UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo wants UFC fighters to receive monthly salaries. He mentions that brand new fighters in MMA and the UFC face high expenses. At the same time, these fighters receive no money from PPVs and little from other sources. They even face injury risks that could derail their careers with no financial protections whatsoever.
Aldo believes that a union is necessary, and he thinks union could ‘protect athletes’ in countless ways. It’s an admirable position to take. However, he doesn’t believe that he’s the right person to spearhead such a movement. He’s a UFC champion and doesn’t have the time to commit to such efforts after all.
“I support this idea, of course.” Aldo told Combate. “In the NFL, Nike makes the uniforms, but teams still pay their athletes, the same goes for NBA. Life gets hard for fighters who are just starting and earn no pay-per-view money. We spend a lot with trainers, sparring partners, etc. Nobody in this day and age goes to a gym to be punched in the face for free. Whether we like it or not, we are susceptible to injuries which could leave us sidelined for a long time. That harms the fighter who only gets paid when he fights. If you’re hurt, there’s no income. It’s good to have sponsors, because that’s what keeps a fighter going.”
