While UFC fighter pay remains a hot topic of discussion, a heavyweight veteran recently revealed an ‘insanely disrespectful’ video game payout. Of course, not all the fighters are seemingly affected by it since the payout varies depending on the contracts. But who knew there would be such a massive difference? As such, the surprising revelation has caught the attention of fans.

The veteran in question is former UFC heavyweight fighter Aleksei Oleinik, who left the promotion in 2022. However, Oleinik recently made a revelation, highlighting the special payout he receives from the UFC. And it comes from selling his likeness or avatar to the EA UFC video game.

“The UFC signed a contract with me to use my name about 8 years ago,” said Oleinik during an Instagram live. “And they’re sending me money every year. In 2025, they sent $250, and my ex-wife took it pretty fast. She transferred it to her own bank account. We had a mutual bank account, and I used it for receiving payments from the UFC.”

$250 for a veteran shows how UFC payouts roll out in regard to a fighter’s stature. Keeping Oleinik’s case in mind, let’s take Demetrious Johnson, for example. ‘Mighty Mouse’ was arguably one of the standout MMA fighters and the first UFC flyweight champion.

Considering Johnson’s stature, he reportedly received over $70,000 total for his inclusion in UFC 2 through UFC 4. Not only that, but the former flyweight champion also received a $10,000 bonus for being EA UFC 3’s cover athlete. And this gives a complete picture of the scenario regarding UFC payouts, even in the case of video games.

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However, as this revelation from Oleinik came into the picture, it created an uproar among the fans. To that end, they even shared their thoughts on it.

Fans react to Aleksei Oleinik’s UFC pay revelation

With the recent developments surrounding Dana White-led Zuffa Boxing’s new signings, the UFC fighter pay issue was already buzzing. Aleksei Oleinik’s revelation just added more fuel to an already burning fire. For starters, fans felt the promotion didn’t do enough for the heavyweight veteran.

“$250 for your likeness is insanely disrespectful,” a user wrote. Oleinik is an 80-fight MMA veteran, and in UFC, he fought the likes of Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, and Fabricio Werdum. And for the fans, it was a disrespect to him. “250 usd? F**king insult,” another netizen wrote.

Meanwhile, a few others also took this as an opportunity to criticize UFC for paying so comparatively little. “UFC are probably the most stingy organisation out there,” the user commented. Amid that, some people also took notice and playfully poked fun at Oleinik’s avatar. “That’s sad. Also, that avatar looks nothing like him lol,” the netizen wrote.

But mainly, it was around fighter pay and also how his ex-wife even took that $250 he received from the promotion. “This man has deeper problems than fighter pay,” a fan wrote. Meanwhile, another fan made a joke about the situation and wrote: “Ouch. This is worse than taking an L in the octagon. 😭”

Surely, the outrage from the fans was justifiable, especially considering the hefty signings White & Co. are making lately. But then again, these payouts for video games are usually based on their contracts and their stature in the UFC. The bigger the star, the bigger the reward.

That said, do you think being an 80-fight MMA veteran, Oleinik deserved more? Let us know in the comments below!