Combat sports distruptor Jake Paul again went after Dana White and the UFC for low fighter pay.
You might find Jake Paul annoying and not rate him as a real fighter. But the YouTuber, who now has a 3-0 boxing record, does occasionally make some salient points on the state of combat sports and specially the UFC.
At his press event yesterday, where he appeared alongside his next opponent; former UFC champion Tyron Woodley, Paul spoke up on fighter pay in the UFC. His comments, which he’s made before, charged the promotion (and specifically Dana White) with underpaying fighters.
Check out Paul’s full quotes below, along with an endorsement from former UFC light heavyweight Jimi Manuwa:
No lies told !!! Thoughts ? pic.twitter.com/aAD5io3XRL
— JIMI MANUWA (@POSTERBOYJM) June 3, 2021
“There’s a movement moving forwards that is going to show that fighters should be getting paid more. It’s unfair. The UFC fighter’s don’t have fair pay. Out of all the sports, the percentage that the owners get versus the athlete, they’re the lowest. Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones, that fight should happen. Dana White, pay them the $10 million. He’s taking their money. They’re the ones making the content. They’re the ones who get in the ring risking their life. Chris Weidman goes in, snaps his leg in half, what’s that look like? He may never be able to fight again and provide for his family. These fighters are risking their lives. You can quite literally die in the ring and they need to be compensated more. I’m a big proponent of that movement and being in control. It’s just like music labels, same thing, these artists are getting owned and get locked up into these shitty contracts and they don’t know what to do. So fuck that shit. Fuck Dana White.”
None of this is new information for keen observers of MMA. After almost two decades of dominance in the industry the UFC remains resistant to changing their business practices or all-encompassing contracts.
If Paul is able to disrupt that paradigm, by helping fighters realize their worth, then maybe even the most ardent Paul brothers haters might look back on this new circus fight era with a smile.