UFC Fighters’ Salaries Under Scrutiny

The topic of UFC fighters’ salaries has been garnering significant attention lately. Many experts suggest that these fighters receive a smaller share of the organization’s revenue compared to athletes in other sports leagues and combat promotions.

There’s quite a bit of chatter, too, about how despite the UFC’s impressive growth, salaries for fighters haven’t really kept up with that momentum.

UFC President Dana White recently pointed out that fighters may not want fans to know how much they actually earn—not because they feel underpaid, but rather for a different reason. He expressed that the fighters believe if their earnings are known, it might lead to public expectations for them to give out “handouts.”

White remarked, “None of these fighters have a gag order. They could easily sit down and discuss what they’re paid. But when people find out how much you make, it complicates life. If you’ve earned millions, a portion of society tends to look for something in return.”

White’s net worth is said to exceed $500 million, and the UFC recently secured a deal with Paramount worth nearly $8 billion.

Going back a bit, in 2014 a group of former UFC fighters sued the organization in federal court, claiming that they used unfair practices, such as enforcing exclusive contracts and employing anti-competitive strategies, to maintain their dominance in the mixed martial arts industry and control fighter compensation. This resulted in a significant settlement of $375 million last year.