Mandatory Credit: Sarah Stier-USA TODAY Sports

UFC Fighters or Pro Boxers – Terence Crawford Weighs In on the ‘Who Gets Paid More’ Debate!

Mandatory Credit: Sarah Stier-USA TODAY Sports

There always seems to be a debate about who gets paid more between the UFC fighters and pro boxers. The debate over fighter pay has been a long hot topic and it also seems to rile up the fans and analysts. So who truly comes out on top financially in these two enervating professions?

UFC fighters, operating under a very structured promotion thanks to Dana White, receive constant paycheck with bonuses, while boxers negotiate purses prior to the fight that can vary widely depending on their star power and the event’s revenue. When people saw former boxers like Floyd Mayweather take a lot money, they automatically assumed that boxers always get paid well. But what they fail to understand is that Mayweather was a superstar talent, and not every boxer is on the same status as him.

❗️ Terence Crawford compares MMA fans and boxing fans

“One thing I love about UFC, a guy can lose and still be supported. In boxing, Floyd made it to where, you lose, they kick you to the curb and say “you a bum” it’s like man, dude lost to a good fighter!”

via @pound4poundshow pic.twitter.com/Tn09jUJHHd
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) March 27, 2025

This discussion gained fresh insight when Terence Crawford, an undisputed boxing champion and one of the sport’s highest paid boxers, stepped into the conversation alongside UFC fighters Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman. Crawford has been one of the most dominant boxers across multiple weight classes and he shared his perspective on the pay gay during an appearance on Pound 4 Pound podcast. His take? Let’s find out.

Also Read: Daniel Dubois’ Next Challenge Revealed And It Might Not Be Oleksandr Usyk!

Crawford says Boxers Get Paid More Than the UFC Fighters

Crawford did not even waste a second to say “Boxers get paid more than MMA fighters. It’s no comparison.” When Kamaru Usman asked if Crawford was talking about the top boxers, he immediately replied “No. As a whole.” Then Crawford went on to explain why he believes that pro boxers make more;

“For instance you’ll see a guy headlining at the sphere. They probably getting a couple of million dollars, but you’ll see a guy on the undercard of a big show, probably making more money than that guy.” Kamaru Usman hilariously asks “which guy?” to which Crawford replies “Guys.”

This topic fired up Usman and he goes on to say “We don’t wanna open up the books now… I do agree, at your level right now…” Crawford immediately interrupts Usman and says “Not me. I’m saying on the undercard. Cause y’all do one and one. You show up you get $50,000. You win you get another $50,000. You get knockout of the year, you get another $25,000.”

Usman continued “For entry level UFC fighters, when you first fight in the UFC you might make 10 and 10. You go out there and win that’s $20,000. To where there’s boxers that maybe 7-0, 8-0, 10-0, ‘hey you wanna fight this fight alright $2500.’ That’s all I mean.”

Both the boxer and the UFC fighter were not willing to back down from their takes and Crawford added further to his argument by saying “UFC that’s like the top of the top. So we talking about the big stage. So once you make it to the UFC, you in the big leagues now. When I make it to the big leagues, when I’m on TV, I’m making more than you making when you come into the UFC.”

Also Read: Kamaru Usman Names The List Of Preferred Opponent For His Return To The Octagon

Who Gets Paid More, Pro Boxers or UFC Fighters?

Here is what we know. There are basically three tiers a UFC fighter will be paid in. The lowest, the mediocre, and the highest level. The lowest contract mostly involves new fighters who get paid $10-$30K for a fight. The mid level pay involves fighters who’s fought multiple times and has made a name for themselves in the UFC. They usually get paid anywhere between $80K-$200K per fight. The highest level pay goes to champions and they get paid anywhere between $300K- $5 million.

While Crawford is right about the top boxers getting way more than the top UFC fighters, that is not always the case for undercards where an up-and-coming boxer makes significantly less than what a new fighter in the UFC gets. It is almost impossible to compare the two sports in terms of pay.

Henry Cejudo Defends UFC’s Pay Structure

Top boxers may get paid way more than a UFC star, however, Henry Cejudo stated out a great point about how UFC differentiates itself. He said;

“There’s one thing we can say about the UFC. There’s no running. How long did you have to go out there and literally chase a guy like Errol Spence before you made it happen. Five years… In the UFC Dana White’s like ‘you know what, you don’t wanna fight give me your belt.’ There’s also a pride to be able to say that I’m also fighting the best competition at the right time… So somewhat of a double edged sword. There’s the competition side but there’s also the financial side too.”

Crawford goes on to agree with Cejudo.

We have seen countless times where a boxer tends to make another boxer wait for his title shot for years. However UFC’s president Dana White will never let that happen in the UFC and you’ll see champions defending their belt 2 or 3 times a year. Also looking at the way boxing events has had problems with promotions, you can clearly see who’s on the rise. Not to mention the fact that if you compare UFC’s growth and popularity to boxing’s, you’ll clearly see that it’s not even close.

Also Read: Kamaru Usman Takes Credit For ‘Pitting The Blueprint’ For Leon Edwards’ Defeat At UFC London

Terence Crawford

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I cover the National Football League and things cannot get better than that. I always dreamed to play football or basketball professionally since I’m built like a Running Back. But now that I can’t, since I’m technically in the “Unc” age, I thought why not pick a career in sports industry? So here I am, doing what I love, and hoping that the Commanders win the Super Bowl. I give love to players when it’s due, but can be critical about their performances at the same time. Enough about me, now let my articles do all the talking.