highlight
- UFC fighters' pay varies widely depending on performance, with top stars like Conor McGregor making millions of dollars per fight.
- Dana White has defended the UFC's compensation structure, arguing it is more sustainable than boxing, which has been taken over by Saudi Arabia.
- White called on critics unhappy with UFC's pay to start their own MMA businesses and highlighted the opportunities for fighters.
Last night, UFC president Dana White appeared on Shannon Sharpe's Club Shay Shay podcast, where White spoke about a variety of topics, including gambling, roasting Tom Brady, and Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor.
During the conversation, Sharpe brought up the issue of UFC fighter pay, sparking a lively conversation in which White zeroed in on the criticism he's received over the past few years. Fighter pay is an issue White has faced on and off in recent years, with comments coming from boxers, UFC fighters themselves, and even Jake Paul, who entered the debate in 2022. In a lengthy rant during an interview with Anthony Pompliano, Paul claimed that UFC pay levels are “outdated” and that UFC fighters are essentially on a “slave contract.”
UFC Salaries vs Boxing Salaries
UFC Rewards
In the UFC, fighters are divided into three tiers (low, mid, and high) based on their performance: fighters in the lowest tier can earn between $10,000 and $30,000 per fight, while fighters in the highest tier can take home between $500,000 and $3 million per fight.
Due to a tiered pay structure, fighters' salaries vary widely. While athletes like Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov make millions every time they step into the Octagon, prior to UFC 290, Alexandre Pantoja was working as an Uber Eats driver to make ends meet.
Boxing Reward
In boxing, pay is determined by skill level and opponent. Although boxing is associated with eye-wateringly high salaries, this is not the case for most boxers, with lesser known fighters earning between $22,000 and $51,000 a year. Meanwhile, big name fighters can earn salaries in the millions. For example, Tyson Fury recently earned over $100 million for his fight against Oleksandr Usyk.
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However, this is exactly what Dana White took issue with on his Club Shay Shay podcast, where he argued that boxing, in contrast to UFC, is not a sustainable brand.
Dana White compares UFC salaries to boxing salaries
“Boxing got so bad that no one wanted to make a living off it, so the Saudis had to take over. They have a lot of money, so they don't care if they make money or lose money.”
White compared boxing to the UFC, reassuring Sharpe that in the latter, “everyone is looked after from top to bottom.”
Finally, after some heated discussion on the topic, White invited anyone who disagreed with him to compete against him: “If you don't like the way things are run here, there's no barrier to entry. Start your own MMA business and pay your fighters what you want.”
The debate over UFC's revenue continues to divide people, with fans divided in the comments section. One user commented White was stating the “facts,” but It pointed out The division between fighters and promoters in boxing is very different to that in UFC, with McGregor and Khabib suggesting that the only fighters who are actually highly paid are McGregor and Khabib.
But White doesn't seem to be changing his mind anytime soon, insisting he's built a “sustainable business” that will “continue to create opportunity for diverse people around the world.”
