Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson has, over the years, slowly revealed the working conditions he endured even as one of the UFC’s most dominant champions. “Mighty Mouse” was eventually traded to ONE FC for Ben Askren, where he has continued to reign as a top contender in the twilight years of his illustrious career. In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Demetrious Johnson revealed the shockingly low payouts he was getting as a reigning champ.
“When I fought Dominick Cruz [for the bantamweight title] I was under contract, I was fighting for $14,000 [to show] and $14,000 [to win].
Demetrious Johnson Reveals Shocking Low Pay As UFC Champ
I lost to Cruz, so I made 14K. Then I was about fight Eddie Wineland and that didn’t go through so I fought Ian McCall in Australia, and I was on the same contract. Then, I got a new contract when I fought Ian McCall for the second time, I think I got bumped up to $20,000 and $20,000.
I beat Ian McCall and then I fought Joseph Benavidez. Then I was still on that $20,000 and $20,000, so when I fought John Dodson I made $23,000 and $23,000. Then when I fought John Moraga, I think it was $23,000 and $23,000 so it probably went $26,000 and $26,000. Then when I fought Joseph Benavidez, I think it was $30,000 and $30,000.
Then I finally got a new contract as champion, and I think it was $125,000 and $50,000, but I couldn’t get pay-per-view points. That’s where a champion makes the most bang for their buck, the pay-per-view points. Because if you get on a card with Conor McGregor and he does 2.1 million buys, you just do the f****** math. You’re going to make a s***load of money. I never got the opportunity to do that.”
Johnson continued, describing the time the UFC attempted to “stiff-arm” him into fighting T.J. Dillashaw during the latter’s time as bantamweight champ.
“So, when they tried to stiff-arm me into fighting T.J. Dillashaw, I was like, ‘Yeah, pay me a f****** million dollars, and I’ll do it.
This is a super fight, let’s make some super money.’ They never wanted to do that. That’s why I came out with that, basically pushing back, because when does a champion have leverage? When does a champion get what is due to them? Going back to my seventh or eighth title defense, you’ve got f****** CM Punk over here who is making 500 bones and it’s his second fight in the UFC. That’s where that chip on my shoulder came from.”
Should the UFC have paid “Mighty Mouse” more? Let us know in the comments.
