bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Patrick Blennerhassett

Leave it to Jake Paul to be a man of the people.
The internet celebrity turned wannabe professional boxer, who beat former UFC welterweight champion Tyrone Woodley on Sunday in Cleveland, has caught the Achilles heel of UFC president Dana White.
White has a plethora of detractors who have been trying to take him down for years. Mainstream media outlets that tilt to the left hate the fact the UFC has gone from fringe sport to flirting with mainstream success. Whether you give White, or superstar billionaire Conor McGregor, the most credit for this, is still up for debate, but you can’t deny the rise of the premier mixed martial arts company in the sporting world’s landscape.
White navigated the pandemic better than any other professional league, only briefly stopping before moving to Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, and then returning to the Mecca of combat sports in Las Vegas. Even without fans, the UFC hit a home run in 2020. White caught the ire of everyone from The New York Times to The Guardian, and politicians and public figures alike who called him reckless and accused him of endangering thousands of people.
Turns out they were wrong, and of course, in typical White fashion, he rubbed it in their faces. White has helped elevate the UFC to heights it never dreamed it could go when it started as a niche pay-per-view draw in 1993, and now features fighters who have mainstream endorsement deals with major sports clothing brands, drinks, cars, watches and just about everything under the sun.

But if White has a pebble in his shoe right now, it’s Paul, the court jester who keeps beating the drum when it comes to UFC fighter pay, or lack thereof. This pebble is also aggravating the UFC’s Achilles heel – adequate compensation for its moneymakers. The latest in a long list of call-outs from current and former fighters was Jared Cannonier declaring after beating Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Vegas 34 on August 21 that he was “broke”.
The 37-year-old middleweight contender, who has 12 fights in the UFC under his belt, later clarified his post-match comments, stating “I would like to get paid like an elite-level athlete”.
UFC: Zhang can count herself lucky but Rose rematch intrigues
Cannonier, who has only been able to fight twice in the past two years because of injuries, showcases what happens to a UFC fighter if they’re not regularly inside the Octagon, and winning. He’d left his job with the Federal Aviation Administration to focus on fighting full-time, and one would think, if you are an established UFC fighter like him, money would not be hard to come by.
Turns out having a family and owning a home is a tough financial situation for an MMA fighter, and the fact that Cannonier is not selling soft drinks on national television means his out-of-ring cash flow is not substantial enough to bridge that gap.
Fighters have turned to all sorts of alternative revenue streams to make up for a lack of income from actual fighting, from Twitch streaming and Only Fans accounts to coaching MMA and of course, running a gym, or other full-time businesses on the side.

Not surprised this part of the post-fight interview wasn’t clipped and shared on UFC socials. Again, an appalling look for the promotion after record profits declared, headliner Jared Cannonier says he’s ‘broke’ #UFCVegas34 pic.twitter.com/IUhodeqxvO
— Niall McGrath (@niallmcgrath4) August 22, 2021

This should be White’s problem, and if Paul can get mileage out of the issue for months on end, you know something is not right with your organisation. In the build-up to the fight Woodley fight, Paul delivered a perfectly-timed one liner in response to his opponent’s “four time world champ” status, quipping “you can’t pay rent with those belts”. And then he went out and beat him.
Paul is right, and White needs to realise this an issue he can’t just ignore any more. The error in the detractor’s arguments is that the UFC should have a split somewhere around the same vein as the big four American sports leagues – Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League. Studies show it’s roughly a 50/50 split between players and owners of their respective teams, whereas the UFC is well under 20 per cent on average for fighters.
It’s important to note the UFC is a company, not a league, and its structure is nowhere near similar to any of the other big four. Fighters do not have a regular season, or playoffs, there is no sharing of substantial merchandising sales or season tickets, and most fighters only get a few fights inside the Octagon, on average, before their UFC careers are over.

But what this shouldn’t stop White from doing is creating one of the most robust medical and pension plans for UFC fighters, one they can opt into for life even if they only fight in the Octagon once. White should make it his priority to take care of anyone that works, or worked, for him. Treating his fighters like freelance contractors simply keeps the money upstairs in the corporate office, and means fighters like Cannonier will continue to cry foul.
White has hinted he’s working on a long-term medical plan for fighters, but we have yet to see anything materialise. This is a step in the right direction, and the UFC Antitrust Lawsuit is another issue the UFC needs to address when it comes to its monopolistic tactics.
Every other major sporting league has the same issues, the NFL’s concussion conundrum one that has cast a cloud over the league for years. But, according to multiple reports, the average NFL players makes well over US$1 million for one season.

