Chael Sonnen has expressed confusion about why fighters that don’t headline shows are also requesting more money from their employers.
The former UFC and Bellator fighter took to his YouTube channel and made a point to say that he was “not gonna name names” before discussing what he feels is a serious trend he’s noticed among some fighters.
“We gotta be real fair with something, okay? Don’t ask for a pay raise again, if you’re not the main event,” Sonnen said. “We gotta understand that. I am hearing people — ones that I’m close with — coming out talking about more money. They’re smart enough to know you get more when you bring in more. They’re smart enough and they’re fair enough business-wise to adhere to that principle. But they will continually talk about how much they’re worth and how much they’re bringing in when they’re not headlining shows. And I’m not sure where that concept is lost.”
Fighter pay is a constant point of discussion and debate within MMA. Some fighters in the UFC feel that their peers aren’t doing enough to maximize their own marketability, while others argue that their job already warrants a higher pay grade than the current norm within the sport.
Whatever their stance on the issue may be, Sonnen seems to think that fighters should have more perspective on what their value is. In typical Sonnen-fashion, he managed to tie-in an example from wrestling where fighters start locally then move to regional and national stages before he brought his point back around to MMA.
“If you’re in co-main events, please stop. Please, don’t tell us what a draw you are if you didn’t outdraw the people on the card that you were just on. If you’re not the last one to leave the locker room that you’re assigned to, we cannot make believe that you’re in command of more money.”
What’s your reaction to Sonnen’s comments about fighters that ask for more money without competing in main events?
Continue Reading Sonnen Questions Why Non-Main Event Fighters Ask For More Money at MMA News.