Joe Rogan says he wouldn’t be comfortable with the UFC fighter pay situation if he were the owner
Jeremy Stephens raised concerns about the promotion’s bonus system ahead of UFC 328, arguing that it hasn’t kept pace over the years.
After being stopped in the first round at the Prudential Center, Stephens’ opponent used his post-fight interview to make a case for a Performance of the Night bonus.
The opponent didn’t get what they wanted, but Rogan still wishes these kinds of conversations weren’t necessary at all.
Joe Rogan says he wouldn’t feel comfortable with UFC fighter pay if he were in charge
Joe Rogan backed Ronda Rousey’s stance on UFC fighter pay ahead of her MMA comeback, which will be shown on Netflix this weekend.
Speaking on his podcast, the long-time commentator addressed the issue of fighters using their platform to ask for post-fight bonuses, a topic that continues to draw attention.
Rogan shared his view that, given the UFC’s financial standing, these requests shouldn’t be necessary. He went on to explain how he’d approach it if he were in control.
“I hate all of it. I hate people that have to ask for bonuses. You know, look, the money is there, right? We know the money’s there,” He said on the Joe Rogan Experience. “This is a $7 billion deal. I’m not a businessman, I’ll say that right now…
“Listen, all this is hippie talk,” Rogan later added. “But, I feel like if I owned the UFC, I would not feel good if people didn’t feel compensated correctly. This is just my feeling and I’m not a good businessman. If you want to be a good businessman, you’ve got to make the most money possible.”
Danny Silva suggested last month that his lack of a bonus after calling himself “broke” during his post-fight interview in London might have been linked to his comments about fighter pay.
The Brazilian featherweight thought the promotion may have taken issue with what he said because it highlighted an already hot topic within the sport.
