The way UFC pays its fighters has been a big topic of debate for years. Fans, experts, and fighters themselves have often questioned whether the athletes are being paid fairly. Now, Rampage Jackson has added his voice to the mix.
Recently, his bold comparison between UFC and boxing pay has shed more light on the issue, showing just how MMA fighters have been overlooked and underpaid year after year.
Rampage Jackson Explains UFC’s Approach to Fighter Pay
Speaking to FightHype.com, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson shared honest insights into fighter earnings and discussed why MMA payouts still fall far behind boxing’s multimillion-dollar purses.
Jackson didn’t hold back when comparing the two sports. “The top 1% of boxers make way more than the top 1% in MMA. But everything else, MMA makes more money,” he said.
His observations shed light on a major gap: while boxing creates super earners like Canelo Álvarez and Anthony Joshua, even UFC stars like Jon Jones and Conor McGregor don’t come close to those numbers.
Rampage Jackson took it a step further, suggesting that UFC executives may intentionally keep fighter pay low to support the business model. “If you were making $30 million a fight, how many fights would you do a year? How many would you keep fighting?” he asked.
He then answered, saying that if fighters were making $30 million a fight, many MMA fighters would fight once and then retire. “There’s no sport like MMA. MMA is really hard. It’s a really hard sport to train for,” he added.
While many believe such a strategy is designed to keep fighters active, questions remain—especially since MMA stars demand so much, just as the 46-year-old veteran pointed out.
Rampage Jackson Explains Why His Fight with Rashad Evans Got Cancelled
The highly anticipated boxing rematch between Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans has been called off. They scheduled the fight for April 12, 2025, at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which would have been their first confrontation since UFC 114 in May 2010.
However, fans experienced disappointment just days before the big night. On April 5, reports revealed that promoters failed to secure the funds to pay the fighters, leading to the cancellation. This left Rampage furious, especially after all the time and effort he put in.
In an Instagram post, he shared that he has lost confidence in the promotion of this fight. He added, “I’m sorry to say, I feel bad for all my fans who bought tickets, airplane flights, etc.”
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