Sean O’Malley is in complete disbelief about Conor Benn’s reported contract pay with Zuffa Boxing.
O’Malley, a former UFC champion and one of the bigger stars in the promotion today, can’t fathom how much more Benn’s is getting paid compared to his fellow UFC stars. Benn, a British professional boxer, recently left his long-time promoter in Matchroom Boxing to sign with the newly-launched Zuffa Boxing, which is promoted by UFC CEO Dana White. Veteran boxing reporter Dan Rafael reported that Benn’s deal with Zuffa Boxing was for one fight and for $15 million – a number rarely seen in UFC payouts.
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“For me, it’s so hard to believe,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “I’ve been told, Tim (Welch) told me, ‘Did you see that?’ It doesn’t mean it’s true. I don’t know, it could very well be true. I can’t imagine it being true Zuffa Boxing is like they’re paying out, I don’t even know who Conor Benn is. He’s supposed to be a pretty big name in boxing, but I’ve never heard of him.”
The UFC recently paid $375 million in settlement of an antitrust lawsuit – Le vs. Zuffa. They’re currently in the midst of another antitrust lawsuit – Johnson vs. Zuffa, which also alleges that Zuffa has illegally suppressed compensation and maintained a monopsony for MMA.
Unlike MMA, Boxing has multiple promoters that have to constantly bid for the rights of fighters, driving their purse up. Boxing also has more legal protection for its athletes with The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which is federal legislation designed to protect professional boxers from exploitative business practices. TKO, which is the parent company of the UFC and Zuffa Boxing, is lobbying to change the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act so that they can bring UFC’s structure into boxing.
O’Malley, whose social media following is more than twice as large as Benn’s, confirmed he’s not making $15 million, hence his disbelief.
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“If they’re really paying him $15 million, yeah, it’s crazy how much work you put in the UFC to build this name, create this charatcer, be this star, and I’m not f*cking making $15 million a fight.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean O’Malley shocked by Conor Benn’s $15 million Zuffa Boxing pay
