Whether it’s fighting under the bright lights of Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena or the Mecca of Combat Sports known as Madison Square Garden, it’s easy for sports fans to assume that a UFC fighter is living a top-tier lifestyle. After all, the UFC is a multi-billion-dollar company, with fighter such as Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, and Brock Lesnar making millions of dollars in the world’s toughest MMA promotion. But for the vast majority of those in the promotion, many fighters struggle to keep up with their finances, despite competing in the wealthiest MMA organization in the world.
At UFC Shanghai earlier this month, UFC flyweight prospect Charles Johnson got a second round knockout over Lone’er Kavanagh and a $50,000 performance of the night bonus. However, what should have been a career highlight came amidst a personal low for Johnson. As reported by MMA Journalist Ariel Helwani, Johnson was forced to borrow money from his manager, Brian Butler, just to keep his household afloat while having a baby on the way.
“Charles Johnson’s bank account went into the red this week, his team tells me, His manager Brian Butler lent him some money. Johnson has a baby arriving any day now. Got this big KO. Got a bonus, too. First win of 2025. Congrats” Helwani said.
This one moment is a reflection of an issue that demonstrates systemic pay discrepancies within fighter and other professional athletes. While other major sporting leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB distribute approximately half of their respective revenues to its players, the UFC allocates only 16-20%. The UFC commissioned its own internal study that showed their figures were roughly 18.6%, four times less than Major League Soccer.
Today, the pay structure for most fighters is precarious as fighters at the beginning of their UFC contracts often earn between $10,000-$20,000 per fight, with a win bonus added to it if they are victorious. Fighters who have been with the UFC longer tend to earn approximately $50,000-$200,000 per fight—with big-name superstars earning more than half a million dollars with PPV revenue shares. However, what may seem promising to fighters and fans quickly disappears due to the cost of fighting in the UFC. Despite the UFC’s vast wealth, the cost of fight camps, lodging and travel falls on the fighters themselves that can cost thousands of dollars.
Also, UFC fighters are classified as “independent contractors, meaning they aren’t entitled to collective bargaining rights, health insurance, or even pensions. Because of this classification, UFC fighters are often forced into tremendous debt—which means they often fight while injured just to pay off prior training expenses, while others have gone on the record of accepting short-notice fights because of their financial struggles.
The financial hardships fighters face has resulted in legal action. In Le v. Zuffa, former UFC fighters issued an antitrust lawsuit the parent company of the UFC, Zuffa LLC, accusing the UFC of creating a monopsony by using anticompetitive practices to suppress fighter wages. As a result of this, the UFC reached a $375 million settlement with the plaintiffs. MMA veterans such as Matt Brown have spoken out about the UFC’s financial partnerships, particularly the $7.7 billion deal with Paramount and CBS.
“Of course, we’re early on in the deal. We just heard about it today. If history tells us anything, this is not going to change anything for fighters. Maybe it will. We’re going to have to see how that plays out” Matt Brown said.
However, the thought of working in the UFC isn’t just about the pay; some fighters have taken on second jobs just to survive. While early on into his UFC career, Demetrius Johnson worked in construction to finance his dream of fighting in the promotion, while also noting his low pay compared to other fights in championship fights.
"When I fought Dominick Cruz (for the bantamweight title in 2011), I was on a contract – I think I was fighting for ($14,000 to show) and ($14,000 to win),” Johnson said via Twitch.
Mighty Mouse has also noted on how he wasn’t paid PPV points for most of his UFC fights, which significantly decreased his pay compared to other promotions.
While fighting in one of the biggest sports organizations sounds like a dream come true, many don’t see those million dollar pay days that fans think are out there. The UFC’s increasing fanbase and broadcasting deals contrast sharply with the financial hardships that plague a majority of its fighters. Without collective action, many fighters will fail to realize those big-fight pay days.