TLDR
- Boxer Conor Benn reportedly signed a $15 million deal with Zuffa Boxing for one fight
- UFC champions Sean O’Malley and Demetrious Johnson publicly questioned the high payday
- O’Malley suggested the deal might be driven by Dana White’s rivalry with boxing promoters
- Johnson called it a ‘flex move’ and noted few UFC fighters have ever earned $15M for one fight
- The deal highlights pay differences between boxing and MMA fighters under exclusive UFC contracts
Sources: si.com | lowkickmma.com
Two former UFC champions have publicly questioned Dana White’s decision to pay boxer Conor Benn $15 million for a single fight under the new Zuffa Boxing promotion. The reported deal has sparked debate about pay differences between boxing and mixed martial arts.
Longtime boxing reporter Dan Rafael reported last week that Benn signed with Zuffa Boxing for the one-fight deal. The announcement came after White pulled Benn away from rival promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.
Sean O’Malley Questions the Deal
Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley expressed disbelief on his YouTube channel. “I don’t even know who Conor Benn is,” O’Malley said.
“It’s crazy how you put in so much work in the UFC. Build this name, create this character, be a star. I’m not making f—ing $15 million to fight,” O’Malley added.
O’Malley pointed out that he has more than twice the social media following of Benn. He suggested the deal might be driven by White’s rivalry with boxing promoters rather than business logic.
“Business is business. He hates, hates Eddie Hearn, so it’s like let’s take their biggest star and pay them — I can see it being an ego thing,” O’Malley said. The UFC star noted that Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh is backing Zuffa Boxing financially.
White has been vocal about his disdain for boxing promoters. At a UFC press conference Sunday, he described entering boxing as “beating up babies” when referring to Hearn and Oscar De La Hoya.
Demetrious Johnson Calls It a Flex Move
Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson also criticized the deal. “Honestly, I’m not going to lie to you guys. I truly believe it is a flex move by Dana White,” Johnson said.
Johnson argued that very few UFC fights in history have reached the $15 million mark for a single bout. He estimated only fighters like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones have approached that level of pay.
“If you think about how many times a UFC fighter has been paid that for one fight, you’d probably have to count it on your hands. It’s only happened maybe five times in UFC history,” Johnson said. He noted that even those high earners typically reached that number through pay-per-view points or long-term deals, not one-fight guarantees.
Johnson highlighted structural differences between boxing and MMA. In boxing, fighters can negotiate with multiple promoters under the Muhammad Ali Act. Matchroom reportedly had the right to match Benn’s $15 million offer but chose not to.
In contrast, most UFC fighters are locked into exclusive contracts with the promotion. Johnson said he could not entertain outside offers even if he came out of retirement because of his contract with ONE Championship.
Johnson also questioned why Benn’s pay became public while UFC fighter earnings remain private. “Why is it that the second Connor Benn signed that contract, Dana White loved that everyone saw that number?” he asked.
The former champion connected the issue to recent UFC pay complaints. Fighter Justin Gaethje has publicly discussed turning down contract terms that would have reduced his earnings compared to the pay-per-view era.
Johnson contrasted Benn’s deal with current UFC champions like Islam Makhachev and Alex Pereira. He said these fighters generate viewership but are not believed to earn $15 million per fight.
The UFC and WWE merged under TKO Group Holdings in 2023. The UFC announced a seven-year broadcast deal with Paramount worth approximately $7.7 billion on January 1.
