Ben Askren on why UFC Fighters need a union, the negative side-effects of forming one

The talk of a UFC Fighter's union has been going on for a long time now. Fighter pay in MMA is very different because of the organization that controls it. It's not the same as the NBA, NFL, NHL, or other major organizations.

Since the UFC is the biggest name in the sport, they have a lot of control over fighter pay. Often, we hear about how underpaid fighters can be for their efforts, especially considering that the purse they receive isn't the full amount they take home. After paying taxes, cuts to coaches, managers, other staff and travel expenses, the amount that's taken home is often a lot smaller than a fighter would hope.

The argument has grown even stronger as UFC continues to tout record revenues. Retired fighter Ben Askren took to Twitter and explained why fighters need to form a union. He said that it's the only chance they have at fair compensation.

However, he admitted that the downside of this means that the UFC would have to cut a chunk of the roster to pay for an increase in health care and fighter salary.

Although I think this would produce results most aren’t thinking about. UFC would cut a large chunk of the roster to pay for increases in health care, etc and the stars pay would go up.

— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) February 29, 2020

Why the union hasn't been formed yet, we can't be sure. Hopefully, they're able to do so one day to increase overall fighter pay. MMA is different from other sports since fighters legitimately put their life and well-being on the line for fans' entertainment. Do you agree with Ben Askren? Voice your thoughts in the comments section!