Could you imagine how badly the Elon Musks, the Jeff Bezos and the Warren Buffets of the world are sweating - Chael Sonnen rubbishes claims of UFC fighter pay being structured around what the organization makes
The UFC has been riddled with fighter pay disputes for quite some time, with several big-name fighters calling out UFC President Dana White and the promotion. Mixed martial arts analyst Chael Sonnen recently discussed the dispute, sharing why he believes the demands of the fighters are unreasonable.
Speaking on his Beyond the Fight podcast, Sonnen stated:
"They [fighters] will try to read you resumes as though that's their worth and they believe it. We'll have people write about it that want to come in and talk about pay structures because this is what the organization made and therefore, somebody else who's part of the system should be given X amount."
Sonnen continued to explain how famous businessmen around the world would feel if people argued that fighter pay should be related to how much an organization makes:
"Could you imagine when those arguments come out about the UFC and fighter pay? That fighter pay is in relation to how much the organization has brought in or moreover has profited? Could you imagine how badly Elon Musk and the Jeff Bezos' of the world and the Warren Buffett's are sweating bullets thinking, 'Oh, dear Christ, don't let that be the way.'"
Sonnen shared that the price should be dictated by the market and not the profits of the organization. It is important to note that sports companies often operate differently when compared to other businesses. While the fighters' pool receives about 20% of revenue, athletes in the NBA, MLB, and NFL receive about 50% of revenue.
Watch Chael Sonnen discuss UFC fighter pay below (starting at the 7:47 mark):
Chael Sonnen discusses Jon Jones' UFC heavyweight debut
Jon Jones has made it clear that he would like to make his heavyweight debut at UFC 282.
🏾UFC 282 🙏🏾
Despite being Dana White's choice for the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, there has been no update on Jones' heavyweight debut. Chael Sonnen shared that this could be due to the promotion attempting to play chess:
"What else is going to come from that? There are many promoters that play checkers and they will go all-in for one night. You have other promoters that play chess and every move has to set up another move. So, if you do Jon Jones versus Stipe, what do you do next?"
While Jones has not fought in nearly three years, he has expressed his desire to return for a heavyweight title fight. With heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou involved in a contract dispute with the promotion, it is unclear what direction the top of the heavyweight division is headed in.
My goal, my dream is to have my first heavyweight title fight look like my first light heavyweight title fight. Pure domination
Watch Chael Sonnen's comments on Jon Jones' return below (starting at the 10:30 mark):