Should UFC Fighters Get Paid More?

[David]

35 minutes ago, Dai said:

Hes reacted like all the other times hes not gotten his own way. Nothing seperates this lot of spouting compared to the hundreds of other examples when hes throwing his toys out of his pram.

Oh, Dana always acts unreasonably, but there's something about this situation that's different. He's threatened legal action, which is different level. 

[David]

On 1/17/2022 at 9:24 AM, David said:

There's a good chance that if he wins against Gane and the UFC don't bump his pay up, he'll just sit out MMA for the year, train boxing, while having his management team negotiate on his behalf to put together a boxing match. And his big selling point will be "the current MMA heavyweight champion," which is huge.

He then walks away in January 2023 and brings with him the status of the real UFC heavyweight champion. While he may not be making Canelo-esque money in boxing, he'll absolutely be making many times over the piffly amount the UFC are offering. 

If he did face Fury, all he'd need to do is acquit himself reasonably well in defeat and he'll be sure of some follow up fights. 

All the while red-faced Dana will be doing his best to tell that fat reporter guy who always gets first question why fighter X is actually the real heavyweight champion and Ngannou is nothing more than a joke. 

Well, it's pretty much played out as I predicted it would, right down to Dana trying to frame it that Ngannou is scared and not willing to take a risk.

The only thing I didn't get right was the "piffly amount" part, as Ngannou claims he was offered $8 million per fight, which is the highest offered to any UFC heavyweight apparently.

I actually think that's a good financial offer to be honest, but unlike many fighters who claim they're all about freedom and respect only to cave when uncle D flashes the cash, Francis has walked away from very good money because the company wouldn't budge on things like healthcare, personal sponsors and a fighter advocate at the promotion’s negotiating table.

Basically, he wanted benefits tied into his deal that would have opened the door for other fighters to request the same, and the fact the UFC wouldn't budge on those factors but would chuck more money at him than anyone else in his division says it all.

I hope he lands a bumper payday or two in boxing. He's the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, after all. That's a title he can (and likely will) use in any marketing or promotion of future fights.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall of Dana's living room when he's watching Michael Buffer introduce Ngannou as "the baddest man in MMA and the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion" on his boxing debut.

Nice to see Dana reverts to form. The prick is so predictable. Apparently Francis wanted to "play it safe." If leaving millions of dollars of guaranteed money on the table to venture into the great unknown in pursuit of professional freedom is "playing it safe" then I don't know what to say.

I also note the language being used by White and his cronies in the media. Francis "was released from his contract" and is apparently afraid of Jon Jones. This quote from Dana is a doozy:

Quote

"I think he doesn’t want to take the risk,” White said of Ngannou. “You’re going in against Jon Jones, the best of all time, and at the end of the day there’s nothing wrong with that, that’s just not what we do here. The best fight the best here.

“There’s plenty of places where you can do that, and that’s where he’ll end up. He’ll end up somewhere where somebody will throw some money at him, and he’s going to fight fights he thinks he can win.”

The bitterness and rage is palpable. And I, for one, absolutely love it. 

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by David

[wandshogun09]

He’s not having the best start to 2023 is he? I hate that we won’t get Ngannou vs Jones but I love the way Ngannou is handling this even more.

[neil]

It speaks to the levels of stupidity that follow this sport that Dana can trot out exactly the same reasoning for every fighter that this happens with and each and every time the fans lap it up. Trump voters the lot of them.

[David]

15 hours ago, neil said:

It speaks to the levels of stupidity that follow this sport that Dana can trot out exactly the same reasoning for every fighter that this happens with and each and every time the fans lap it up. Trump voters the lot of them.

To be fair, Biden supporters are just as gullible and easily led, but I digress. The comments on social media from certain areas of the fanbase already mention Francis being "scared" of Jon Jones.

Dana must look at this kind of thing and laugh like fuck.

[wandshogun09]

Half the fighters are just as bad, to be honest. Seen a few rush to social media to defend what they get paid and argue with the very people saying they should get more. Can’t remember the others now but Charles Jourdain was definitely one of them. Boggles the mind. ‘No fuck you, don’t tell them to pay me more. I’m happy on my 16/16k purses’. I always knew a fair old chunk of the roster were Dana bootlickers who’d defend him no matter what but between this Ngannou thing and the Dana slapping his wife about stuff, it’s shown itself to be even worse than I thought. 

[David]

8 hours ago, wandshogun09 said:

Half the fighters are just as bad, to be honest. Seen a few rush to social media to defend what they get paid and argue with the very people saying they should get more. Can’t remember the others now but Charles Jourdain was definitely one of them. Boggles the mind. ‘No fuck you, don’t tell them to pay me more. I’m happy on my 16/16k purses’. I always knew a fair old chunk of the roster were Dana bootlickers who’d defend him no matter what but between this Ngannou thing and the Dana slapping his wife about stuff, it’s shown itself to be even worse than I thought. 

Those are just dudes who are afraid of losing their job. They hope their supportive comments are kept in mind if they go on a three fight skid.