Fighters’ pay is one of the most debated topics in the UFC , and among the MMA community.
While some UFC fighters are protesting the UFC’s pay structure, others try to see it from a different perspective.
One of them is the No.5 lightweight contender Michael Chandler. Unlike many others on the roster, he admitted that he does not have a problem with the UFC’s pay structure.
This is likely due to him having a very nice contract. While Chandler would have you believe he’s making the same amount he made in Bellator – he came to the organization as an established athlete – a champion in a rival promotion.
Previously White used Chandler to show how the UFC pay isn’t so bad revealing ‘a prelims fighter’ received $750k for a UFC bout.
Helwani later confirmed this was Chandler. White misspoke about the prelims – the fact is Chandler’s bout was moved down the card in order to give coach Trevor Wittman room in between title bouts to dedicate to his athletes.
Chandler went on to play a Company man and praise UFC and its President Dana White for how they run the business:
“I think people think that we should make a lot more money because the UFC makes a ton of money on their shows. Well the UFC’s been at it since 1993. ”
“Dana White has had 10,000 sleepless nights when most of us fighters were just showing up to practice and going to bed and laying our head on the pillow and getting after it and getting a decent wage for what we do.”
The former Bellator champion also thinks that those who complain are mostly those who depend solely on fighting.
For him, the UFC has provided a platform big enough for the fighters to earn more outside of the octagon. He compares the fighter pay complainants to those “throwing rocks at the people above them”.
“I always think that there’s people on the lower rungs of society always throwing rocks at the people above them when it takes the same amount of energy to reach up and grab the next rung to pull themselves up.”
Payouts for UFC 274 weren’t disclosed so it’s hard to estimate what Chandler made. Based on what White disclosed it’s fairly possible his earnings for the card matched previous paydate. Several marketable athletes including Gaethje are rumored to be on a ‘flat’ fee amounting close to $500,000 win or lose.