"That's just embarrassing to the sport" - Israel Adesanya on debuting UFC fighters making $10K
Israel Adesanya feels it's "embarrassing to the sport" of MMA that fighters debuting in the UFC, the premier combat sports organization in the world, are earning as little as $10K.
Adesanya claims that debutants should definitely be paid more than they currently earn, because of all the expenses they have to bear.
Israel Adesanya on UFC fighter pay 🗣
"I'm not saying pay debutants some crazy money. I'm just saying pay them enough to be able to train, feed their family and not have a second or third job."
👏👏👏 https://t.co/FOZWHDCO0F
The middleweight champion pointed out that fighters need to pay their managers, trainers, and sparring partners. If they get paid just $10K, these fighters are forced to take up other part-time jobs to make ends meet. According to Adesanya, that's a bad look on the fight game itself.
During a recent interview with Brian J. Roberts of All Goats TV, the Nigerian-born New Zealander said:
"A guy starting his first fight in the UFC should not be fighting for, you know, whatever it is, 12 grand or 10 grand. Yeah, 10 to 12, something like that. Yeah, they shouldn't be fighting for that. They should be fighting to make enough to be able to pay their manager, to be able to train full time, and not have to work a second or third job. That's just embarrassing to the sport, I feel. That's embarrassing to the UFC that a high-level athlete should be doing that."
Check out the interview below:
Israel Adesanya feels Jake Paul lobbying for better pay in the UFC is beneficial for fighters
Israel Adesanya believes that Jake Paul's constant criticism of the UFC and Dana White regarding the fighter-pay situation is beneficial to the fighters. The middleweight champ praised Paul for lobbying for improved fighter pay and hailed him as the right person to highlight the issue.
In a recent interview with talkSPORT, Adesanya said:
"I think Jake Paul was the right guy to [challenge Dana White] at the time. He was one of the guys to get this conversation going that Francis [Ngannou] jumped in. You have me even now speaking about it. I’m talking about the guy who is having the second fight in the UFC, I think they should be paid well enough that they can have a 12-week training camp without having a second or third job."
Adesanya vs Whittaker highlights. Who won? https://t.co/Ykh6jyIOEF
Israel Adesanya recently defeated Robert Whittaker via a unanimous decision at UFC 271 to retain the middleweight title. He is expected to defend the belt against Jared Cannonier next.