The UFC in the 21st century has become one of the biggest sporting organizations in the world. Dana White and Co. initially struggled, from dealing with being banned in several states to eventually becoming a mainstream success. Even some boxers like to watch UFC fighters butting heads inside the Octagon, including Mike Tyson. However, ‘Iron’ isn’t too sure if he’d have competed in it.

Well, Mike Tyson‘s comments weren’t about the UFC being less exciting, but rather about the pay structure of the fighters. He finds it hard to believe that the UFC is capable or willing to shell out the kind of money Tyson expects to make if he decides to step inside the ring, or, in this case, the Octagon.

“5 of the biggest UFC fighters combined couldn’t match my pay,” Mike Tyson stated in an old interview that resurfaced online. “I want to be the biggest fighter, the biggest purse, I want all that stuff.”

Tyson didn’t do it just for the fight. He made sure he was rewarded well for it. As a reference, the best of the UFC fighters, like Conor McGregor, are paid 3 to 4 million per fight, whereas Tyson earned almost ten times that amount for a single fight.

As we all know, fighter pay is a massive issue in the UFC, with many people calling for the Ali Act to be introduced in mixed martial arts and other combative sports. This would help in preventing fighters from getting exploited. Meanwhile, after hearing what Mike Tyson had to say in the resurfaced video, fans didn’t stay quiet for long.

The fight community took vocal stances regarding the fighter pay issue. And the brunt of the backlash was faced by Dana White. Here’s what they had to say.

Fans take aim at Dana White

“Dana is a greedy f— thats why,” a fan commented on X.

Dana White is a multi-millionaire, and the UFC is a billion-dollar organization, raking in revenue in the billions. The fans expect the CEO and the other execs to pay due diligence to the fighters who risk their lives on the line. Similar comments were posted by other fans on X as well.

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“Fact… UFC stays with all the profits… Only few make money…. Dana White is unfair with the fighters,” said another fan.

Fans also pointed out the promotion’s business deals, like the $7.7B broadcast rights deal with Paramount. This, according to them, is proof that they heavily underpay regular fighters. It’s only those like Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Alex Pereira who get a bigger share of the pie compared to the mid-card and prelims fighters.

“Francis Ngannou been saying the pay is low.”

Many fighters have spoken about the pay issue, and one of the biggest names among them was Francis Ngannou. ‘The Predator’ left the promotion for the same reasons, in addition to the restrictive nature of the UFC contracts. While Dana White insists on Ngannou being manipulative, most of the fans believe the Cameroon native was right.

Similarly, another fan wrote, “Dana White needs to do better. Many UFC fighters complain about this.”

Other than the big earners, most UFC fighters struggle to make a living just by fighting. They tend to take other jobs, like Alexandre Pantoja being an UberEats driver, to make ends meet. Fans want Dana White to solve this issue, while others have presented an idea to the fighters.

“I’ve always wondered why mma fighters dont just put on fights independently the way boxers do. Makes no sense to make peanuts getting your head kicked in while making Dana white a multi millionaire.”

UFC, as a promotion, is all about the fighters on its roster. Nothing can happen unless the fighters agree to compete. To avoid being misutilized and underpaid, fans suggest the fighters should follow the way of the boxing world and set up independent shows. This would certainly help them make what they feel they should earn.

“Tyson’s paycheck could buy a whole fight card. Even the heavyweight champs would need a loan.”

When it comes to Mike Tyson, he used to make millions of dollars for a single fight in his prime. Even the Jake Paul fight helped him make a substantial amount of money. As such, fans have their doubts about Dana White and Co. splashing the kind of money Tyson demands, given that the amount could very well be enough to pay all the fighters on an event’s card and some more.

What do you think? Drop your comments below.