Dana White and Co turned heads after signing Conor Benn under their Zuffa Boxing banner for a staggering $15 million deal. While many boxers see the move as a major win, the same cannot be said for UFC fighters. Reacting to the signing, a British UFC fighter delivered a risky take against the promotion, which even received support from one of the organization’s prominent former champs.

Following the groundbreaking Zuffa deal, Michael ‘Venom’ Page raised questions about the UFC’s decision. According to the British MMA star, the promotion may have hurt itself by offering such an astronomical amount to Conor Benn, as he believes the boxer does not deserve that payday and is not a major star yet. That risky take definitely stirred the pot, but Page’s comments found support from ex-135 lbs king, Aljamain Sterling, who shared a similar sentiment regarding the deal and also the fighters’ pay debate.

“It’s just hurtful to see the money go that way for somebody that, for me, is not at the top of his field,” Page told Sky Sports. “He’s a great boxer. I’m a fan of his. I love watching his fights because he’s always exciting. He always gives it all. But in that division, he’s nowhere near the best. You’ve given that amount of money to somebody, I’d say, is not the best, but then you got people over here [in UFC] that are at the top,” he added.

Well, that’s definitely a very straightforward take by ‘MVP,’ and it goes against the UFC. But it’s not the first time a fighter has spoken out against the promotion. So what makes the English MMA star’s comments risky? The fact that he said it on a major platform like Sky Sports, which is widely watched in the United Kingdom, makes it possible that Page could end up on Dana White’s radar. However, he isn’t alone, as Aljamain Sterling has also shown support by reposting the video on X.

Just like Page, ‘Funkmaster’ also echoed a similar sentiment, questioning Benn’s star power. As per Sterling, ‘The Destroyer’ might not generate additional merchandise sales while fighting under Zuffa, let alone justifying the $15M tag. And after the British boxer’s fight was made official, fans also had similar reactions.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Now, as several UFC fighters continue to call out White over the lucrative deal, another top star has joined the conversation, urging fighters to recognize their true worth.

Max Holloway calls out UFC fighters to recognize their value

Max Holloway has been one of the most revered stars in the UFC, fighting under Dana White’s banner for well over a decade. So when the former 145 lbs champion speaks, people tend to listen. After Conor Benn’s lucrative deal reignited discussions about fighter pay, ‘Blessed’ did not hold back while urging fighters to understand their true worth.

“One time that will always stick out to my mind was when, I love Derrick Lewis, he’s the man, but when Jon Jones said, ‘I’ll fight Francis, give me $10 million,’ or whatever it was, and the UFC said, ‘Hell no, we’re not paying you that,’” Holloway said on Demetrious Johnson’s podcast. “Derrick Lewis, I believe, was ranked at the time and he said, ‘What? Jon is doing this for 10, give me a mil and I’ll fight Francis now.’ We cannot be doing that, brother.

You needed to almost stand in Jon’s corner and be like, ‘Yeah Jon, you deserve $10 million, go get that 10.’ Because guess what, if he’s fighting for ten, your base pay probably comes up too. I hope these new fighters coming in just know your worth,” he added.

For the unfamiliar, Max Holloway was referring to the situation in 2021 when Derrick Lewis emerged as a frontrunner to fight then-UFC champion Francis Ngannou after Dana White could not meet Jon Jones’ financial demands. Eventually, the projected rematch between Lewis and Ngannou stalled and never took place. Still, the whole episode highlighted how crucial negotiations can be when it comes to making fights happen.

That said, what do you think about the UFC fighters’ reactions to Dana White and Conor Benn’s deal? Are they right to call it out? Let us know in the comments section below.