I got my hand slapped for talking about fighter pay. That was a big one. I had Dana White yell at me in front of, like, 20 other fighters.
Maybe UFC and Bellator should take care of the fighters when their careers are done, as the NFL takes care of their players. Because they're making so much money off us.
My first contract I was offered by the UFC, or my second contract, it was 1-and-1, 2-and-2, 3-and-3. That's $12,000 for the year. Don't complain to me about fighter pay. It was $12,000 for a year, and it was exclusive.
Look at guys like Demetrious Johnson, who's the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. Why isn't he on the largest pay scale? Why are there people that aren't even champions making more money?
I do get paid well as an MMA fighter, but this isn't boxing and I feel like we should get paid like this is boxing.
I think for the UFC to re-sign me, that would be something that's great.
To be in the UFC and have the name but not the earnings, good for you, you get a hand clasp and a shake and a don't let the door hit you on the way out sort of thing.
The UFC makes about 99 percent of the money, and the rest goes to the fighters. That one percent ain't nothing compared to what they make on merchandising, on pay-per-view, and everything else they make around the world.
I think the healthier Bellator can be, the better it is for the entire sport, especially the athletes who - let's face it - need to be paid more. They need the opportunity to negotiate and have an option. Bellator definitely presents that.
People got to understand, the fighters at the top are the fighters that are supposed to get paid because they're the guys that are bringing people in, bringing eyes to the TV, getting pay-per-views buys, and putting people in the seats. I mean, that's what it comes down to.
I'm just asking for a fair shake. You see a lot of these guys, a lot of these other champions making what they're making. I'm not trying to take anything away from them, but I feel like I'm one of the more exciting fighters under contract in the UFC.
The UFC has a long history of changing a fighter's compensation for a particular bout... There's always changes that's always being made as far as contracts.
Even when you're on top in the UFC, you only get paid a couple times a year.
When you're watching people in non-title fights making four times the amount of money that a champion makes, it takes away the flavor of being a champion.
Everybody in boxing probably makes out well except for the fighter.
One can construct a strong legal and ethical argument for minimizing the fees that are paid to world sanctioning organizations in conjunction with championship bouts. It's not uncommon for skilled fighters to be denied championship opportunities while less-talented but better-connected boxers fight for belts.
I know why the UFC runs the business the way they do. I know why Conor McGregor makes a base pay of $3 million. But I think I justify my pay with my skill set, and I've always been willing to promote my brand.
I am not going to sell my soul for a fight. Some promoters don't believe in the philosophy that the fighters get the lion's share of a fight. They think they should be getting the lion's share for making the calls, for sitting on the chairs and discussing what is going to happen on the night. My father and I are the fighters - we don't believe in that.
With the UFC it's like, you make okay money, and only if you're the champion do you make good money. So they're keeping the fighters deliberately poor so they'll keep fighting.
Mayweather Promotions - we are the past, the present, and the future of sports and entertainment, and everybody knows Mayweather's pay is better.
You're starting to see a lot of fighters, like, 'We want more money so we can be able to retire eventually,' instead of, we get to 30 years old, and we're like, 'Alright, I think Costco has openings.'
