Although Jake Paul has made some very reasonable demands to Dana White regarding fighter pay, UFC middleweight fighter Sam Alvey fears that a change to the model could have disastrous repercussions for the athletes.
Since his explosion in combat sports, the controversial YouTuber has relentlessly taunted the MMA promotion.
He’s adamant that he can change the fight game forever and even offered to fight Jorge Masvidal in the cage if White agreed to his demands. The 25-year-old wanted UFC fighters to earn a minimum of $50,000 per bout and receive 50% of the promotion’s profits, in addition to long-term healthcare.
A large portion of the competitors have unsurprisingly supported this idea.
Ahead of his last outing, heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou threatened to leave the sport entirely due to his sub-standard purses. The UFC only paid him $600,000, whereas boxing champion Tyson Fury received a hefty $25 million for his trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder.
But one of the company’s fighters has revealed that a change in the pay structure could result in hugely negative consequences.
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Sam Alvey slates Jake Paul’s fighter pay idea
Despite failing to secure a victory in his previous eight outings, Sam Alvey has become a cult hero during his time in the UFC. His entertaining style has captivated fans since his debut in the company in 2014.
Regardless of the result, he always gives it his all. In addition, he has also picked up impressive wins against Rashad Evans and Dan Kelly.
However, unlike most athletes, he’s pointed out some massive flaws in Paul’s concept.
In an interview with Full Mount MMA, he claimed: “Jake Paul is a clown. He is not trying to help fighter pay. He is trying to help himself. Every fight sells when you either want to see somebody win or see somebody get knocked out.
“Jake Paul has figured out that everyone wants to see him get knocked out. So he wants to try and switch that narrative.
“So he goes after the low-hanging fruit that sounds great to everyone, ‘pay fighters more’. If UFC, Dana White, any of those guys were to do what Jake Paul is asking, he wouldn’t get us paid more. He would eliminate the roster of the UFC. We would go from a roster of what 800 to down to 75.
“It would be the Jon Jones’, Francis Ngannous, Conor McGregors and then a bunch of people to feed to them. That’s the way it would go.”
This prospect is one seldom spoken about within the MMA community. But if it is a genuine reality, it will undoubtedly give Paul something to think about when campaigning for change.
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