Fans demanding better fighter pay steamroll the UFC in comments section under Dana White's post
UFC fans are starting to turn on Dana White as the conversation surrounding the issue of fighter pay steadily gains traction.
On Instagram, the UFC posted a video of White previewing the fights on the UFC Fight Night 200 card. In the video, White can be seen hyping up the matchups for Saturday's event as well as revealing his picks to win.
However, many social media users didn't appear to care about the UFC president's opinion about the upcoming fights. Instead, dozens of concerned MMA enthusiasts expressed their solidarity with the fighters who have been campaigning for better pay.
One Instagram user, who goes by the handle @isaaccapa wrote, "Pay your fighters." His sentiments were echoed by several others, including @jacksdadfighttakes, who commented, "#payfrancis" in an apparent show of support for UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
For context, Francis Ngannou is currently engaged in a contract dispute with the UFC. 'The Predator' has been at odds with the company since he demanded better pay and a less rigid contract from the promotion.
White has also been in a back-and-forth social media war with Jake Paul, who has been one of the UFC boss' fiercest critics. 'The Problem Child' challenged White to raise fighter pay and provide long-term health benefits, but White has yet to address Paul's points.
Dana White's boxing counterpart discusses fighter pay in MMA
Dana White's fellow combat sports promoter Eddie Hearn chimed in with his thoughts on the issue of fighter pay in the UFC. According to the Englishman, boxing promoters work for the athletes but the UFC doesn't necessarily have that same philosophy. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Hearn said:
"I think that fighter power has drifted down the UFC probably a little bit slower than it did in boxing,” Hearn said. “Very old promoters – every fighter that I represent is my boss. Whether they’re a kid debuting in their first fight, I work for the fighter. That’s my mentality. The old school, they couldn’t say it. Fighter power, in boxing, for a while now, they’ve become the boss, they’ve become in control of their own destiny."
On top of the relatively low fighter pay, the UFC is also criticized for its pro-company business model. The UFC currently takes home around 80 percent of the revenue they generate annually, leaving the fighters to collectively share the remaining 20 percent. Meanwhile, most major professional sports organizations in the United States usually operate close to a 50-50 split.