Retired MMA legend Georges St-Pierre says the UFC’s new broadcast take care of Paramount might be “horrible” for fighters.
The UFC introduced on Monday it had signed a seven-year take care of Paramount which might deliver 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 price greater than £700m a 12 months, or £5.7bn in whole, an unbelievable 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 reduce 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 after I was competing I used to be capable of have an awesome argument to barter on my contract,” St-Pierre advised Covers.
“I might inform the UFC, ‘hey, if you would like me to do all of the promotion, I need to grow to be a accomplice. I desire 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’s essential assist me. You should make me a accomplice.
“So it may be a foul factor for the fighters in a approach 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, stated athletes now have a “clear image” of what the UFC’s income is.
“No extra PPV excuses. Get your price girls and boys,” he added.
The most important stars like Ronda Rousey, St-Pierre and Jon Jones have been typically given ‘PPV factors’ on prime of their battle purse, permitting them to take a reduce of the general gross sales from any battle evening they have been concerned with.
