Michael “Venom” Web page has put the UFC’s new $7.7 billion seven‑12 months media rights take care of Paramount in sharp perspective, framing it much less as a victory for fighters and extra as a win for the organisation and its executives.
Talking in a current interview, Web page mentioned for this reason he “wasn’t initially enthusiastic about [the Paramount deal], as a result of for me, [the bonus increase] doesn’t do sufficient in comparison with the sum of money they’ve simply introduced in for themselves.” His feedback reduce straight on the stress between UFC’s skyrocketing income and what it chooses to pay athletes, at the same time as Dana White frames the identical deal as a broad improve for fighters.
The brand new bonus construction and UFC’s income
Underneath the Paramount agreement, UFC’s common annual media rights revenue almost doubles, transferring from roughly $550 million per 12 months beneath ESPN to about $1.1 billion per 12 months on paper. Dana White has repeatedly said that “bonuses are clearly going up,” presenting that change as the primary tangible profit fighters will see. In apply, that has translated into Efficiency of the Evening and Struggle of the Evening awards doubling from $50,000 to $100,000 each, plus a brand new $25,000 bonus for any end, no matter whether or not the fighter wins. At many occasions, meaning the UFC now commits a minimum of $400,000 in publish‑struggle bonuses, with some playing cards pushing that complete a lot larger when additional finishes or bonuses are added.
From the UFC’s angle, that is offered as a multi‑million‑greenback annual enhance for fighters, separate from their base purses and any pay‑per‑view factors. White has pitched the bonus enhance as “low‑hanging fruit” that may be applied shortly, whereas the broader particulars of how the Paramount deal reshapes different components of pay, equivalent to PPV factors and bigger base contracts—stay beneath dialogue. The construction is designed to reward aggressive finishes and thrilling fights, but it surely nonetheless leaves base pay largely untouched for almost all of the roster.
Michael Venom Web page’s skepticism about “worth” versus precise pay
Web page’s criticism is much less concerning the existence of the bonus bump and extra about what it alerts in relation to UFC’s general monetary good points. He has identified that the UFC and its guardian firm TKO are poised so as to add lots of of thousands and thousands of recent {dollars} in revenue annually, whereas the fighter‑aspect changes to date are restricted to the bonus pool. In his phrases, the bonus enhance “doesn’t do sufficient in comparison with the sum of money they’ve simply introduced in for themselves,” which positions it as a comparatively small concession in contrast with the dimensions of the Paramount deal.
That line of pondering displays a broader concern amongst fighters: the UFC’s enterprise mannequin is constructed on star athletes, however probably the most direct monetary rewards are directed up the chain, not right down to the roster. Web page’s personal profession has been spent in promotions the place he carried major occasions, constructed international followings, and helped promote exhibits, but he now finds himself in a UFC system the place the organisation’s worth is hovering, however the fundamental pay construction for a lot of fighters stays tightly managed. For him, the bonus leap is a visual gesture, but it surely doesn’t change the underlying imbalance between how a lot cash is flowing into the corporate and the way a lot truly flows into fighters’ pockets.
How Dana White is valued versus “individuals outdoors the game”
Web page’s subsequent line is much more pointed: “To see how extremely [Dana White] values individuals outdoors the game that sort of constructed his popularity is simply upsetting, to be truthful.” This references the way in which UFC and its president have more and more aligned themselves with mainstream media, superstar figures, and out of doors enterprise companions, typically at a stage that overshadows the day‑to‑day contributions of rank‑and‑file fighters. White has appeared on main broadcasts, given interviews framed by company media, and positioned himself as a central determine in popular culture and even broader politics, whereas many fighters stay beneath comparatively modest contract phrases.
The individuals Web page is probably going referring to incorporate executives, media personalities, and exterior enterprise allies who’ve helped elevate UFC’s model and media enchantment, generally with out moving into the Octagon. Fighters like him argue that, for years, it was the athletes who constructed the game’s credibility and viewers, but they’re now seeing the fruits of that publicity captured largely by the promotion and its management.
What this implies for fighter pay within the UFC
Web page’s feedback are a part of a longer-running dialog about UFC fighter pay that has intensified because the Paramount deal was introduced. Sports activities‑enterprise and MMA retailers have famous that UFC’s marginal revenue can rise sharply with the brand new deal, since most of the variable prices, equivalent to manufacturing and promoting, don’t scale on the identical fee as rights income. Which means the UFC has important room to extend fighter payouts if it chooses to, past the presently introduced bonus adjustments.
Nonetheless, the organisation’s method has traditionally been incremental and bonus‑pushed, with occasional spikes for main occasions quite than throughout‑the‑board pay raises. For fighters on the high of the game, this may nonetheless translate into substantial additional revenue, particularly in the event that they end opponents or placed on standout performances. For others decrease on the roster, the primary financial impression is restricted: larger ceiling for a number of nights, however related or solely modestly larger flooring in common purses.
What provides Web page’s quote weight is that he’s talking from a place of expertise throughout a number of promotions. Earlier than becoming a member of the UFC, he was a protracted‑time star in Bellator, the place he carried major occasions and helped form the promotion’s picture along with his type and persona. In interviews, he has persistently argued that fighters are underpaid relative to the worth they create, and he has even aligned with figures like Jake Paul on that time, regardless of criticisms of Paul’s method. That background makes his skepticism concerning the Paramount‑period bonus bump really feel grounded in information and expertise, not simply frustration.
Extra money is getting into the ecosystem, however they’re watching carefully to see whether or not UFC turns that into significant, lengthy‑time period pay enhancements, equivalent to larger base contracts, extra clear income sharing, or a bigger general share of the bonus pool, quite than one‑off bonuses that spotlight stars whereas leaving the broader roster largely unchanged. Till that occurs, feedback like Web page’s will proceed to border the Paramount deal as a company win however not for anybody else.
