UFC: Jorge Masvidal tells Dana White ‘let me go if I’m not worth it’ as fighter pay issue escalates
- ‘Gamebred’ says he’s being lowballed by the UFC as negotiations for his next fight stall
- ‘Anybody that doesn’t want to fight, including Masvidal and Jon Jones, doesn’t have to fight,’ says UFC president White
Jorge Masvidal has joined Jon Jones in asking the UFC to release him from his contract as the issue of fighter pay escalates in the promotion.
Jones accused Dana White of “lying to the fans” after the UFC president said the light heavyweight champ wanted “Deontay Wilder money”, or US$30 million, to move up to heavyweight and fight Francis Ngannou.
Now “BMF” champion Masvidal has become the latest big-name fighter to question their value to the company, with Henry Cejudo also walking away from MMA and relinquishing his UFC bantamweight title, seemingly upset at his pay.
“If I’m not worth it let me go,” began Masvidal, in a series of tweets, with negotiations for a bout against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman stalling.
“Don’t tell me about a pandemic when reports today show highest stock market has ever been. Everybody getting back to work and you buying an island. Stop playing us and the fans.
“Why make me fight for half of what I made on my last fight cause the other dude can’t draw?”
White touched on Masvidal’s comments after being asked about Jones at a UFC 250 media scrum in Las Vegas.
“Jon Jones is the best to ever do it. Let him take some time and we’ll get it figured out, but he and I have not talked,” White said. “He and I have had plenty of fights in the past. This is not the first and won’t be the last. We’re going through some weird times right now. I just saw Masvidal saying ‘I want more money’. The whole world is losing their minds right now.
“I think everybody wants more money. All these other sports, Masvidal says ‘you got enough money to buy islands’. Let me repeat for the billionth time I did not buy an island, the reason we’re doing the island is so fights can go on and these kids from Europe and the rest of the world can make money and work. People are really frustrated or confused. These other sports are trying to figure out negotiations how people can play for half the money people played for before.
“Anybody that doesn’t want to fight doesn’t have to fight, including Masvidal and Jon Jones,” White added. “And all these other guys, and it doesn’t have to be because of the pandemic. These guys are independent contractors. This isn’t like the NFL where I can make you come to practice and do this or you get fined. These guys can do whatever they want, say whatever they want.
“We’re not begging people to fight, we’re offering fights, because in our contract I have to give you three fights a year, you have ability to turn them down and not take them.”
After hearing White’s comments, Masvidal – who has the same management team as Jones – launched another series of tweets criticising the UFC.
“Please don’t compare us to these other leagues,” he said. “I wish we can negotiate for less pay like the other leagues where the players get half the revenue they generate. We are negotiating from like what 12 per cent to maybe 18 per cent of revenue we generate? We are negotiating down from way under 50 per cent of the revenue. I don’t get paid on the hot dog you sell in the arena or the logo on the cage. I’ve never made a dollar on a ticket you sell. I get punched in the face for a living and even I know the pandemic or what’s left of it has nothing to do with it.
“Watch the company men and the UFC white knights come out and condemn my train of thought. You’ll quickly see who’s in their pockets,” he added.
“I’m not an independent contractor if I can’t go anywhere else to make a living. Let me go and let me see if I’m worth it.”
