UFC needs to offer up bigger financial rewards for exciting fighters, according to a former light heavyweight champion with the promotion.
This was expressed by Rampage Jackson on a recent episode of the Jaxxon podcast. Jackson as well as TJ Dillashaw and Bobby Green were discussing a lot of the big fallout from the recent UFC 321 show.
“Imagine how the fights would change if the bonus was a million. Guys would go all out, not just looking to win but looking to entertain, to put on shows that fans remember forever.”
“It’s about respect for the craft and the risks they take. If the UFC wants to keep the best talent and raise the level of competition, raising the bonuses is the way to do it.”
“Look, the business side has to catch up with the reality of what these fighters do. They deserve the big bucks.”
“These bonus payouts could be life-changing, not just for the fighters but for their families. It’s time the UFC steps up and gives them what they deserve.”
How UFC 321 played into Jackson’s comments above
UFC 321 resonated with many fans as a bit of an underwhelming affair, even outside of the inauspicious outcome to the Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane main event. A lot of MMA fans do have a certain fixation point on striking-heavy affairs, constituting an exciting fight, which means that the promotion’s alst pay-per-view offering was not seen as a satisfying watch.
The card actually set the record for most successful takedowns within a singular UFC event, and the Jailton Almeida vs. Alexander Volkov fight seemed to serve as a bit of a microcosm for how many perceived the action from the card.
Jackson mentioned in the embedded video above that he could see the Ultimate Fighting Championship upping the bonuses, but perhaps to a scale of taking it from 50 K to $100,000. The former UFC light heavyweight titleholder notched multiple performance bonuses during his tenure with the promotion years back.
