“I support this idea, of course. In the NFL, Nike makes the uniforms, but teams still pay their athletes, the same goes for NBA. Life gets hard for fighters who are just starting and earn no pay-per-view money. We spend a lot with trainers, sparring partners, etc. Nobody in this day and age goes to a gym to be punched in the face for free. Whether we like it or not, we are susceptible to injuries which could leave us sidelined for a long time. That harms the fighter who only gets paid when he fights. If you’re hurt, there’s no income. It’s good to have sponsors, because that’s what keeps a fighter going.”

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo recently talked to Combate and said that he’s down for fighters getting a monthly salary. Aldo says training can get very expensive, especially for up and coming fighters. The champ also talked about when fighters get injured and can’t fight saying that it’s tough during that time because you aren’t getting paid.

Aldo also supports the idea of a union. He thinks a lot of fighters aren’t interested in a union because of gym rivalries, but he insists that it’s a good idea.

Thoughts?