“500 quid to be TKO’d is sad” – Fans indecisively SPLIT between UFC 298 and BKFC 4’s fighter pay difference

List of disclosed payouts from California State Athletic Commission sees BKFC and UFC paying a similar amount to the top fighter on the card.

“500 quid to be TKO’d is sad” – Fans indecisively SPLIT between UFC 298 and BKFC 4’s fighter pay difference

Fans comapare BKFC "KnuckleMania" 4's disclosed payouts of Mike Perry & others, to that of UFC 298 (Source: Instagram/IMAGO)

What’s better than gold? Platinum, obviously. But does that translate to fighter pay? Fans cannot decide yet. Regardless, the face of bare-knuckle boxing, “Platinum” Mike Perry (5-0) needed just 60 seconds to flatline former BKFC champ Thiago Alves on Saturday. His dominant performance was one for the ages. However, while undoubtedly good, his payday has raised more questions than answers.

Perry led the charge of the disclosed payrolls, cashing a $600,000 fight purse for his BKFC “KnuckleMania” 4 headliner. With an electric overall performance, Mike Perry and Alves were among five other fighters who cashed six-figure fight purses. The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) released the payroll details. A fan account (@AndyHickeyMMA) on X compared MMA Junkie’s CSAC BKFC “KnuckleMania” 4 payroll ist to that of Forbes’ released statements on UFC 298 that happened in California.

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The list does not include sponsorship incomes, discretionary fight bonuses, and other such minute details, But a quick glance has spawned some interesting reactions. A prime reply (@JonFrEire8) noted – “Sydney Smith 500 quid to be TKO’d is both hilarious and extremely sad.” Yet another one jibed that this goes to show that boxers have better pay is just a baseless myth.

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https://twitter.com/TacticMMAChamp/status/1784527906523230327

In a recent episode of his “JAXXON” Podcast, even Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson hinted similarly. Only the 1% of top-tier boxers get to make millions. With UFC 298 featuring big names like Ilia Topuria, Alexander Volkanovksi, Henry Cejudo, Paulo Costa, and Robert Whittaker, the payscale is supposed to vary anyway. However, the matter has attracted support from both sides of the argument.

Fight fans react to low fighter pay distribution at BKFC, compared to UFC

BKFC “KnuckleMania” 4 had some of the biggest bare-knuckle boxers featuring on the 12-fight card. Consequently, MMA Junkie later acquired a list of disclosed payouts from CASC executive director Andy Foster. Ex-UFC welterweight standout Mike Perry and Thiago Alves top the billing. However, fan accounts have picked up on some of the lower payouts.

Fans react to the matter of Mike Perry and other's disclosed payouts
Fans react to the matter of Mike Perry and other’s disclosed payouts (Source: Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) / X/Instagram)

Crystal Pittman (a total of $8000) & Sydney Smith received a reported $500 payout. CSAC’s Foster said her pay included various advances. The $500 listed was the minimum BKFC needed to pay the commission ($100 per bout round X5). Here’s how fan shave reacted to it:

Fighting bare-knuckle without padded gloves is quite dangerous. Hence, to fight for just $500 on a losing affair is not a good notion. Some have even gibed that base pay for fighting in BKFC allows one to buy a PlayStation gaming console, at most. Meanwhile, others have hinted that this is an unfair representation. UFC 298 had a lot of selective fighters earning payrolls in 6-figures. While others have chunks and leaps in payscale variation.

Concurrently, some have wholeheartedly lauded Perry for his dominant run. One prime instance of a high-octane bout in UFC 298’s California card was Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa’s all-out war. Perry earned more than them, speaking volumes as to why he is “The King of Violence.” All in all, the matter has gone quite viral.

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