Johnson laments shoddy pay, lack of mainstream recognition
Being the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Demetrious Johnson is the only flyweight champion the UFC has ever known and one title defense away from sole ownership of a promotional record. However, his paychecks haven't measured up to his exploits, nor the acclaim he's received from those in the know over his reign of four-plus years.
Mainstream notoriety and seven-figure fight purses remain foreign to "Mighty Mouse," who lamented to ESPN's Brett Okamoto that drawing power often takes precedence over merit.
"There is not another sport in the world where you can be the best at it but not get paid the best," Johnson said. "I never wanted to say this before, but I don't care anymore, and it's just facts: When CM Punk signed with the UFC, people asked me how I felt about it, and I said, 'CM Punk will probably make more money than I do on his very first fight.' And he did. I think his payout was $500,000. I have nothing against CM Punk, but if you look at the sheer nonsense of that, it doesn't make sense.
"I know you have to look at the business standpoint, that he's going to sell a lot of tickets, but he can't fight! That's why I've said the UFC should just try to sign that 'Cash Me Ousside' girl, because she'll talk s--- and probably outsell everybody."
Punk did indeed make more in his unsuccessful MMA debut - which lasted just north of two minutes - than Johnson did in his latest outing at UFC on FOX 24, when he submitted Wilson Reis before the third round's end. The champ's reported pay was in the vicinity of $350,000, excluding his performance bonus and Reebok sponsorship scratch.
When asked how much he felt he should be compensated, the indomitable champ said his talent and track record should entitle him to an annual seven-figure income.
"A long time ago, my coach Matt Hume said, 'Any UFC champion should clear $1 million per year.' So say I fight twice a year and my paycheck for each is $400,000," Johnson said. "The UFC should send me a bonus at the end of the year to get me to $1 million, for being champion. I know why the UFC runs the business the way they do. I know why Conor McGregor makes a base pay of $3 million. But I think I justify my pay with my skill set, and I've always been willing to promote my brand."
The 30-year-old suggested any skilled athlete can be made an A-lister with the right push, using record-setting former women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey as an example. While Rousey's accomplishments are nothing to sneeze at, Johnson claims her skills weren't quite as polished as the media and the UFC's promotional machine made them out to be.
"I don't want to say there's blame on anyone, but it's a combination of everything," Johnson said. "At one point, the media was saying that Ronda Rousey was the greatest fighter of all time and that she could beat Floyd Mayweather (in MMA), and I was like, 'are you kidding me?' She never threw a single kick, and the public and media were saying she was the greatest mixed martial artist ever.
"And I'm not taking anything away from Ronda. She's a great athlete and did very well, but she had one move. And the media said she was the best fighter in the world, the UFC got behind her and pushed her brand. I've never been on Conan O'Brien or Jimmy Fallon. I do think the UFC can make someone a star if they really want to."