Paddy Pimblett leaks his first UFC wages after revealing he took pay cut to join Dana White's MMA promotion
Paddy Pimblett's first UFC pay check has leaked online ahead of his superfight against Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in Miami, Florida.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, popular UFC star Pimblett will step into the octagon for the biggest fight of his career as he faces fan favourite fighter Chandler.
The two men will compete in the co-main event of perhaps the most stacked UFC card of the year so far, with Alexander Volkanovski facing Diego Lopes for the featherweight belt in the main event at the the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
But ahead of Pimblett's fight on Sunday, details of his first UFC contract have emerged, revealing that the Liverpudlian actually took a pay cut when he joined Dana White's MMA organisation.
Advert
Having enjoyed a massively successful career with MMA organisation Cage Warriors, where he reigned as featherweight champion, Pimblett made his UFC debut in September 2021 against Luigi Vendramini.
After a memorable walkout for the fight, Pimblett won via knockout in the first round, setting up a fight with Rodrigo Vargas six months later, which he also won in the first round, this time via a rear naked choke submission.
However, despite his impressive career before joining the UFC and the hype that followed him, Pimblett has revealed that his contract for these saw him earning way less than at Cage Warriors.
"When I first signed for the UFC, I took a pay cut because as you know the UFC starting deal is 10/10," Pimblett said on the FULL SEND PODCAST
"So I signed for a pay cut at first, my first two were 10/10 and 12/12 and then obviously after I won my second fight I got a new deal and it went up."
Pimblett had been offered several chances to come to the UFC before he ultimately decided to make the move in 2021, and he further explained that part of this decision was so that he could set himself up financially before moving to the premier MMA organisation.
“When I got offered the first (UFC) contract, I got offered a new Cage Warriors’ deal, and that deal was worth more than the base contract for the UFC – and I’ve done a lot with that money,” Pimblett added.
“I saved that money over the years to get a house deposit myself and pay my mom’s mortgage off. I’ve done a few things like that, and that money’s done a lot for me over the years.
"I’m very thankful for Cage Warriors. They set me up for the start of my adult life really, because that’s when I was 21 when I first started to get that wage."
Off the back of his massive win over King Green in Manchester last July, the 30-year-old was offered a new contract meaning he will likely take home a career-best payday from his fight with Chandler.
Topics: Paddy Pimblett, UFC, Michael Chandler, MMA
Ben McCrum