Dana White isn’t going to like this one. The long-awaited debut of Zuffa Boxing is officially in the books, featuring an eight-fight card that was meant to signal a new era for the promotion. Instead, one bout has reignited a familiar controversy—fighter pay—dragging a long-standing UFC issue straight into the boxing spotlight. So, what happened?

Julian ‘Hammer Hands’ Rodriguez squared off against Cain Sandoval in a ten-round welterweight clash. Rodriguez delivered a composed, dominant performance, outboxing Sandoval en route to a unanimous decision victory. But the real headline came after the final bell. Despite his win, Rodriguez publicly pleaded with White for better pay.

Rodriguez wants money from Dana White to feed his children

“Dana, I have kids, man,” Rodriguez declared on the mic during his post-fight interview with Max Kellerman. “I have to eat, we need some money, man, I need a fight. I am back at the PI on Monday, I wanna fight next month. Let’s go.” Dana White, who also serves as the CEO of the UFC, has dealt with similar criticisms throughout his tenure in mixed martial arts. 

The promotion has long been scrutinized for fighter pay, and White has openly stated that Zuffa Boxing would adopt a UFC-style operational model. According to reports, that approach extends to compensation. Zuffa Boxing is rumored to be implementing a tiered pay structure modeled after the UFC, offering consistent—but comparatively modest—guaranteed purses.

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The reported structure includes a $5,000 signing bonus, $15,000 base pay for unranked fighters, $50,000 for those ranked 5–10, $100,000 for fighters ranked 2–4, $250,000 for a title shot, and $500,000 for a title defense. Fighters are also reportedly required to compete at least once every five months to remain active within the system.

Former world champion Jamal Herring described the model as “wild,” questioning whether elite fighters would be willing to accept it. He suggested such a system could dramatically reshape boxing by favoring structured, lower-base purses over the sport’s traditional model of massive, negotiable paydays for top stars.

And Herring isn’t alone. 

Eddie Hearn ripped into Zuffa Boxing’s fighter pay

According to Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn, the financial picture for boxers in Zuffa Boxing is already raising red flags. “I was with a manager the other day who told me about an offer that [Zuffa Boxing] made to one of their fighters,” Hearn told Boxing Social. “I couldn’t believe how bad the money was.”

Hearn also criticized White’s support of changes to the Ali Act, which is designed to protect fighters from exploitative promotional practices. “I don’t see why there should be an alteration to the Ali Act,” Hearn said. “The Act is designed to protect the fighters. Respect the fighters, protect the fighters.”

While Hearn believes fighters understand the implications, he acknowledged the reality of limited opportunities. “But listen, if there’s an opportunity for a fighter, they’ll take it.”

Despite all the arguments against fighter pay, you have to remember that most boxers didn’t make much money to begin with. Zuffa’s pay structure is much better for those fighters who lack the pull that someone like Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, and Gervonta Davis have. Still, what did you make of Rodriguez’s plea?