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In the world of UFC, transparency about fighter salaries has been a touchy subject. Recently unsealed documents have shed light on UFC CEO Dana White's stance on revealing fighter pay and the fallout from CM Punk's staggering salary during his MMA debut.
White's policy on disclosing fighter pay was clear in 2017: only if a fighter misrepresented their earnings would he publicly reveal the accurate figures. This guarded approach wasn't to keep paydays secret from fighters themselves; as White noted, they all share their compensation details.
The revelation of CM Punk's $500,000 payout for his first UFC fight sparked controversy among fighters and fans alike. While White struggled to recall Punk's name during a deposition, the magnitude of the backlash remained fresh in his mind. Even established fighters expressed outrage, highlighting disparities in compensation compared to their own.
However, the disclosed amount might have been just the tip of the iceberg. A leaked expert report suggests Punk's actual earnings were significantly higher, surpassing the reported half-million figure due to undisclosed bonuses and incentives, possibly totaling over $1 million.
Despite the uproar, Punk's drawing power cannot be denied. The event where he fought garnered substantial pay-per-view buys, contributing around 4 percent of the event's overall earnings, affirming his marketability.
Behind closed doors, UFC executives, including matchmakers like Joe Silva and Sean Shelby, meticulously managed both fighter compensation and public perception. Texts and emails revealed their efforts to balance actual pay and the public's perception of it, indicating a conscious strategy to maintain a certain narrative around fighter earnings.
The ongoing antitrust lawsuit against the UFC has thrust fighter pay and the promotion's handling of it into the spotlight. Allegations of the UFC deliberately lowering fighter pay as part of monopolistic practices could lead to damages exceeding $1 billion if proven true.
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