Joe Rogan slammed UFC’s low fighter pay, then his bold comparison to comedians exposed the shocking truth about who really profits

UFC fighters and their pay cheques have become a topic of debate lately after Rousey publicly bashed the organization. Now, Joe Rogan, one of the most famous podcasters, has also voiced his concern on the matter in support of the fighters. The podcaster highlighted that UFC is running the show because of these athletes, so they should be paid more.​

Joe declared that the UFC’s entire business model depends on the fighters and that if they leave the game, there will be no one to run the show. He mentioned that despite running the show over the years, they still are not being paid up to the mark, and insisted that the fighters should be paid more. Later, Rogan gave his own example of a comedy club, saying that comedians make over 80 percent of the money because they are the ones who bring people to the shows.​

His exact words were, “The way I run my comedy clubs— the comedians make 80% of the money. We make plenty of money. If we had a comedy club and there’re no comedians, nobody’s coming, right? If you fight, that’s what people are paying to see. They are paying to see fighters.” With this logic he indirectly asked UFC to rethink its monetary policy.

Fighters’ frustration with UFC’s pay structure could push them toward better-paying opportunities

With the current wage structure of the UFC, several high-profile fighters seem to leave the organization for better offers. Francis Ngannou is one of the fighters to have left the UFC for boxing, making significantly more in his fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, which he could have made in the years of his UFC career. Nate Diaz is another example who switched to boxing, and alongside these fighters, there are those like Aspinall who are looking to build a future outside the cage through boxing advertising agencies.

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Despite significant criticism and fighters leaving, Dana White has repeatedly said that fighters are earning what they deserve in the UFC. But after the deal with Paramount, Dana White has promised millions in bonuses to fighters. As of yet, he has not outlined how this money would reach fighters’ wallets, leaving it uncertain whether these bonuses would actually reach them or if this claim would eventually fall flat.