Georges St Pierre believes he would change the absurd pay scales in MMA if he were “King For A Day”
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Georges St Pierre
If Georges St Pierre, one of the biggest and better-paid stars in the sport’s history feels the need to address the unfair remuneration scale for these athletes, it certainly has to be severe. Recently at the Paul-Silva boxing match weigh-ins, GSP was asked by Luke Thomas about what change he’d make to MMA if he were king for a day.
In his nearly decade-long career, GSP has been a part of the biggest cards in UFC history. For that, he has been paid handsomely for the same. However, being a man of empathy, St-Pierre realizes, not many of his compatriots enjoy the same luxury as him.
Detailing to Luke Thomas about the changes he’d make to MMA if he were to rule over the entire sport for a day, St-Pierre said, ” Well I’d (Change) the Salary, 100%”, as he called the remuneration to be completely unfair. “I think it’s unacceptable and the condition [of the fighters] what happened to them after their career, “ said GSP as he expressed his wish to introduce comprehensive safety nets for fighters once their prime career is behind them.
“They need to have some insurance, or they have some kind of backup that they can fall in on, if something bad were to happen”, said St Pierre as he expressed the sole change he’d make to the MMA landscape if he were to run the show.
Is Georges St Pierre right about the Pay Disparity in MMA?
MMA fighters, especially those in the UFC have gained mainstream attention in the past few years for precisely this reason. Unlike other major sports Franchises, they share an absurdly low amount of the revenue share generated by the company.
While big leagues, like NFL, NBA and MLB have a revenue share that tips equally in the balance of players as well as management, the UFC has an absurdly low 18-20% share consistently going towards athlete salaries or much more precisely, “purses”
While the issue of pay itself is contentious, a more agreed-upon argument is that if nothing else, these fighters should be covered by the UFC in case of any future detriments to their health. However, having signed these fighters as “independent contractors” and not employees, the company is free from having to provide them with healthcare benefits.
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Jerin Mathew
(713 Articles Published)