January 18, 2020; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor is introduced before fighting Donald Cerrone during UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Ali Abdelaziz Exposes PPV Myth, Promises Fighters Huge Pay Boost With Paramount Deal!

January 18, 2020; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor is introduced before fighting Donald Cerrone during UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The pay-per-view model has been the backbone of UFC’s business strategy for decades. Fans shell out anywhere from $75 to $100 for big fights, while the promotion splits that revenue with cable providers and streaming platforms. Fighters typically earn a base purse plus additional money based on how many people actually buy the event. This system worked great during the peak years of stars like Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, and later Conor McGregor, who could reliably sell over a million pay-per-views. But times have changed dramatically in the streaming era, and the numbers tell a different story than most people realize.

The UFC recently announced a groundbreaking deal with Paramount+ that could completely reshape how fans consume MMA content. Instead of paying for individual events, subscribers will pay a flat monthly or yearly fee to access all UFC programming. This shift represents one of the biggest changes in combat sports broadcasting since the early days of pay-per-view itself. Many industry insiders believe this move could finally solve the long-standing issue of fighter pay, which has been a hot topic for years among athletes, managers, and fans who want to see competitors earn their fair share of the massive revenue the sport generates. Now, renowned manager Ali Abdelaziz has come out with what this deal means for the fighters.

Ali Abdelaiz Shares The Harsh Reality Of Modern PPV Numbers

Ali Abdelaziz, recently dropped some eye opening truth bombs about the current state of pay-per-view sales. According to the outspoken manager, only one fighter in the entire UFC roster can still be considered a legitimate pay-per-view star. That fighter is Conor McGregor, and everyone else falls far short of the million-buy threshold that was once considered the gold standard for major events. Even current champions and popular fighters like Sean O’Malley and Ilia Topuria haven’t been able to crack that magic number consistently.

“UFC right now have no PPV star outside Conor McGregor. Nobody can hit a million buys…O’Malley, Topuria, none of these guys sell PPV’s. This pay-per-view thing is a myth.”

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This revelation might shock casual fans who assume that today’s biggest stars are drawing similar numbers to the legends of the past. The reality is that the pay-per-view landscape has become incredibly fragmented with so many entertainment options available to consumers. And also, its expensive ($79 per PPV) to get the event. People usually see highlights on social media or stream it illegally. Abdelaziz believes this shift toward Paramount+ will actually benefit fighters financially because they can negotiate guaranteed flat fees for each fight instead of gambling on unpredictable pay-per-view sales that might not materialize.

Why A Flat Fee Beats PPV Sales

The new Paramount+ model offers something that the traditional pay-per-view system never could. Instead of hoping that casual fans will drop big money on a single event, athletes can now negotiate fixed amounts that don’t depend on sales performance. Abdelaziz argued that this guaranteed money will likely exceed what most fighters currently earn from their share of disappointing pay-per-view numbers.

This change could level the playing field and ensure that talented fighters get paid fairly regardless of their mainstream appeal or marketing ability. Some of the best athletes in the sport have never been great at promoting themselves or generating casual fan interest. But they still put their bodies on the line in incredibly entertaining fights. The Paramount+ deal might finally reward skill and performance over social media followers and trash-talking ability. This would be a welcome change for many hardworking fighters who deserve better compensation for their efforts.

(Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – Imagn Images)

Ali Abdelaziz

Conor McGregor

Paramount+

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!