UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, who finally managed to beat his arch-rival Alex Pereira on UFC 287, is pushing for an increase in post-fight bonus rewards. As the UFC’s valuation skyrockets to a staggering $12.1 billion, Adesanya believes it’s time for the company to allocate more funds for these bonuses.
Drawing attention to the impact of inflation, Adesanya is making a case for a more generous compensation structure.
Israel Adesanya weighs in on UFC’s post-fight bonus
With the UFC experiencing rapid growth and Forbes valuing it at an impressive $12.1 billion, Adesanya, in a recent episode of Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast, voiced his concerns about the current bonus structure.
Adesanya emphasizes that inflation is an essential factor that cannot be ignored when considering bonus adjustments. Israel Adesanya, a highly decorated fighter, has been a beneficiary of the UFC’s post-fight bonuses on multiple occasions. With six Performance of the Night awards and two Fight of the Night accolades under his belt, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has amassed a total of $400,000 in bonus earnings alone.
Israel Adesanya on today’s episode‼️🔥 pic.twitter.com/9vdvJFu6Ef
— IMPAULSIVE (@impaulsive) June 6, 2023
He highlights the value of his knockouts, stating that each one should warrant a $50,000 bonus, emphasizing the sheer impact he brings to the octagon. Additionally, UFC president Dana White often discreetly awards certain fighters with undisclosed bonuses at his discretion.
These unannounced bonuses provide further financial support for deserving athletes, albeit not often openly acknowledged. The Nigerian’s call for increased post-fight bonus payouts aligns with the UFC’s exponential growth and rising valuation.
When did UFC change its post-fight bonus structure?
Back in 2014, the UFC modified its post-fight bonus system. In the past, the organization gave combatants bonuses for the best fight, knockout, and submission of the evening, with sums ranging from $20,000 to a mind-blowing $120,000. However, the current structure primarily consists of $50,000 bonuses for ‘Performance of the Night’ and ‘Fight of the Night’.
Apart from the publicly announced post-fight bonuses, lower-level fighters who don’t earn six-figure salaries sometimes receive win bonuses equal to their base pay. As inflation continues to affect the economy, Adesanya asserts that fighters’ efforts should be duly recognized through more substantial compensation.
Considering how the UFC’s current bonus structure has undergone modifications in the past, further modifications should be possible. Dana usually doesn’t react too kindly to these conversations but on a good day, the UFC head honcho might just respond positively to the reigning middleweight champion’s requests.
