SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 29: Justin Gaethje celebrates beating Dustin Poirier during their BMF Title Lightweight fight at UFC 291 at the Delta Center July 29, 2023 at the in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

Justin Gaethje made headlines ahead of his main event matchup with Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324, discussing fighter pay and his contract following the UFC’s new 7-year, $7.7-billion-dollar media rights deal with Paramount.

“To have 14 bonuses and not equal up to $1 million – it’s not right. It should be a lot more than that. I should’ve had opportunities to do smarter things with my money, but I haven’t. I hear Daniel Cormier saying everybody is going to get paid more on this card. I’m not getting one dollar more than if this deal hadn’t happened.” Justin Gaethje told reporters at UFC 324 Media Day.

Gaethje’s comments beg the question: Why is Justin Gaethje not being paid more for UFC 324? UFC 324 marks the first event broadcast by Paramount+ as part of their new media rights deal with the UFC. The annual 1.1 billion the UFC is set to make throughout their deal with Paramount places the UFC as the fourth highest American Sports Broadcasting deal behind the National Football League (11 billion annually), National Basketball Association (2.66 billion annually), Major League Baseball (1.5 billion annually), and ahead of the National Hockey League (625 million annually). The new media rights deal makes the UFC one of the marquee sporting organizations in the United States in terms of television revenue, a massive achievement for Dana White, who turned a struggling organization into a global powerhouse. 

The most significant aspect of the UFC’s media rights deal is the perceived increase in fighter pay. The most significant criticism of the UFC in recent years has been low fighter pay due to the decline of the PPV model. However, with increased revenue from the media rights deal with Paramount, fighters should, in theory, be making more money. However, UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier has stated that the UFC is now restructuring fighter pay with the loss of PPV.

“I know guys now who are making more money now than they did even with PPV. I know guys now who said, ‘hey can I restructure with the idea that PPV is gone’ and the UFC is like ‘yes’ and now it’s like guaranteed money” – UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier stated on the weighing in podcast. 

So again, why is Justin Gaethje not receiving more money for UFC 324? Justin Gaethje is a former lightweight interim champion, a former BMF champion, and a future Hall of Famer. There are very few fighters in the history of the Mixed Martial Arts who have entertained fans the way Justin Gaethje has. Gaethje has the 3rd-most Fight of the Night Bonuses in UFC history (9) and the 7th-most Performance Bonuses (14). Justin Gaethje’s track record speaks for itself. He is “The Highlight” and “Your Favorite Fighter’s Favorite Fighter.” In 2026, he is still a big enough draw to headline the inaugural UFC event broadcast by Paramount. Why is the UFC not paying him more money, like the fighters Daniel Cormier has mentioned? Well, according to Dana White, the answer is simple.

“Gaethje, without getting into all that stuff, Gaethje was offered more money, and Gaethje never responded.” UFC President Dana White stated on the Pat McAfee Show.

There is a lot to unpack with this situation. For starters, Daniel Cormier says fighters are being paid more due to the new media rights with Paramount. Justin Gaethje says he is not being paid more for UFC 324 than for his previous fights. UFC boss Dana White claims the UFC offered Justin Gaethje more money, but he did not respond. I am not in the fight business; I do not know these individuals personally. I will not point fingers. But something does not add up here. Justin Gaethje would not willfully turn down an offer for more money. There is a miscommunication from the UFC or Gaethje’s agent that hopefully can be addressed. Gaethje’s comments reveal the harsh reality for fighters in the UFC. As independent contractors, they lack the leverage to receive the compensation and benefits of other athletes in other major sporting organizations. There is no CBA, no pension, and significantly less revenue sharing from the UFC than in other major sports. Will it ever change?

Final Thoughts

At 37, Justin Gaethje’s career is nearly at its end. He has acknowledged that himself. If he wins at UFC 324, we will see Justin Gaethje fight Ilia Topuria for the Undisputed Lightweight Title. If he loses, we may never see Gaethje in the Octagon again. However, with Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC on the horizon for the upcoming White House in June, Gaethje is the perfect opponent for Conor McGregor. With Dana White shutting down the prospect of booking Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler, why not replace Chandler with Gaethje for a retirement fight? We never got to see Conor McGregor vs. Justin Gaethje, a fight both fighters wanted, the UFC wanted, and the fans wanted. In that scenario, Gaethje gets one final fight and, ideally, a final big payday to celebrate an incredible career.