Former UFC lightweight champion and current PFL star Anthony Pettis has some stark advice for any young MMA fighters out there, as he revealed on The MMA Hour. Don’t get “addicted” to the fame of the UFC platform, because there may be better financial opportunities out there.
In his capacity as a manager, as well as a fighter, Pettis has a front-row seat to the careers of young fighters. “I’ve got fighters that will say no to more money just to get on The Contender Series.”
Anthony Pettis Blasts Fighters “Addicted” To UFC Fame
He understands the temptation of getting in front of Dana White and putting on a show, but that’s a best-case scenario. Not everybody gets to impress.
The standard 5000/5000 deal offered in the Contender series pales in comparison to the moneymaking capacity fighters could have in other organizations. He pointed out fellow UFC lightweight alumnus Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC as one example.
“It’s weird. I think the fame that comes with fighting in the UFC, these fighters are addicted to that. They want that more than the guarantee. They’re like, I’m willing to risk not getting paid a certain amount to get the fame that comes with it and the recognition that comes with fighting on a UFC fight card.
The general public looks at the UFC like it’s the best place to fight, it’s the only place to fight. But as fighters, you’re supposed to take care of yourself. Most guys don’t get to fight as long as I got to fight. So I got to see all the phases of the MMA chain, from when the UFC got bought out to the WME, how those changes happened.
So I think fighters should definitely test the market. And there’s so many more organizations coming out now that are paying good guys. Eagle FC, Khabib’s show, they’re paying guys good money.”
The elephant in the room, where Pettis’ position is concerned, is how little the UFC’s fighters see of the organization’s profits. Although the UFC continues to expand every year, improving its profit margin, very little, if any, of this trickles down to organization’s fighters.
Even major stars like Francis Ngannou and Tony Ferguson have pointed out the huge disparity between executive salaries and the compensation for fighters. It’s become a major sticking point whenever Jake Paul decides to rile up Dana White, as the YouTuber-turned-boxer consistently demands that White pay his fighters more, and offers them health insurance.
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