As the UFC has exploded in popularity, so has the spotlight on how much (or how little) fighters are actually taking home. And now, with Dana White stepping into boxing, there’s a fresh wave of concern—especially from boxers—worried that the UFC’s strict pay model could bleed into their own. However, as always White has found defense via one of his own champions.
In a conversation with WBA Super Welterweight champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford, former UFC champ Kamaru Usman claimed that White’s approach actually makes a lot more sense—and he apparently has the receipts to back it up.
The UFC president has long been vocal about his disapproval of boxing’s financial practices. He describes the sport’s pay structure as a “going-out-of-business sale,” criticizing the hefty sums promoters pay fighters without considering long-term sustainability. White argues that such payouts are short-sighted and detrimental to boxing’s future.
In contrast, he highlights the UFC’s business model, where champions and top draws share in pay-per-view revenue, ensuring that fighters “eat what they kill” and the organization remains financially stable. This approach, according to White, prevents the pitfalls that have arguably plagued boxing due to its extravagant spending.
Debatable as it may be, this does not change the fact that, proportional to its revenue, the UFC pays its fighters a significantly smaller share compared to the likes of the NFL, NBA, and more.
Usman has heard of the criticism about UFC fighter pay before, but he thinks people are missing the bigger picture. “For us, we get a lot of flak that, ‘Oh, you guys don’t get paid enough,’” he admitted. “But a lot of people don’t understand how simplified it is for us”, he tried to argue.
Trying to expound on the financial structures between the contrast between MMA and boxing, Usman claimed that UFC made it simple for them and said, “You want to fight, this date, this is the paycheck—yes or no?”
That kind of simplicity, he argues, takes a lot of stress out of the process. Boxing, on the other hand, is a whole different game, he asserted with confidence.
“For you guys [in boxing], you have to be responsible for taking care of your manager…From there, the promoter and manager have to work something out, and the promoter then has to go to the network to secure the money”, he elaborated.
With so many hands in the pot, Usman pointed out, “if it is a $100 million [deal], by the time it gets to you, it’s $10–15 million.”
Naturally, Crawford, who sits on the other side of the fence, had a laugh after listening to this.
‘Bud’ Crawford fact checks Usman
Crawford didn’t hold back, saying, “Boxers get paid more than MMA, it’s no comparison.” Usman pushed back, agreeing that boxers at the top get paid more, but said it’s a different story for entry-level fighters.
Crawford wasn’t buying it either. He pointed out that even undercard boxers on big cards often make more than UFC fighters headlining events like The Sphere in Vegas. Usman countered by highlighting how some beginner boxers are still fighting for as little as $2,500, while UFC newcomers can make $10,000 to show and $10,000 to win.
But Crawford had a sharp response.
Explaining the difference in remunerations, he said, “You show up, you get $50,000. Then you win, you get another $50,000. You get the Knockout of the Year, you get another $50,000. When I make it to the big leagues, when I’m on TV. I’m making more than you’re making when you come into the UFC.”
Unfortunately, neither Usman nor his co-host Henry Cejudo seemed to agree with him on the subject.
