Former UFC heavyweight and podcast host Brendan Schaub recently made some controversial comments about competitor pay in mixed martial arts. During a recent episode of his “Thiccc Boy” podcast, Schaub argued that increased compensation for UFC athletes could negatively impact their performance and motivation.
Schaub pointed to UFC CEO Dana White’s philosophy that contenders who receive substantial paydays often lose their competitive edge.
“Name one contender that Dana has paid in boxing. Floyd, you could argue there, but when they get that f**k you money, when they don’t need to do road work anymore, when they don’t need to grind anymore, name one contender who’s ever been paid exorbitant amounts of money and they got better,” Schaub said during the podcast.
The former MMA sar explained that White has consistently used this reasoning to justify the UFC’s pay structure. According to Schaub, White believes that once contenders achieve financial security, they become less willing to take challenging matchups and lose the hunger that made them successful.
“Dana will use this as a kind of point why he doesn’t pay the competitors as much as they’re worth. He’s like, because whenever we’ve paid them, whenever they make ex treme amounts of money, they’re no longer willing to take the matches we want to give them. They’ll hold out. They’re not as active,” Schaub explained.
Schaub acknowledged that boxing operates differently, with top boxers having more control over their opponents and earning significantly larger purses. However, he suggested that model isn’t sustainable long-term and doesn’t translate well to MMA, where the UFC maintains tighter control over matchmaking.
The podcast host, who has been critical of the UFC in the past, noted he has since come “full circle” on many issues. He questioned what critics hope to achieve through the current antitrust lawsuit against the organization, suggesting that damaging the UFC could harm the sport overall.
“You all should be grateful that the UFC is thriving and gives you the best combat promotion on the planet. If you sit back and think about, let’s say the UFC went under for whatever reason, what are you going to do?” Schaub asked.
He emphasized that competitors themselves bear responsibility for not organizing collectively to demand better pay, noting that attempts to form a union have failed due to lack of support from top athletes who are already well compensated.
