The topic of athlete compensation came up during a recent episode of the Suguru Show when Sean O’Malley and MMA Guru discussed Sean Strickland’s contract dispute with the UFC.
O’Malley tackled the controversial subject by presenting both sides of the argument.
“If you go to school to be a doctor for 8 years, you graduate and you do your surgery and then you’re going to do another surgery and you’re like, ‘Nah, I don’t want to do that surgery. I want more money.’ It’s like you knew what you went to school for,” O’Malley explained.
“These young athletes coming up, us coming up and being like we know you’re not going to make that much money, so don’t go. Don’t try to be in the UFC.”
However, O’Malley acknowledged the complexity of the situation. “It does suck when you’re in a position where you feel like you’re worth more, but that’s just what it is,” he admitted.
“The UFC completely changed my life. I would not be where I’m at. I would never have made this much money doing something else, I don’t think. I’m forever grateful for the UFC.”
MMA Guru took a stronger stance in favor of athlete pay increases.
“I just am on the team of athletes making more money, to be honest with you. I think this Zuffa boxing thing has been bad for the UFC,” Guru stated.
He referenced the reported 15 million dollar purse for boxer Conor Benn, contrasting it with Strickland’s situation. “Strickland’s thinking, ‘I’m making a measly million dollars, dude.’ And I know that, listen, million dollars is a lot of money, but…”
O’Malley completed the train of thought, saying: “… Not after you beat Israel Adesanya, you beat Khamzat.”
The discussion highlighted how Strickland was allegedly pressured into signing a new contract. “It was kind of a messed up situation he was put in when he got to sign a new contract because it was kind of like strong armed like, ‘You want a title shot, then do this,'” Guru noted.
Guru offered perspective on why athlete might turn down opportunities at their contracted pay. “Once you’ve already got that and you’ve already made those paychecks, the next one is like, ‘to go through all of that again just for another one of these that I already have.'”
O’Malley expanded on this point: “Press conferences, we got to fly out 6, 8 weeks before. We got the press conferences, we got media all week. We got another press conference, we got to make weight. It’s not just the match we’re getting paid for.”
Despite understanding Strickland’s position, Guru criticized his approach.
“Even though Sean Strickland’s going about it in a very autistic and unprofessional way, we should rally behind his intention of getting the money on the table,” he argued. “I’m done turning against a athlete because he says I should get more money for this.”
The conversation also touched on how better pay might affect activity. O’Malley pondered whether the UFC considers this in their compensation structure.
He said, “Imagine these young kids making so much money. You’re probably going to get them competing less. Some of these guys they make a million dollars, like you might not see him for another year and a half. Compared to they make 100,000, like God I got to compete again.”
Guru proposed that higher purses could actually motivate more frequent competition, citing boxing as an example.
“The reason why they keep going into the fray and they keep having these matches even though they’re already millionaires is because I could double my net worth on this match.”
