John S. Nash, in a recent Twitter post, shared findings from the UFC’s earnings call, shedding light on the growth in fighter pay from 2005 to 2021.  The revelation about fighter pay in the UFC has ignited criticism from fans towards the organization, and its president, Dana White.

Nash’s calculations based on the figures presented during the earnings call indicate that fighter pay amounted to approximately $178.8 million per year, accounting for around 17.5% of the revenue in 2021. But when he came to 2022, the results were astounding. The disclosed numbers drew significant attention, and the fan response was far from positive.

Fans respond to shocking numbers reveal on UFC fighter pay

The UFCs earnings call was the primary source of this information according to Nash. He was able to extrapolate the revenue sharing percentage earned by fighters through the graph as he mentions in his video.

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However, the filing also revealed a reduction in fighter expenses by $32.8 million per year from 2022 to 2021. By extrapolating the data, Nash estimated that fighters received $146 million out of a revenue of $1.14 billion in 2022, representing only 13% of the total revenue. This, when compared to NBA, which shares 50% of its revenue with its players, is criminally low.

And the fan reactions indicated the same:

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Some fans expressed their concern with the perceived dip in the quality of the product:

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While others mentioned that unionizing is the way forward

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Comparisons were also drawn by fans to other major sports leagues in the US

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Some expressed their feelings with Nate Diaz’s famous quote

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While other fans were concerned with UFC following the WWE model

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Other reactions included concerns about fans not caring about the UFC anymore

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And others tried to reason why fighters seem to be locked into having no other options

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As the fan reactions indicate, there is a growing discontent amongst the fan base as they feel like the fighters aren’t getting compensated enough, which is directly impacting the product the UFC and Dana White want the fans to consume.

‘The Predator’ left the UFC because of issues with revenue and contracts under Dana White

The impact of fighter pay on the UFC product is exemplified by the departure of Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion. In an interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, Ngannou shared his struggles with signing a new UFC contract and the challenges he faced in seeking fair compensation for his fights.

Despite earning $600,000 from his victory over Ciryl Gane, Ngannou believes he missed out on approximately $7 million. He pointed out that UFC contracts are binding and often lack adequate health insurance coverage for fighters.

Ngannou’s decision to leave the UFC stemmed from his belief that fighters are not being treated fairly, considering the risks they undertake in the octagon. He also mentioned that the UFC wasn’t agreeable to his plans to take boxing fights between his UFC bouts.

While it remains uncertain if other high-profile fighters will follow Ngannou’s lead, the UFC’s reputation among the MMA fan community has suffered a significant blow. The reaction from fans indicates a substantial loss of goodwill towards the organization.

The issue of fighter pay continues to be a contentious one, with increased scrutiny on the UFC’s revenue-sharing model and the compensation provided to its athletes.

The future of fighter pay in the UFC hangs in the balance, as fans and fighters alike demand fairer treatment and a more transparent approach to revenue sharing within the sport.

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