Former lightweight champion Sean Sherk speaks up about his issues with the UFC’s pay scale.
You can add former lightweight champion Sean Sherk to the growing list of the UFC’s critics about the company’s current fighter pay scale. In a recent Facebook post, the 47-year-old ‘Muscle Shark’ had this to say.
I think the UFC should be extremely embarrassed by the fact that their former champions and top ranked fighters have to go fight YouTube stars with barely any fighting experience and make 10 times more money than they do in the UFC.
I’ve been retired for 10 years and nothing has changed in that organization. UFC fighters are still the worst paid athletes on the biggest stage.
Believe me I have my stories too.
The “former champions and top-ranked fighters” that Sherk was referring to are likely teammates Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley. Both men have already stated that their respective fights with YouTuber Jake Paul marked the biggest payday of their professional careers.
Sherk, who’s been retired since 2010, isn’t the only veteran of his era to speak out against their former employer. Apart from the many that discussed fighter pay, fellow UFC alums like Gray Maynard, Mike Pierce, and Sam Stout also created the hashtag #JoeSilvaStories last year to air out their grievances against former matchmaker Joe Silva.