Arman Tsarukyan has given his two cents on the hot topic of fighter pay in the UFC. The promotion has received backlash from several fighters and veterans over low pay.
The UFC signed a seven-year, $7.7 billion media-rights agreement with Paramount. However, fighters like Justin Gaethje and Colby Covington, among others, have confessed that despite the new massive deal, they are still earning less and still on the old contracts.
Earlier this year, Jon Jones also torched Dana White and claimed he was lowballed by the UFC brass, after which “Bones” decided not to be a part of the White House card.
Meanwhile, Ronda Rousey has also called out the UFC for paying fighters less, highlighting that most fighters on the UFC’s payroll struggle to earn enough money and therefore have to seek side jobs.
Fighters have not united to demand better pay, and “Chaos” believes the sole reason is that champions and stars are super pleased with their contracts, while surging contenders, those at the bottom of the charts, and newcomers suffer the most.
Arman Tsarukyan on UFC fighter pay
During a candid chat with Ryan Garcia, Arman Tsarukyan compared UFC fighter pay to boxing purses, opining that MMA athletes deserve bigger paydays. However, Tsarukyan pointed out that lesser-known UFC fighters often earn more than rising boxing contenders.
“Of course, MMA fighters gotta be paid more. Medium fighters get paid more than most boxers. For example, stars like you get paid maybe five times more than a UFC champion. But if there is a medium fighter who’s top-10 or top-12, he/she gets paid more than boxing guys. In boxing, only the big names get paid.”
The Armenian added that following the Paramount deal, both his pay and the purses of other UFC fighters have increased. So good times are finally coming, but a revolution in pay will take a few more years:
“They already started paying more because of the new Paramount deal. Now they are changing all deals [contracts]. Guys are getting more money, and even me. So they signed my contract and the other guys; the champions get more pay. The [champs] who got paid $2 million are now getting paid $4 million. But still, it’s not the same money as boxing. I think in 3-4 years it’s gonna change. It cannot stay like this. If you’re a UFC champion and you defend your title, you gotta make $10 million at least.”
Lastly, Arman Tsarukyan said that fighters need more money because after every fight, they have to take care of their coaches, teams, etc., and a lesser purse is no help.
Check out Arman Tsarukyan’s comments below:
Dana White has stated that everyone on the UFC’s payroll will see an increase in pay in the days to come, and more money flowing into the sport is a positive thing.