UFC's Dana White Rips Boxing Salaries: 'All Those F--king Guys Are Overpaid'

UFC President Dana White said boxers are all overpaid in an interview on The Pivot podcast:

"Every time they put on a fight, it's a going-out-of-business sale," White said of boxing.

UFC contracts have been a major story in recent years, with heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou notably announcing he won't fight again without a new contract.

"I will not fight for $500,000 [or] $600,000 anymore," he said in January. "It's over."

Paige VanZant said on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show in 2019 that she made more money posting on Instagram than fighting.

In 2020, Alexandra Steigrad of the New York Post reported fighters received less than 16 percent of the $900 million in UFC revenue from the previous year.

While UFC fighters are under contract through the organization and get set rates each fight, boxers are free to earn money negotiated on a per-fight basis.

Canelo Alvarez reportedly had a $40 million guaranteed purse for his last fight, while his opponent Caleb Plant had $10 million guaranteed, per Jeff Aronow of Boxing News 24.

Even Jake Paul and former UFC fighter Tyron Woodley each reportedly received $2 million guaranteed from their first matchup in August 2021. Paul has been among those calling on White to provide more money for UFC fighters, including a challenge in January to raise salaries and provide long-term healthcare for fighters.

Instead of improving the conditions for UFC competitors, White believes the issue is with boxer salaries.