Jorge Masvidal continues to lead the charge in pursuit of a pay rise for UFC fighters. The organization has repeatedly come under fire for its low pay scale compared to other major sports, with several high-profile fighters including Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou publicly calling Dana White out on his business practices.
Masvidal is looking to bring attention to the issue, but in a recent episode of The MMA Hour acknowledged the inherent difficulty in getting fighters to unionize.
Jorge Masvidal: UFC Fighter Pay is “Messed Up”
“Fighters are very individual creatures. We’d have to come together under a roof, or something like that, and have each other’s best interests at heart, so we could sit down with everybody together. And that, in itself, is a problem.”
Masvidal is less concerned with his own paycheck, which as one of the UFC’s top draws is not insignificant. He’s more concerned about younger fighters and the UFC’s legions of mid-range fighters, floating just below the ranked positions and eking out a living from one fight to the next.
“I want every single fighter on the roster to get what they deserve, but it’s crazy. The next guy that’s not in the UFC might be happy to this and that, and you know how it is.”
Earlier this year, in the lead-up to UFC 251, Masvidal was proud to have negotiated a better deal for himself. At the time, he claimed to be “leading the charge” in pursuit of a greater percentage of fight night revenue for the athletes in the Octagon.
“I’m leading that campaign whether I have the belt or not, which I am going to have the belt. If I wasn’t competing for the belt, I’d still be campaigning for a belt around my waist.
I’m still going to be campaigning, not just for more money for me, but for all my brothers and sisters in the sport. Especially when it comes to a revenue share of the pay-per-view. That’s really what I’m voicing my opinion on.”
Masvidal also reference a graphic that indicated the UFC only offering 16 per cent of its pay-per-view revenue to fighters, far less than that offered by lower-tier promotions like Bellator.
“I think in the future, something will happen, but I don’t know. I hope more people keep bringing attention to it, because I think it’s messed up. I think they just released again the percentages of or Bellator and other organizations, how much more they give. It’s crazy.”
Do you think the UFC should offer a greater PPV percentage to its fighters, or should they consider other revenue streams? Let us know in the comments.
Remember to stay up to date with the latest news on TheOvertimer. Don’t forget to visit Screenstinger for great videos, news, and gameplay!
