At the UFC 324 media day, Justin Gaethje’s comments stirred the pot in a big way. ‘The Highlight’ revealed that he did not receive a major financial bump under the company’s $7.7 billion Paramount era, once again putting an already hot fighter’s pay debate under the spotlight. However, it appears not every fighter is experiencing the same situation, as Alexander Volkanovski has secured a new deal.

‘The Great’ is set to headline the Paramount+ CBS’s second event, UFC 325, on January 31(February 1 in Australia) against a familiar opponent in Diego Lopes, whom he has beaten before. As the two-time featherweight champion prepares to put on a show in Sydney, Volkanovski revealed that Dana White and the UFC have offered him a new and more lucrative contract under the new broadcasting regime.   

Alexander Volkanovski confirms he is earning more money under his new UFC contract

“We… were chat chitting. Yeah, like we’re going for it. We will be getting more. New contract, yes,” Volkanovski told ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto. 

As the Aussie opened up about the existence of a new UFC contract under the Paramount+ era, he also revealed that he is set to earn more, even though he kept the exact numbers private. For his last fight against Diego Lopes at UFC 314, Volkanovski reportedly earned over $1 million. That figure is expected to change under the new broadcast model, as PPV points will no longer exist the way they did before.

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Volkanovski is not the only big name securing a new deal. Former two-division champion Conor McGregor has also confirmed that he is working under a fresh agreement. During a livestream, ‘The Notorious’ explained that the final two fights on his previous contract became void due to PPV-related payment clauses, which both sides are now trying to restructure.

With the UFC moving quickly to hand out updated contracts, Justin Gaethje’s manager added more context to the situation. Addressing the issue, Dominance MMA CEO Ali Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie that Dana White did offer ‘The Highlight’ more money, but Gaethje rejected the deal because he was not satisfied with the terms. Ali chose to keep the exact reason under wraps.

Now, as agreements continue to shift under the new model, Dana White has also announced increased performance bonuses. And while the UFC 325 main event promises fireworks, Alexander Volkanovski has made it clear that chasing a Fight of the Night bonus is not his main focus.    

‘The Great’ is willing to sacrifice bonus money for keeping the belt 

Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett’s five-round barnburner earned them Fight of the Night honors. After dishing out heavy damage for 25 straight minutes, Dana White rewarded them with a $100,000 bonus, double the previous amount. Naturally, that raises expectations for Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes to deliver another show-stealer. But ‘The Great’ has made it clear he is not interested in a hit-me-you-hit-me type of fight.

“I’ve always said this, I’m only losing by getting, you know, someone landing, catching me. I truly do believe that, and he’s a guy that can do that. He’s a guy that can eat them. He can take some good punishment. He’ll eat one to give one. And I mean eat one to give one. So, they’re always dangerous. So yeah, you’ve got to respect that,” Volkanovski said at the UFC 325 media day.

While the reigning featherweight champion did not spell it out directly, he is likely to stay outside the pocket against Lopes in the UFC 325 main event. There is a clear reason for that approach. In their first meeting, Volkanovski controlled the rounds and scored a knockdown on the Brazilian. However, Lopes built serious momentum in the later rounds and returned the favor with a knockdown of his own. That moment alone showed why the 145 lbs king must respect the danger, especially with Lopes openly hunting for a knockout this time around.

If Alexander Volkanovski chooses to fight smart and safe, he might miss out on the $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus. That approach, however, could keep the belt firmly on his shoulder. That said, do you think ‘The Great’ can successfully avoid the danger this time? Or does he need to answer fire with fire like before? Let us know in the comments section below.