Fighter pay has been the UFC’s biggest headache for years now. Critics constantly point out that fighters receive a much smaller percentage of total revenue compared to athletes in other major sports leagues like the NBA or NFL. The promotion has faced multiple lawsuits from former fighters claiming they were underpaid, with some cases dragging on for nearly a decade.<\/p>
The timing of these complaints couldn’t be more awkward for Dana White and company. Just as the UFC lands its biggest broadcast deal in history with Paramount, worth a staggering $7.7 billion over seven years, the fighter pay debate has reached a boiling point again. This new contract nearly doubles what the promotion was making annually from ESPN, which means there’s going to be a lot more money flowing into UFC<\/a> headquarters. Naturally, fighters and their managers are wondering if any of that extra cash will trickle down to the athletes who actually step into the octagon and risk their health for everyone’s entertainment.<\/p> White knew he had to say something about fighter compensation when reporters started asking questions at Tuesday’s Contender Series press conference. The UFC boss tried to strike a reassuring tone while admitting he doesn’t have all the answers figured out yet. <\/p> “We’ve got a bunch of smart kids over there that work in the accounting department to figure out how to make this stuff work. But it’s so good for the fighters…The fighters are going to get tons of promotion built by all these different unbelievable networks that these guys own.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>Dana White Addresses the Elephant In The Room<\/h2>