UFC middleweight contender Darren Till believes fighters should be compensated better by the promotion as well as Reebok.
Although Till is one of the bigger and more popular stars in the UFC, he still feels he could be earning a bigger piece of the pie. In a recent Q&A, the Liverpool native went into more detail on the matter while keeping his cards close to his chest:
“Stuff between me and the UFC, like let’s say stuff between me and Dana [White] is between me and Dana – you know, personal stuff,” Till said (via MMA Fighting). “But this is probably one thing that I will come out and say: I do believe MMA fighters should be paid some more money. I’m not talking saying [we deserve] millions and trillions, a billion – whatever – just what they’re worth, a nice piece of the pie.
“I was selling out everywhere for the UFC, a big star on the roster and it’s nice to get a cut of the pie, so not to worry about so much stuff. People think, ‘This fighter is earning so much per fight,’ but if a fighter doesn’t have sponsors…See me? I’m the sort of what-you-get-is-what-you-see type of guy, so that scares a lot of sponsors off, but it also attracts sponsors – it’s sort of like a Marmite type of thing. I’ve lost sponsors and gained sponsors through it.”
Compared to other sports, fighters don’t earn a monthly salary and are reliant on their fight night purses and sponsors. Whatever they do earn from a fight also has to last until their next fight.
And given the sacrifices they put their bodies through, “The Gorilla” ultimately feels the UFC and Reebok should pay more to the fighters — even if that’s something Till would rather speak to Dana White about personally.
“If I’m earning however much for a fight, that has to last until the next fight. Then, I don’t know if I’m going to get injured…that has to last,” Till added. “I’m a guy who likes to spend money: I like to eat food, a lot food, I like to buy watches, I like a nice car, clothes – I’ve earned that right, I’ve put my body through a lot. This is a new set of teeth for a reason – I had teeth but they got knocked out. I’m deaf in [one] ear, I’ve got bad knees, I won’t be able to walk properly in a few years, [my] hand is permanently destroyed. I’ve earned that right.
“I do believe that Reebok should pay more and the UFC should pay a little more, but that’s not a thing I like to talk big on, openly. I’d rather have that conversation with Dana man to man, but that’s where I am with that.”
What do you make of Till’s comments?