Francis Ngannou questions the UFC - After Mayweather vs. Logan Paul

This weekend, YouTube star Logan Paul earned several millions of dollars to step up and face Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout- something that made UFC champion Francis Ngannou raise his voice regarding fighter pay.

Paul and Mayweather went all eight rounds in a mostly uneventful match on Sunday. Despite the mediocre match, Paul earned just over $ 20,000,000. That is significantly more than any MMA fighter earned for a single fight and a sum that most MMA fighters will never even come close to in terms of salary.

The big pay gap between MMA and boxing, especially celebrity and internet/ Youtube boxing, has caused many to react and Ngannou quickly took to social media to react.

“It’s crazy to think that Logan Paul (0-1) just made $ 20 million” Ngannou wrote shortly after Mayweather vs. Paul. – What are we doing wrong?

Several fighters have complained about UFC salaries

That Ngannou shows dissatisfaction with how little UFC fighters and MMA fighters generally get is nothing new.

UFC’s former lightweight champion Jon Jones ended up in a big, open quarrel with the organization’s President Dana White about salary and pay. Jones, who has been preparing for a move up to the heavyweight division since last year, was unhappy with how the negotiations with the UFC went regarding a potential match against Ngannou. It all went so far that Jones felt humiliated by the UFC and asked to be released from his contract.

Even the sport’s biggest star; Conor McGregor, has had his issues with the UFC regarding payment in the past. BMF champion Jorge Masvidal has also revealed the tough negotiation techniques the UFC used to get the matches they want.

There is a clear dissatisfaction among many fighters regarding payment in MMA and especially regarding the UFC – the world’s largest MMA organization. Given how popular celebrity boxing has become lately, there is a good chance that this dissatisfaction will be highlighted more and more.