Jake Paul Makes His Move To Improve UFC Fighter Pay
Jake Paul has made his first steps in doing something about fighter pay in the UFC, following the reveal of Francis Ngannou's pay from UFC 270.
Paul has been in a running war of words with UFC president Dana White for some time and the YouTuber turned boxer even said he'd retire from the sport and have a fight inside the octagon.
That threat came under the proviso that White paid his fighters more money, with many of them trying to move the opposite way to Paul in order to earn more.
UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou is the latest fighter to suggest a switch in sport, wanting to take on Tyson Fury, and it's easy to see why when his payment for the win over Cyril Gane at the weekend was revealed.
On the back of that leaking, Paul claimed that he was going to do something about the situation and 'help' the UFC fighters, and he's now revealed what that is.
The 25-year-old took to Twitter to confirm that he's actually invested in UFC's parent company Endeavor and will attempt to fix things from the inside.
I’ve invested in EDR (UFC) stock with my partner @geoffreywoo 2 focus on UFCs ESG standards relating to fighters. We believe EDR can drive long-term economic value by increasing UFC fighter pay & providing them healthcare. Reaching out to @EngineNo_1 to partner on this “endeavor”
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) January 25, 2022
Jake Paul has announced an investment in Endeavor, UFC's parent company.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 25, 2022
Engaged in a long-running feud with Dana White over fighter well-being, Paul says his investment is focused on raising fighter pay and providing long-term health care. pic.twitter.com/7AGt3emIFr
Ngannou's last fight on his contract was technically the title fight with Gane, but he also has a clause in his contract that means he has another fight to defend the belt.
He was asked not about his future inside the cage on Saturday night, despite the ongoing talks of a potential clash with Jon Jones, who found Saturday's fight boring, and was instead asked about boxing.
"Boxing is always in the back of my pocket," the Cameroonian told Joe Rogan following his points victory.
"It’s something I must do before the end of my career.
"It’s not like I have a lifetime here."
https://t.co/BJRyYfzZQr pic.twitter.com/vLpuDl3SxL
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) January 23, 2022
One thing that could delay Ngannou's move to boxing, or another fight in UFC, is the fact he has a knee injury that will likely require surgery.
The fighter confirmed his injury after the fight, saying, "It was pretty bad.
"I had a grade 3 MCL [tear], I have a damaged ACL. That was 25 days ago. I think so, [I’ll need surgery]."
Topics: UFC, MMA, Jake Paul, Dana White, Boxing, Francis Ngannou
Ryan Sidle