"It's a different kind of structure in the UFC and there are a lot of benefits of being with the UFC."
When Paddy Pimblett revealed his purse for his sophomore octagon appearances at UFC Fight Night 204 in London, it took many by surprise.
Pimblett (18-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who’s already emerged as one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster, says he only made $12,000 to show and $12,000 to win for submitting Kazula Vargas in the first round of their lightweight bout this past Saturday.
His finish of Vargas earned him an extra $50,000 for Performance of the Night, but considering Pimblett’s rise, the UFC received plenty of criticism for his reported payout.
The news reached the radar of noted boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who said things operate differently in the UFC than they do in boxing.
“It’s a different kind of structure in the UFC and there are a lot of benefits of being with the UFC,” Hearn said in an interview with “Boxing King Media.” “Particularly, when you talk about the training facilities and you talk about sponsorships as well and stuff like that. I don’t know enough about the business. “What I can tell you is that being up close and personal to it, every one of those fighters who won, got out of the octagon, ran around and cuddled Dana White.”
He continued, “So, the fighters appear to be happy. There has to be a reason that those fighters are happy and the UFC do a great job and they’re a great business as well and again, not just saying it because his hospitality was very good, Dana White cares about the fighters, he cares about the sport. I can see it.”
Hearn was in attendance at The 02 alongside boxing star Anthony Joshua. Given what he witnessed first-hand, Hearn shut down the narrative that White doesn’t care about his fighters.
Additionally, Hearn noted that it’s the managers’ job to try and negotiate the best deal possible for their fighters. So when discussing the controversies around pay, the onus doesn’t fall entirely on the UFC.
“All I’m telling you is I sat next to a very passionate man, he was emotional about fighters, he was invested in the fighters, the sport,” Hearn added. “They’re running a business as well and it’s up to the fighters and their representatives to get the best deal they can, so I saw a lot of happy fighters at that event and I saw a great event as well.”
