UFC middleweight contender Darren Till believes MMA fighters are underpaid and suggests that the UFC and Reebok should increase fighter pay.
Till recently did a Q&A session on his YouTube and spoke about the topic of fighter pay. Here’s what he said (via MMAFighting.com).
“Stuff between me and the UFC, like let’s say stuff between me and Dana (White) is between me and Dana. You know, personal stuff. But this is probably one thing that I will come out and say: I do believe MMA fighters should be paid some more money. I’m not talking saying millions and trillions, a billion, whatever. Just what they’re worth, a nice piece of the pie,” Till said.
“I do believe that Reebok should pay more and the UFC should pay a little more, but that’s not a thing I like to talk big on, openly. I’d rather have that conversation with Dana man to man, but that’s where I am with that.”
Till is hardly the first fighter to openly speak about the lack of fighter pay, but he’s one of the most prominent to do so. Typically it’s fighters at the bottom end of the ladder that talk about it, not stars like Till. But perhaps it will take a big name like Till speaking out about the lack of pay in the sport that will lead to a change for the better.
In the meantime, Till continues to be in quarantine like the rest of the world while we await the fate of the coronavirus pandemic. When it’s all said and done, Till is scheduled to meet Robert Whittaker at the UFC Dublin card in August, but that card like every other UFC event right now is very much up in the air.
Do you agree with what Darren Till said about fighter pay?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 4/6/2020.