"They're not getting fair pay" - Jake Paul claims UFC fighters should be paid more for "risking their lives" inside the octagon

Jake Paul has claimed that UFC fighters should be paid more for "risking their lives" inside the octagon.

The YouTube megastar and internet personality has been making waves in the MMA community over the past several months. He has been engaged in a social media war of words with many prominent MMA fighters lately, challenging them to fight him in the sport of professional boxing.

MMA legend Chael Sonnen recently interviewed Jake Paul in an episode of Beyond the Fight. The duo addressed multiple topics during the interview, including Jake Paul's opinion on fighter pay in the UFC.

Chael Sonnen initially asked Jake Paul if he had signed a three-fight contract with Triller, noting that he’d heard about the social media star signing a one-fight deal. The American Gangster then asked The Problem Child to shed light upon his contract status with Triller.

Chael Sonnen added that he’d also heard Jake Paul isn’t under contract with Triller and is free to go fight anywhere. In response, Paul stated:

“Yeah, that’s accurate. Yeah. I’m a free agent. And look, I think that’s the way it should be with all fighters. Like, it just s**ks to see these young kids – these young boxers, these young UFC champions – get tied up into these contracts where they’re owned by the promoter, they’re owned by Dana White. And they’re not getting fair pay. They’re not getting the fights they want. This is a big problem.”

“Like, how is ‘Arianna Celeste’ (UFC octagon girl Arianny Celeste) I think is her name. She’s a ring girl, right? How does she make more money than some of the fighters in the octagon who are risking their lives? Doesn’t make sense to me. And I think, I don’t know, it’s just a big problem. And I’m hoping to help change that and just help fighters realize that they are the content. They are the ones that the fans are showing up for. They are the ones that are driving these pay-per-views. And they’re the ones, again, risking their lives. And they should be rewarded for that.” (*H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)

Jake Paul also suggested that decentralizing the pay structure in the fight game and handing more power to the fighters rather than the promoters would help improve fighter pay in the combat sports industry.

Jake Paul is currently supporting his brother Logan Paul ahead of the latter’s fight against Floyd Mayweather

Jake Paul is coming off a spectacular first-round TKO win over former UFC star Ben Askren, whom he beat in April 2021. Presently, Paul’s next opponent and comeback date are yet to be revealed.

The 24-year-old continues honing his pugilistic skills at the gym and is now busy supporting his older brother Logan Paul during his training camp.

Logan Paul is set to face boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. in an exhibition boxing match on June 6th, 2021.