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Jake Paul calls UFC fighter pay unfair: 'F--- Dana White'

Cliff Hawkins / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Jake Paul is taking a stand for what he believes is a major issue in the UFC: fighter pay.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer put the MMA promotion and president Dana White on blast while promoting his upcoming bout against former UFC champion Tyron Woodley on Thursday.

"I think there's a movement moving forward that is going to show that fighters should be getting paid more," Paul told reporters, according to MMA Junkie. "It's unfair. The UFC fighters don't have fair pay. Out of all the sports, the percentages that the owners get versus the athletes, they're the lowest."

Past reports have indicated the UFC pays its athletes no more than 20% of generated revenue, far less than other major North American sports leagues. UFC fighters aren't organized, so they don't benefit from a collective bargaining agreement.

"They're the ones getting in the ring, risking their life," Paul said. "Chris Weidman goes in, snaps his leg in half. What's that look like? He may never be able to fight again and provide food for his family.

"These fighters are risking their lives - you can quite literally die in the ring - and they need to be compensated more. I'm a big proponent of that movement and being in control. ... F--- that shit. F--- Dana White."

Paul has created massive waves since making his professional boxing debut in early 2020, knocking out the likes of former MMA fighter Ben Askren and former NBA player Nate Robinson through three pro contests. He recently inked a multi-fight deal with Showtime, which will distribute his Aug. 28 bout against Woodley on pay-per-view.

Woodley's manager said earlier this week the 39-year-old will earn the biggest purse of his career against Paul despite being one of the best MMA welterweights ever. Askren shared a similar sentiment after taking home $500,000 following a first-round loss to Paul in April.

When asked about being one of the more outspoken figures on UFC pay while competing in a different sport, Paul said he believes fighters could face punishment for speaking out.

"No one else can talk shit to Dana, because he'll just sideline them, and then they're f-----," Paul said. "I'm the only one that doesn't need Dana White in the fight world. Everyone else is scared of him. I don't give a f--- about him."

As more fighters start to realize that a clash with Paul is so lucrative, the 24-year-old expects an increase in athletes not re-signing with the UFC in hopes of fighting him. Paul-Askren reportedly sold over one million pay-per-views.

"You're starting to see that this is a show business," Paul said. "A lot of people like to focus just on the sport aspect of it, but it's all the way around.

"You're going to see fighters start to post content more. You're going to see fighters start to talk shit to people more. This is just the start of something massive. I'm excited to help lead the way."

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