When the UFC kicked off a new era with a massive $7.7 billion media rights deal with Paramount+, many, like Justin Gaethje, expected to finally feel the financial upside. A new platform with no pay-per-view barrier and a bigger reach equals more money, right? Not quite.

As Gaethje prepares to headline UFC 324 against Paddy Pimblett, the first numbered event under the Paramount+ banner, the former interim lightweight champion claimed nothing has changed where it matters most: his paycheck. And that disconnect has left him openly frustrated, questioning how a deal this large can trickle down so little.

Speaking during UFC 324 media week in a clip shared by MMA Junkie on X, Gaethje didn’t mince words. “Oh man, to have 14 bonuses and not equal up to a million dollars, it’s not right. It’s not right. It should be a lot more than that,” he said.

‘The Highlight’, living up to his moniker, has earned 14 post-fight bonuses in his UFC career, one in every appearance. Thirteen of those came at the standard $50,000 rate, totaling $650,000. The other was a $300,000 Fight of the Night bonus at UFC 300 during his war with Max Holloway.

Add it all up, and it comes to $950,000. Impressive on paper, but still short of the seven-figure mark.

For Gaethje, that gap matters. “I should have had opportunities to do smarter things with my money, but I don’t and I haven’t,” he admitted.

And then came the line that cut through the optimism surrounding the Paramount deal. “I hear Daniel Cormier saying that everybody’s going to get paid more on this card. I’m not getting $1 more than I would have if this deal didn’t happen.”

That’s a stark contrast to the public messaging. The lightweight star isn’t speculating, he’s speaking from his own contract. Whether he was eligible for pay-per-view points before is unclear, but the reality now is simple: the new deal didn’t change his bottom line.

So what does that say about the system? If a main-event fighter launching a $7.7 billion era isn’t seeing a bump, who is? Justin Gaethje isn’t calling for sympathy. He’s calling attention to a structure that doesn’t reward consistency the way fans might assume, and he’s already laid out his retirement plans after UFC 324!

Justin Gaethje plans to leave his gloves inside the Octagon in 2027

For Justin Gaethje, the timeline is clearer than people realize. With more than 30 professional fights and a résumé built on damage and durability, he’s no longer pretending this can last forever.

Speaking to Main Event TV, Gaethje recently said, “I just have the most amazing parents,” reflecting on the foundation that carried him through a career that began right out of high school in 2007. He then spoke about unconditional love and support, and how that example has reshaped his priorities.

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“I want children,” Gaethje admitted, but with a condition: he wants to be fully present when that chapter begins. In his words, he doesn’t want to start a family until he can be what his parents were for him. That honesty matters, and it explains why the financial conversation hits differently now.

“I’m almost done with this ride,” he said, before laying it out plainly: “I think definitely by 2027 I will be done, and I will be able to move on to those other parts of my life.”

That’s why Justin Gaethje’s message cuts deeper than a complaint about bonuses or contracts. It’s a reality check. With retirement already penciled in and family now the priority, his words feel less like frustration and more like a warning. If even fighters like ‘The Highlight’ don’t feel the upside of the UFC’s new deal, the conversation about pay isn’t going away; it’s only getting louder.