The problems just keep piling on for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
If being sued by former and current employees (details) and possibly entering another fight in the courtroom against Bellator isn't enough to say the world's largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion is having a bad month, then maybe having one if its longtime champions criticizing pay structure will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Speaking to FOX Sports, featherweight champion Jose Aldo talks about pay, or lack thereof, that one receives when choosing to be a professional MMA fighter. To hear "Junior" tell it, it seems like he's paying more to be a fighter than what he's getting back.
His words:
"We get paid way less than we deserve. We deliver shows and deserve to get paid more. We practically pay to do this. You deserve to get better paid if you promote the fight. The athlete is not treated like he deserves. We deserve better. I'm not speaking just about the UFC, but also about the media. The fans treat us really well. We suffer a lot and live to do a show."
Somewhere out there, Wanderlei Silva and this guy are saying, "told you so."
For the record, Aldo's previous payout saw him walk away with $240,000 ($120,000 to show, $120,000 to win) and a $50,00 "Fight of The Night" bonus, which isn't guaranteed. Of course, when you take into consideration taxes, fees, paying coaches and training partners, the final amount is nowhere near that.
Aldo hasn't exactly been seeing eye-to-eye with UFC's head honcho, Dana White, over the last year, as both men have gone back-and-forth in the media about fight promotion and the importance of pound-for-pound rankings. And with his latest criticism of fighter pay, it's safe to say White and Aldo won't be exchanging Christmas cards this year.
Jose went on to say he hopes MMA fighters one day earn what professional boxers make, but since the sport and UFC are still fairly new, it will take some time and he will more than likely be retired by then to reap the huge paydays.