In a bold move that has sent shockwaves through the mixed martial arts (MMA) world, Francis Ngannou, the undisputed UFC Heavyweight champion, has exposed the glaring issue of poor pay in the UFC and has paved the way for other fighters to consider alternative promotions. Ngannou’s decision to leave the UFC and sign with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) highlights the urgent need for the UFC to address the financial well-being of its fighters or risk losing its top talent.
Ngannou’s demands were straightforward and reasonable. He wanted a UFC contract that would allow him to pursue boxing and earn more money outside of MMA, health insurance coverage for all fighters, and the opportunity for sponsorships. The UFC, however, refused to meet these demands, signaling a lack of concern for the financial stability and overall well-being of its fighters.
The PFL, on the other hand, recognized the value of Ngannou’s star power and the need to address fighter compensation. Their deal with Ngannou is a game changer. Not only does it allow him to pursue boxing, but it also grants him prominent positions within the organization, such as serving as the Chairman and Equity Advisor of PFL Africa and being a member of PFL’s global advisory board. Furthermore, Ngannou’s opponents in the PFL will earn a minimum of $2 million per year, and he will have the opportunity to secure his own sponsorships. This stark contrast to the UFC’s treatment of fighters is a wake-up call for the MMA community.
The UFC’s profitability cannot be ignored. Reports indicate that the organization made a staggering $387 million in profit, surpassing the combined earnings of all MMA and boxing promotions. Yet, time and again, UFC fighters have expressed their struggles to make ends meet. Miesha Tate, a former women’s champion, revealed that her entire fight purse was nearly depleted after factoring in taxes and necessary expenses. Charles Oliveira, a former UFC champion, highlighted the numerous deductions that significantly reduce fighters’ earnings. These accounts of financial hardship from high-profile fighters shed light on the plight of those who are not champions and are trying to establish themselves in the sport.
Tate stated:
“My whole fight purse was gone; show and win, for this fight. I spent, it had to be about 98 percent at least. So maybe I walked away with a little bit. But out of $200,000? Yeah, I’m just lucky I made a bonus, to be honest. That’s how much it costs. Because you take taxes off the top. 70 percent of my fight purse is gone immediately, right off the top. So I have 30 percent to work with. And that 30 percent I take to buy my organic foods, to get my training gear, heart rate monitors, whatever other things that I need to invest in to make the camp go well. And it’s expensive. You know, it’s very expensive to eat like that.”
Oliveira too has chimed in about his expenses:
“Do you know how much gets deducted?”. The team alone gets 30 percent, then you need to discount another 12 or 15 percent depending on which U.S. state you fought in. You have other deductions for I don’t know what or to where. When you see it at the end you got less than guys who didn’t do anything. I didn’t earn $50,000 bonuses 17 times. I actually earned $15,000, $12,000, $10,000.”
The UFC’s President, Dana White, has consistently downplayed the issue of fighter pay. His claims that fighters are paid what they deserve and that the UFC’s model ensures they receive a fair share of pay-per-view revenue ring hollow in the face of the mounting evidence presented by Ngannou and other fighters. As recent as 2022 White stated he would not budge on fighter pay:
“Fighters always want to make more money, boxing has absolutely been destroyed because of money and all the things that go on. Never gonna happen while I’m here, believe me, these guys get paid what they’re supposed to get paid. They eat what they kill. They get a percentage of the pay-per-view buys and the money is spread out amongst all the fighters.”
White’s recent criticism of Ngannou’s PFL deal, where he questioned the logic of paying a fighter not to compete for a year, only further exposes the UFC’s unwillingness to prioritize the financial interests of its athletes:
“Based on what I know about the deal, which is not much, it makes no sense to me. You’re going to pay a guy not to fight for a year and it’s already been like 18 months; he’s fought three times in the last 3 years. The day that we released him, I knew exactly what was going to happen. Francis wants to take zero risks. Doesn’t want to take any chances and he obviously didn’t want to take a chance against Jon Jones and after we saw what happened with Ciryl Gane, I don’t blame him. I think the outcome would have been exactly the same and I’m sure most of you do and I think Francis does too. And the media makes it sound like I’m saying that he’s afraid of him. I don’t think that he’s afraid of anybody, it’s just that he doesn’t want to take any risk.
PFL’s going to pay this guy to train for a boxing match that may not even happen and that they might not even be involved in. How does that make any sense? Anthony Joshua called it a gimmick fight this week…Francis could have done a deal here. Hunter threw the kitchen sink at that guy… Francis just thinks that he’s in a position where he’s got some Conor McGregor/Mayweather fight on his hands, which he does not…
MMA guys versus boxers doesn’t make any sense to me, but I know that he thinks there’s all this money in it, I disagree…I’ve got no beef with the PFL. These guys have always been super professional and never talked any smack. You know me, if I don’t like you… I don’t hold back, I’ll let you have it…I’m hearing that they’re raising money right now, $280 million, $300 million from the Middle East… I don’t know who in the hell would give them $280 million, I’m hearing they’re buying Bellator! So, you’re an organization that’s burning cash, you have no ratings and selling no tickets and you’re going to raise $280 million to buy a company that’s burning cash, sells no tickets and does no ratings. It sounds f**ing absolutely genius to me!”
Even more explosive, the Bloody Elbow is reporting that UFC fighters are only receiving 13% share of the revenue despite fact that UFC is the most profitable fighting promotion on earth:
Ngannou’s move to the PFL opens up possibilities for other fighters to explore alternative promotions. The PFL, Bellator, Invicta, and ONE Championship now appear as viable options for fighters seeking financial stability and fair compensation. If the UFC wants to maintain its status as the premier fighting promotion, it must adapt and address the glaring issue of fighter pay.
It is high time for the UFC to reconsider its stance on fighter compensation. As more fighters join the chorus of voices calling for improved pay, health insurance coverage, and sponsorship opportunities, the UFC’s current business model becomes increasingly unsustainable. The legacy of Francis Ngannou’s departure will be the opening of a door that cannot be closed. The UFC must act swiftly to rectify its treatment of fighters, share its profits more equitably, and provide better support and opportunities for its athletes. Failure to do so will undoubtedly result in an exodus of their top fighters moving to rival promotions that will grant them such opportunity.
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