UFC legend Din Thomas pushes for radical makeover for "outdated" fighter pay structure, judging, sponsorship rules, and more
UFC legend Din Thomas recently opened up about the changes required in the promotion's fighter pay structure and how sponsorship rules have changed over the years. He also weighed in on the state of MMA judging today and advocated for implementing some significant changes in the scoring system.
Thomas is among the most famous pioneers in mixed martial arts and is best known for his time in the UFC. During his time in the promotion, 'Dinyero' secured wins over world-class opponents like Matt Serra, Clay Guida, and Jeremy Stephens. After calling it a career in 2014, Thomas transitioned to the UFC analyst role and is often seen at major pay-per-view events at the analysts' desk.
In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, Din Thomas discussed various MMA-related topics. During the conversation, Thomas addressed the importance of reforming MMA judging and fighter pay structure. When asked what would be the one thing he would change in the sport if given the option, he replied:
"If I had to change something, I would get rid of the 10-point must system... I would change the entire structure of how we select the winner of a fight... You know, I think the way we select the winner sucks, and it goes hand in hand with the pay structure... I think fighters should just get paid to fight, and you should get a bonus to finish, not win, but to finish...
He continued:
"I would probably have more judges. Like seven judges and a system where they were judging it that really told more of the story of the entire fight, as opposed to round by round."
Din Thomas on how UFC sponsorships evolved over the years
In the same interview, Din Thomas explained how MMA's relative low-profile status within the sporting world helped fighters secure bigger sponsorships for a few years and how independent sponsors were more financially beneficial for the athletes.
After the UFC signed a partnership deal with Reebok in 2015, a new set of sponsorship rules was communicated to athletes on the roster. Among the most notable changes was the elimination of fighters' ability to partner with independent sponsors and display any related logos or signs on their shorts in the octagon.
Speaking about the change in sponsorship rules, Din Thomas said:
"That was a time when the sport was starting to blow up, and nobody really knew what it was... So all these startup companies were investing a lot into MMA, and they were giving guys a lot of money."
He continued:
"So when you talk about some of the higher-profile fighters. Yeah, they’re screwed from that because if you’re a higher profile fighter, and you could have made a lot of money with that sponsorship, you know, you could have really cleaned up."