UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya believes fighters must come together to be paid more after comparing his fellow roster members to strippers.
Adesanya is signed to one of the most lucrative deals in the promotion, but has watched as teammates from his City Kickboxing gym as well as other fighters struggle to reach the same heights. And he believes that their independent contractor status will make it difficult for fighters to make lasting change.
The revered middleweight is set to defend his world title for the fifth time this weekend against Jared Cannoner in the second fight of his new mega-money contract. But just weeks before he signed his deal in February, his friend and world heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was paid just $600,000 to defend his belt.
“It takes time,” Adesanya told reporters. “You have to look at it this way, fighters are like strippers, we are independent contractors so everyone is out for themselves but there comes a point where we need to come together as fighters in the UFC and make an agreement.
"What can we do to help the baseline for the younger guys or the guys who just got into the UFC? Honestly, this is a prestigious position to be a UFC fighter. I don’t live in America if it’s the same with the NBA and the NFL but the draft is a big deal right? I feel like that’s how the UFC is. You make it to the UFC, it’s a f***ing big deal, so we need to get paid like it’s a f***ing big deal."
Adesanya's deal has seen him make millions, but he understands the struggle of other fighters, such as Paddy Pimblett. The Liverpool native stunned fans when he revealed that he made just $12,000 as a guarantee on each of his two octagon outings, although that number rose with his win and performance bonuses.
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But Mirror Fighting reported over the weekend that he has bumped up that contract significantly, and he will now make considerably more. His manager Graham Boylan confirmed that he is now making 'big f***ing money'.
“I’m getting paid, a few of us are getting paid but I’m talking about the guys who just get into the UFC," Adesanya added. "Paddy just got his contract boosted up but he’s a superstar in his own right, he made his way.
“And, also these guys you can’t just expect to get paid and not do anything. You need to show off. I don’t mean show off as in what you guys think show off is, I mean show off who you are, set yourself apart from the rest. That is how you make the money. It takes time, Rome wasn’t built in a day so we are still working.”
