Topics: UFC, Justin Gaethje, Paddy Pimblett, MMA, Daniel Cormier
Justin Gaethje has called out the UFC in a brutally honest rant ahead of his upcoming title fight against Paddy Pimblett.
After one of the biggest breaks in the history of the sport, the UFC will finally return on Saturday night for the first card since the new $7.7 billion US broadcast deal with Paramaount+.
Sitting atop what is a stacked card is an interim lightweight title fight between former lightweight title challenger Gaethje and popular star Pimblett.
Heading into the fight, much of the narrative has focused on the UFC's new deal with Paramount+ and how it could impact the biggest stars in the sport.
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And when asked for his opinions on the UFC's mega broadcasting partnership, Gaethje didn't hold back.
Given that he is known as 'the human highlight reel', it's no surprise that Gaethje has been selected to be part of one half of the biggest fight on the UFC's first card on Paramount+.
Across all of his 14 fights in the UFC, nine wins and five losses, the American has taken home at least one post-fight bonus, demonstrating just how exciting his fights are.
That said, you would expect that Gaethje would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the UFC's new deal, particularly after former two-division champion Daniel Cormier claimed that fighters are “already getting more money”.
But Gaethje has claimed that this is not the case in a heated moment ahead of his upcoming fight with Pimblett.
“I hear Daniel Cormier saying everybody is going to get paid more on this card,” Gaethje said during UFC 324 media day.
“I’m not getting one dollar more than I would have if this deal did not happen.
“To have 14 bonuses and not equal up to a million dollars is not right.
“It’s not right. It should be a lot more than that and I should have had opportunities to do smarter things with my money but I don’t and I haven’t.”
In total, Gaethje received $50,000 (£37,212) for 13 of his fight bonuses, with his historic battle with Max Holloway at UFC 300 giving him a special $300,000 (£223,378) bonus.
Overall, these bonuses add up to $950,000 (£707,774) and therefore falls short of the $1 million mark Gaethje argues he deserves to have achieved during his storied career.
