Retired MMA legend Georges St-Pierre says the UFC’s new broadcast cope with Paramount might be “horrible” for fighters.
The UFC introduced on Monday it had signed a seven-year cope with Paramount which might carry most pay-per-views to an finish within the US – with occasions showing on Paramount’s streaming service or on CBS TV community.
The deal is reportedly value greater than £700m a yr, or £5.7bn in complete, an unimaginable improve from the £370m five-year deal the UFC had with ESPN beforehand.
St-Pierre, a two-weight UFC champion and an all-time nice, questioned the place the deal leaves fighters – particularly those that negotiated a minimize of pay-per-view gross sales.
“It might be good for the UFC, as a promoter, [but] horrible for the fighters as a result of once I was competing I used to be capable of have an excellent argument to barter on my contract,” St-Pierre informed Covers.
“I might inform the UFC, ‘hey, in order for you me to do all of the promotion, I need to turn out to be a associate. I need a piece of the pie to barter part of the pay-per-view income’.
“As a result of if I am doing all of the promotion, I am serving to you, however it is advisable to assist me. You could make me a associate.
“So it could be a foul factor for the fighters in a method that they’ve much less leverage [to negotiate more money].”
Jake Paul, who has publicly feuded with UFC president Dana White over fighter pay since swapping YouTube for boxing, mentioned athletes now have a “clear image” of what the UFC’s income is.
“No extra PPV excuses. Get your value girls and boys,” he added.
Talking about fighter pay, White would not be drawn into an in depth dialogue on Tuesday.
“The fighters are going to get tons of promotion,” White mentioned.
“I am not going to have any feedback on that but (fighter pay) as a result of we have nonetheless received to get collectively and determine these items out. It is August, we’ve until January.
“The low hanging fruit which is simple to reply, bonuses are clearly going up.”
Struggle bonuses are at the moment capped at £37,000.
The most important stars like Ronda Rousey, St-Pierre and Jon Jones had been usually given ‘PPV factors’ on high of their battle purse, permitting them to take a minimize of the general gross sales from any battle evening they had been concerned with.
