For the past couple weeks, fighter pay has been back at the forefront of MMA conversations. Several high-profile fighters, including UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and “BMF” belt winner Jorge Masvidal, have raised some eyebrows for spats with the UFC that seem largely focused on how much they’re compensated . Even when they’re not explicitly mentioning pay, fighters like former two-division champs Conor McGregor and Henry Cejudo announcing their retirements have wound up leading questions of whether they’re really just making a play for new contracts for more money. The situation has perhaps been amplified by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as well, with some fighters potentially thinking they should be paid more to fight under circumstances that are even more risky from a health standpoint than they already were for just getting into a cage fight. Longtime UFC analyst Joe Rogan probably wasn’t stressing out about money a few months ago, but really isn’t worried about it now after signing a deal with Spotify for his “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast reportedly worth $100 million.
More: