MMA Fans cry out calling Dana White a slave owner after UFC San Diego purses disclosed

Adam Miller

UFC has been heavily criticized over how little it’s paying the athletes who are putting their life on the line. Over the last 20 years, UFC’s profit margins have gotten healthier yet the athletes haven’t been properly compensated.

During any given event, athletes are compensated with upto 20% of the revenue event brings in.

As of recently many state sports commissions have stopped disclosing athlete salaries, so many fans rely on fanfiction from sketchy sites.

California State Athletic Commission  stands out by disclosing purses. UFC San Diego purses are publicly disclosed and it might surprise you to learn that Angela Hill outearned headliner Dominick Cruz.

Marlon Vera: $300,000 (includes $150,000)
Dominick Cruz: $175,000
Nate Landwehr: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
David Onama: $24,000
Yazmin Jauregui: $50,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus)
Iasmin Lucindo: $12,000
Azamat Murzakanov: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
Devin Clark: $75,000
Priscila Cachoeira: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus)
Ariane Lipski: $40,000
Gerald Meerschaert: $146,000 (includes $73,000 win bonus)
Bruno Silva: $40,000
Angela Hill: $190,000 (includes $95,000 win bonus)
Lupita Godinez: $45,000
Martin Buday: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
Lukasz Brzeski: $10,000
Nina Nunes: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus)
Cynthia Calvillo: $70,000
Gabriel Benitez: $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus)
Charlie Ontiveros: $12,000
Tyson Nam: $50,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus)
Ode Osbourne: $28,000
Josh Quinlan: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
Jason Witt: $23,000
Youssef Zalal: $24,000
Da’Mon Blackshear: $12,000

It’s quite a revelation that there are people risking their health in a permier promotion for the bare minimum of $12,000.

As soon as the state athletic commission disclosed this information, fans immediately voiced their disapproval of the way UFC does business.

One fan even went so far as to refer to Dana White as an oppressor:

“You must be proud @danawhite, modern day slave owner.”

A fan brought up a fascinating tidbit about the Russian boxer Azamat Murzakanov. The Russian light heavyweight defeated Matheus Scheffel on Dana White’s Contender Series to secure a contract with the promotion. However, he only earned $24k in his subsequent event. On the other hand, Scheffel is going to compete in the PFL championship match for the $1,000,000 prize.

Another fan said that the UFC athlete’s minimum compensation should be $25,000.

The UFC CEO recently took part in a lighthearted interview where he answered questions from online followers. In response to one question concerning athlete pay, White said that boxers get their just compensation. He said that a wage hike was never going to happen during his tenure.

Jake Paul tweeted his views in response to White’s most recent remarks, saying:

“No major sports organization pays its athletes as poorly as Dana White & UFC. If u don’t see that then you are one of Dana’s sheeps. They keep talking about selling out 21 events in a row but never talking about raising fighter pay, giving them healthcare & fair revenue split.”

Paul tweeted once again a few hours later, criticizing White’s grip over his athletes:

“If my boss told me I am never getting a raise I would quit and go somewhere that actually values me. Right? But what if ur boss, who has made hundreds of millions from ur hard work told u he’s not increasing ur minimum pay and you’re not able to quit?”