Of course, White could wait until the UFC fighters finally have had enough and create a union, and then he will get drowned in collective bargaining agreements on a regular basis, ripping his proverbial hair out as lawyers hammer him in endless contract negotiations where he has to make substantial concessions.
Or he could reach into the UFC’s multibillion dollar piggy bank and start dishing out more cash to the people who actually bring revenue into the company. Time will tell if White and company can fix this Achilles heel, or if Paul and the rest of the UFC’s detractors get a drum to beat for years that drowns out MMA from banging on the door of mainstream sporting success.


Musk suggests Trump let public weigh in on who should lead US Treasury

Trump names combative spokesman Steven Cheung as communications director

UFC: Song Yadong offers to show Sean Strickland around China after fighter’s ‘toxic’ slurs

Qatar sovereign wealth fund reportedly in US$50m funding round for ONE Championship backers

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Jake Paul is right – fighter pay issue won’t go away, so Dana White and UFC must stand up and act

Jake Paul reacts after defeating Tyron Woodley by split decision in their cruiserweight boxing bout. Photo: AFP

CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 29: Jake Paul fights Tyron Woodley in their cruiserweight bout during a Showtime pay-per-view event at Rocket Morgage Fieldhouse on August 29, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2018, file photo, UFC president Dana White speaks at a press conference in New York. The UFC is returning to competition on May 9 with three shows in eight days in Jacksonville, Florida. The mixed martial arts promotion announced its plans Friday, April 24, 2020, to return to action after postponing and canceling several shows due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dana White also plans to hold shows on May 13 and May 16 at the same arena in Florida. Only "essential personnel" will be in the arena, according to White. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 26: Jake Paul answers questions during a press conference prior to his August 29 fight with Tyron Woodley on August 26, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason Miller/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Tyron Woodley’s embarrassment is Jake Paul’s win and MMA’s loss as YouTuber continues boxing journey

Jake Paul beat Tyron Woodley and we’re all now going to have to endure more from the celebrity court jester. Photo: Getty Images

CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 28: Jake Paul poses during the weigh in event at the State Theater prior to his August 29 fight against Tyron Woodley on August 28, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason Miller/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

May 30, 2020; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gilbert Burns of Brazil (blue gloves) reacts after his victory over Tyron Woodley (red gloves) in their welterweight fight during UFC Fight Night. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa via USA TODAY Sports

Jake Paul outpoints former UFC champion Tyron Woodley despite big fourth round scare

Tyron Woodley punches Jake Paul in their professional boxing cruiserweight bout in a Showtime pay-per-view event at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio in August. Photo: Getty Images

CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 28: Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley face off during the weigh in event at the State Theater prior to their August 29 fight on August 28, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason Miller/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

UFC: Dana White says ‘everybody wants to see’ Zhang Weili rematch Rose Namajunas for strawweight title

Zhang Weili (left) during her strawweight title bout with Rose Namajunas at UFC 261. Photo: AP

UFC makes Zhang Weili, Rose Namajunas strawweight title rematch official for Madison Square Garden

Rose Namajunas celebrates after beating Zhang Weili for the strawweight title at UFC 261. Photo: AFP

Sport

Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts


MMA promotion has relative monopoly on the business, but that doesn’t mean it gets a pass on short-changing its fighters
UFC president White and company should start paying fighters more if they want mainstream acceptance as a professional sporting league



UFC has relative monopoly on the business, but that doesn’t mean boss Dana White gets a pass on short-changing his fighters, and unlikely hero Jake Paul is letting him know.


Dana White

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

The Takedown

The Takedown | Jake Paul is right – fighter pay issue won’t go away, so Dana White and UFC must stand up and act

MMA promotion has relative monopoly on the business, but that doesn’t mean it gets a pass on short-changing its fighters UFC president White and company should start paying fighters more if they want mainstream acceptance as a professional sporting league

MMA promotion has relative monopoly on the business, but that doesn’t mean it gets a pass on short-changing its fighters

UFC president White and company should start paying fighters more if they want mainstream acceptance as a professional sporting league