Joe Rogan Comments on Fighter Pay Issue, Says UFC’s Parent Company is Hurting “Really Bad”

Recently Jorge Masvidal and Jon Jones have spiked the debate over fighter pay, on account of contractual grievances the stars have with the UFC. As a result, Joe Rogan weighed-in on the longstanding issue, which has resurfaced in pretty chaotic and uncertain times.

Rogan cites existing contracts, UFC parent company’s financial woes

If you follow MMA news regularly, you know that Masvidal and Jones have been blasting the UFC over how much the promotion pays fighters.

In addition to his contractual beef, Masvidal has been questioning the UFC’s overall, compensation model. Jones, meanwhile, has accused the promotion of “ripping” him off for much of his career.

Well, during a recent episode of Rogan’s podcast, here is some of what he had to say about the issue of fighter pay (quotes via MMA Fighting).

“Right now in particular, there is probably less money because there is no live gate, and that’s an extreme amount of money,” Rogan said. “But there’s also fighters that agree to certain deals.

They agree to like, an 8-fight deal at X amount per fight, and then they become more popular and then they want to renegotiate their deal, and the UFC is like, ‘Look, we’re just trying to stay open.

We’re not going to renegotiate anything. You can take it or you can leave it, but this is what it is.’ I think it’s a matter of that.

“…“It’s not a monopoly in that you do have choices, but there’s one clear, top of the food chain choice. But it’s because they do it the best,” Rogan said.

“They’re also the only ones that are having fights during this quarantine. The only people that are putting on any live sporting events, but they’re also part of a company in WME that’s hurting, really, really bad.

So there’s not a lot of money to throw around. To keep the doors open, to keep people employed, a lot of money is missing.

All these shows got cancelled, there’s all these audience members that aren’t gonna be there, that aren’t buying tickets, so it’s tricky. So this is why I think they’re complaining about fighter pay.”

Rogan also made it clear, however, that he believes fighters should be making more.

“I think they should get paid more. I think everybody should get paid more,” Rogan said.

“I think it’s a crazy way to make a living. I think you should get the most amount of money you can possibly get.

But it’s also a business and I think that if they are struggling as much as I think they are – I don’t talk finances with them but I know that WME, the people who own it, are hurting, bad.

They’re laying people off. Most businesses are hurting and all the entertainment businesses are f*cked. . .

So what do they do? That’s what I think. But when it comes to me as a human that likes fighting,

I know f*cking dangerous that sh*t is. You should get paid an incredibly generous amount of money to step into a cage fight for millions of people to see. “

Reactions?

So, on one hand, Rogan is echoing some of what Dana White has said recently.

White has cited the fact Masvidal and Jones recently signed new deals. He’s also referred to the fact that right now, due to the pandemic, the UFC is hindered financially.

Rogan is also saying fighters should get paid more and he’s right. The question is, however, after the pandemic subsides, will the UFC look at sharing out more of the company’s revenue to fighters? So that it’s at least closer to what other major, pro-athletes collect?

Without a fighter union or organization to push for that, it seems unlikely.