much a fighter is paid. The UFC president said that according to him the payment structure involves a baseline pay. With several opportunities for increased earnings as fighters progress in their careers.
In his own words, “So how that works is there is a standard level of pay, and depending on who you are and how you make it, how you climb up the ladder. So what happens is when you become a world champion, you become a partner. So when you got the belt you share in the pay-per-view revenue.”
He underscored that achieving a world championship title transforms a fighter into a partner, granting them the privilege to partake in the revenue generated from pay-per-view events. But what did White say about the base pay of athletes who never make it to that level?
Dana White compares the UFC salary model to boxing
At one point in an interview, Dana White pointed out that boxing is the one sport that follows a comparable model to UFC. However, he added, in boxing the champion takes the big share of the revenue whereas in UFC the “money is dispersed.” He then used the example of 40-year-old Jim Miller. A veteran fighter who, despite not reaching partner status, has earned substantial income over the decades he has been fighting.
Adding to this the president talked about the strategic focus of the UFC model, “No it’s because we focus on building great fights with great fighters. You can stay here for a certain amount of time, you make really good money you know. You can support your family, you can pay your house off. You’re not gonna have 30-40 million dollars, you’ll have 6-7-8 million.”
According to en.as.com, UFC is said to be paying just 16-20% of its total revenue to the fighters, which is a substantial difference when compared to other sports. White is a strong force that makes the wheels move. However, since UFC still has to face the anti-trust lawsuit in April. Time will tell if White can still hold on to his deep pockets.
