Dana White’s Financial Treatment of Zuffa Boxing Fighters Revealed After Offer to Bam Rodriguez

Zuffa may have suffered a setback as rival Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing made a matching offer to re-sign unified junior bantamweight champion and pound-for-pound star Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez. Dana White’s new boxing promotion welcomed its first world titleholder, cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, a few days ago. Amid rumors of Oleksandr Usyk joining its ranks, reports of Bam Rodriguez receiving an offer generated significant buzz.

Dana White and his team have already caused alarm with their comments about other sanctioning bodies and the proposed Muhammad Ali Revival Act. However, it also appears to have made some progress along the way. Bam Rodriguez’s trainer, the multiple award-winning Robert Garcia, believes Zuffa Boxing is something young prospects have been waiting for.

Robert Garcia gives Zuffa’s pay model a thumbs-up

According to Garcia, some of the fighters who participated in Zuffa’s first boxing event under the Paramount deal received payouts they would not have received while fighting in clubs and other events. “My two fighters that fought at that event, they’re happy,” he told Cigar Talks’ Naji Chill. He explained that officials at Zuffa treated his fighters fairly and with respect.

At club-level events, these fighters’ income largely depends on ticket sales. So he cannot tell them to pursue fights where the incomes may fluctuate. “I can’t tell my fighters, ‘No, we’ve got to continue doing this,’ when they’re getting the opportunity where they’re going to be making three times more than anywhere else,” Garcia explained.

One of his fighters, who fought on the Zuffa Boxing 1 undercard, previously made around $4,000 for an eight-round fight. But his payout rose fourfold when he fought on Dana White’s show. “So it’s a bit different. I can’t tell my kids, No, you guys have to hold back because I don’t like what they’re doing. No, actually, I’m okay with it,” Garcia concluded.

His admission closely followed Dana Rafael’s report about the Bam Rodriguez offer. “Despite reports, @GarciaBoxing told me that while Zuffa made an offer to @210bam and Matchroom used its right to match it, he is still sorting through other offers that he will also take to Matchroom,” Rafael wrote.

In stark contrast, while several outlets have already confirmed that Rodriguez has inked a deal with Matchroom – running contrary to Rafael’s tweet – Dana White’s post-fight disclosure, however, corroborates Garcia’s comments about fighter payouts.

Still, Dana White’s boxer pay hike could trigger MMA backlash

“The fight of the night tonight again, no shocker, was (Cain) Sandoval and (Julian) Rodriguez. They won $50,000. The performance of the night went to Rodriguez, who won $100,000, and then Meriwether. He won 50. Congrats to them,” White said.

Though it has not been confirmed, earlier reports indicated unranked fighters on Zuffa could potentially earn between $10,000 and $20,000. The amount seemingly increases depending on the fighter’s rank. At the top slot, while title challengers could receive as much as $375,000, champions defending their belts are likely to earn in the neighborhood of $750,000.

Notably, given Zuffa plans to follow a UFC-style weekly event schedule, the annual income of fighters, even with conservative figures, is likely to rise substantially.

That said, the scenario presents a problem as well. According to Eddie Hearn, the high fighter payout for boxers may lead to a “revolt” from MMA fighters. “I think one of the really interesting things when I look at the business is going to be how the UFC talent roster reacts to the amount of money that these guys are paying fighters,” Hearn said.

Especially after the UFC’s $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, many UFC fighters expect improved paydays. So a purse comparison with boxers could cause some tension.

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