Two sister promotions, yet the difference in fighter payouts is hard to ignore. Months after his departure from the UFC, Colby Covington remains vocal about the growing disparity in compensation between UFC fighters and those competing under Dana White‘s Zuffa Boxing. While UFC fighters put their health and careers on the line for comparatively modest purses, boxers appear to be enjoying far more lucrative deals. Speaking with James Lynch, Covington took aim at White, accusing him of overlooking one of the most pressing issues facing the UFC: fighter pay.

“Yeah, I don’t like it, you know,” Covington said. “It’s just that it’s tough, you know. Ever since they got into the boxing space with the Zuffa Boxing, it just was like a big slap in the face to us UFC fighters, you know?”

To make a compelling case, Covington shifted his focus to Conor Benn. Early this year, the British welterweight and Zuffa Boxing agreed to a one-fight deal worth $15 million. Covington, and many others, find it surprising. Why should a new boxing promotion hand out a colossal figure to a little-known figure like Benn?

“And he quit in his fight,” Covington added. “He literally just went out there to take a paycheck and just quit. He didn’t even put on a good performance, you know? He was out in like three or four rounds against Ryan Garcia, who’s nothing special.

“You know, that guy was beat up by Rolly Romero, you know, just a fight before. So, I don’t like it. I don’t like that they’re, you know, incentivizing boxers over us UFC fighters. UFC fighters, we take the biggest risk.”

According to Covington, when compared to boxers, MMA fighters take greater risks. As a sport, boxing limits a fighter’s ability to hurt their opponents. The cage voids those limitations. Besides fists, a fighter can use body parts, including elbows and knees, to subdue an opponent.

Chances of physical damage are much greater in MMA, Covington argued. So the fighters deserve compensation that matches their abilities and the risks.

“So, I don’t like it,” he concluded. “I think that it’s unfair to the fighters, and I get where the fighters are coming from.”

Covington’s comments closely follow the huge uproar Sean Strickland’s comments caused.

From Colby Covington to Sean Strickland: The UFC’s fighter pay battle intensifies

“I gotta be honest; unless things change with the UFC, I’m kinda over it,” Strickland wrote early in October. “McGregor makes 30 million to fight for 30 seconds, and they don’t want to pay us a fraction of it. Contemplating just going to 205, knocking out my contract, and scrapping with @jakepaul. That sounds fun.”

Early this year, the middleweight champion had described UFC’s payout process as “predatory.”

“As far as the pay scale, when you compare it to any other sporting event, the UFC is the most f**ked up,” he told Complex. “Athlete pay versus what (the UFC) is making, there is no argument there. It’s not fair. It’s predatory.”

Strickland is not the only UFC star to have voiced concerns over UFC payouts. Israel Adesanya also criticized the promotion for disregarding the fighters.

“These guys are top-class boxers,” he said, commenting on Conor Benn’s $15 million Zuffa signing. “They’re the best in the world at what they do. But so are we. This is the UFC. And if one guy can command that kind of money for one fight, and that’s from the same company, Zuffa.

“This is what’s been keeping the lights on: the UFC. We love Ultimate Fighting, not limited fighting. I don’t feel jaded, but I’m like, Fuck it, I want 15 million for one fight too.”

For someone like Covington to express support for dissatisfied fighters suggests that tensions surrounding fighter pay may be reaching a critical point.

Covington was long considered a “company man.” He has voiced his concerns over several matters, including matchmaking issues. According to him, the UFC often forced fighters to accept matchups they didn’t want.

This could be the first time Covington spoke about the payout issue so publicly.

In March 2026, Covington criticized prominent fighters and MMA figures, including Ilia Topuria, Islam Makhachev, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. According to him, they were not doing enough to highlight the challenges faced by lower-paid UFC fighters. He suggested that fighters earning multi-million-dollar paychecks could use their influence and platforms to bring greater attention to the issue of fighter pay.

One possible reason why Covington came down so heavily on the UFC could be that he is now free from any promotional obligations. He can criticize the promotion at will. He has often highlighted how the Real American Freestyle (RAF) has been rewarding him for his appearances.

Following his exit from the UFC, Covington had joined the wrestling promotion. He remains unbeaten and holds the promotion’s cruiserweight championship.