Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Colby Covington was expected to fight Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title at the upcoming UFC 244 pay-per-view (PPV) event in New York; however, the promotion gave him a “take it or leave it” offer that “Chaos” believed was well below his value.
And not the “bone” he was promised for favors like this main event rescue.
So Covington turned down the offer and UFC instead went for a non-title fight headliner for Madison Square Garden, featuring Jorge Masvidal against Nate Diaz in a welterweight clash to determine the sport’s “Baddest Mother Fucker.”
Yes, the same Diaz who complained about getting “conned” by UFC.
While that’s all well and good, it doesn’t fix the issue UFC has with fighter pay. You can’t brag that your company is worth $7 billion while also complaining that fighters — who actually do the fighting — are asking for too many pieces of the monetary pie.
Which is probably why this exchange happened on Twitter:
Fan: “Why are you so cheap and pay fighters less than what they should be paid?”
White: “First of all, you’re a dick. Let’s start there. And you don’t know what fighters get paid. Everybody wants more money. Everybody needs more money. That’s always going to be an issue.”
At least he moved on from “moron” and “idiot.”
White has already admitted that most fighters can make more money in other promotions, like Bellator MMA and ONE Championship. So why do some athletes stick around and endure financial hardship? Probably because they believe this “crap” theory.
Others are laughing all the way to the bank.