Chris Eubank Jr. Calls Out Dana White, UFC Business Practices

Chris Eubank took a shot at UFC fighter pay in an interview with Ariel Helwani.
Chris Eubank Jr. Calls Out Dana White, UFC Business Practices
Chris Eubank Jr. Calls Out Dana White, UFC Business Practices /

UFC fighter pay is, once again, a topic of discussion. Chris Eubank Jr. isn't a fan.

The former boxing champion and 36-fight veteran is an MMA fan and said on a recent episode of "The MMA Hour" that fighter pay needs work for the sport to continue to evolve.

"It’s just entertaining,” Eubank said. "I like everything about the UFC except how Dana's monopolized it and how those guys aren’t getting paid anywhere near as much as we’re making in boxing. But that’s the only downside to the sport, in my opinion.”

Eubank's remarks aren't anything new, as several former MMA fighters have also come forward with similar feelings toward how the promotion does business, leading to a class-action lawsuit.

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Eubank said fighters are left in a tough position regarding higher purses, leaving very few means of competition for those who leave the UFC altogether. Former UFC heavyweight champion-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou is a prime example.

“It’s impossible [to get paid fairly],” Eubanks said. “In the UFC you have a guy who has monopolized the entire MMA world. If you don’t accept what Dana’s giving you, goodbye. Find somewhere else to go. A perfect example is Ngannou. In boxing, you have promoters all over the world, you have associations ... all these different outfits of fighting for the best fighters, the best shows, they’re all like, ‘Come with us and we’ll pay you this.’ The competition is so huge that they’re always going to pay fighters more, whereas Dana doesn’t have to compete with anybody so he can pay you whatever he wants. In terms of business, he’s cracked it."

Currently, the UFC holds the top spot as MMA's largest fight promotion, though the news of the PFL-Bellator merger could change the sport's direction in the years to follow.

For now, fighter pay remains an evident issue in today's landscape.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99