Demetrious Johnson is arguably the greatest pure MMA fighter of all-time. Unfortunately for him and countless others, that didn’t always lead to the highest compensation in the UFC.

The worldwide leader in mixed martial arts just settled its ongoing antitrust lawsuit this week. For many, the suit was a beacon of hope that could lead to a dramatic change in fighter pay and the overall landscape of the sport. Instead, not much is expected to change after the company agreed to give back $ 335 million to those who went against their former fighting home.

He wasn’t a part of the lawsuit, but former UFC flyweight champion and all-time great Johnson was in a comparatively unfair position simply due to his size. “Mighty Mouse” reflected on his treatment as the 125-pound king from September 2012 to August 2016 after the news of the settlement. Specifically, when it came to his lack of PPV points across his 11 title defenses, he could have seen a decent boost when considering the cards he was on.

“They specifically said, ‘We do not give pay-per-view points to flyweight guys,’” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “They said it to me, and when they did that, that’s when I went ahead and took the [$ 125,00] (show money) and [$ 50,000] (win bonus) after I beat Joseph Benavidez in Sacramento for the second time when I knocked him out. I got the opportunity, I went through my whole contract as a champion, I got to renegotiate, I wanted pay-per-view points, they said, ‘We don’t give it to you guys, and that’s where I went 125 and 50. Went on another streak, and I fought Henry Cejudo. After I knocked out Henry Cejudo, they gave me $ 350,000 guaranteed, go up every 10,000 as an escalator. Then, finally, they put in my contract when I would break the record, or when I fight Henry Cejudo, they would give me pay-per-view points just for that one fight.

“If you’re a lightweight or a welterweight, middleweight, or heavyweight, I’ve been told (by champions at the time) that once they became champion, they got $ 500,000 flat, and it went straight into their contract. They got pay-per-view points every single time. So, when Conor [McGregor] became champion, he got $ 500,000 flat—pay-per-view points. Jon Jones got $ 500,000 flat, pay-per-view points. And some more. They disclose $ 500,000 flat, but that’s what they got. For me, it was never that.

“If I would have got pay-per-view points every single time I defended my belt, if I was on the Jon Jones, Conor McGregor card, Amanda Nunes, whatever it may be, it might not be $ 800,000 extra check, but those extra six-figure checks add up eventually,” he continued. “10-11 consecutive title defenses. You put me on three Conor McGregor cards…”

Coincidentally, Johnson’s rematch with Cejudo, where he received his only PPV point compensation, was his last in the UFC after he lost a closely contested split decision. Johnson went on to be one-half of the first and only MMA “trade” when he swapped promotions with ONE Championship welterweight title holder Ben Askren.

Johnson, 37, has been nearly flawless — as expected — in ONE in his six fights since arriving in March 2019. Currently the 135-pound flyweight champion, Johnson has lost just once (25-4-1 overall) to Adriano Moraes, whom he’s beaten twice in succession to first win the crown before defending it. Additionally, he’s won a mixed-rules bout via a second-round rear-naked choke against Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

The tail-end of Johnson’s UFC run was around when the Phil “CM Punk” Brooks experiment unfolded in the promotion. The former WWE star performed embarrassingly in his two outings in 2016 and 2018, respectively, but received staggeringly high base paydays thanks to his name value outside the octagon. The legendary Johnson noted how he wasn’t upset about the situation or had anything personal towards Brooks, but it was wild to think about when comparing their positions.

“This guy comes in and gets a base salary of f****** $ 500,000,” Johnson said. “There were also potential pay-per-view bonuses and other financial incentives in his contract. I had to defend the belt eight f****** times, and I didn’t get this.”

TOP STORIES

Aftermath. ‘What kind of check?’: Fighter confusion, fear, and curiosity meet $ 335 million UFC class-action settlement

Talks. Dana White disputes ‘lack of communication’ with Conor McGregor, explains timeline for fight booking

Damaged. Ronda Rousey reveals severe history of concussions led to retirement, rips WWE and vows never to return

Problems. Benoit Saint Denis reveals staph infection, bad weight cut led to ‘worst fight week’ at UFC 299

Fail. Walt Harris accepts 4-year suspension for violating UFC anti-doping policy

Goals. Rose Namajunas aims to become two-division champion with win at UFC Vegas 89

Guarantee. James Gallagher promises ‘abso-f******-lutely’ his swagger is back, anticipates title shot after win at Bellator Belfast

Expectation. Jeremy Kennedy doesn’t buy that Patricio Pitbull is ‘washed’ after 2 losses, but ‘nobody is young forever’

Champ. Patricio Pitbull did 5 rounds of sparring after fight cancellation in Saudi Arabia, weight not an issue for Bellator Belfast

Matchup. Jonathan Martinez shares hilarious reaction to welcoming Jose Aldo back from retirement at UFC 301

Business. Donn Davis believes UFC antitrust lawsuit settlement proves ‘it’s the best time in the market’ for fighters

Reflection. Sean O’Malley coach: Chito Vera was ‘just as slow as I remembered’ at UFC 299

VIDEO STEW

Between the Links.

MMA Fighting’s Jose Youngs chats with Bob Menery.

BROADENED HORIZIN.

Pereira’s best finishes.

Free fight.

Bellator Belfast Fight Week Vlog.

Full fight.

Pereira vs. Helwani.

Middleweight Aljo?!

Calf kicks.

Aspinall vs. Ramsey.

LISTEN UP

Heck of a Morning. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck reacts to fighter-less UFC 300 poster, antitrust lawsuit settlement.

MORNING MUSIC

A little DWP melody. An excellent live jam.

“Some schizophrenic Canadian metal,” said MMA Fighting commenter Diblert. Shouts to you! Wake up, everyone, it’s Friday!

Go to Twitter, use the #MorningReport hashtag, or find one of my tweets with it, and drop me a jam you’re currently really into. I’ll pick the best one alongside my daily choice and give you a shoutout! You can also share in the comments below—those are just harder to sift through sometimes!

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Classic Stamp.

Captain Bullet.

Misconceptions.

No fun.

Cover boy … for UFC…??

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ryan Spann (21-9) vs. Bogdan Guskov (15-3); UFC Vegas 91, April 27

Marnic Mann (6-2) vs. Ketlen Souza (13-4); UFC Vegas 91, April 27

Alex Perez (24-8) vs. Tagir Ulanbekov (15-2), UFC Fight Night, June 15

FINAL THOUGHTS

At this point, I don’t really know how you can deny that the UFC did Johnson dirty. At least he made up for it with the move to ONE.

Happy Friday, all. Kick back and relax. Thanks for reading!

EXIT POLL

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @DrakeRiggs_ on Twitter and let him know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Jonathan Martinez was waiting on a call about his next fight in the UFC when his manager reached out to him this past Friday with a name he definitely wasn’t expecting.

Currently on a six-fight winning streak, the 29-year-old bantamweight contender hoped for a higher-ranked opponent, especially after a pair of jaw-dropping finishes in which he chopped down Cub Swanson and Adrian Yanez with a blistering series of leg kicks.

Martinez isn’t one to turn down fights regardless of the name, but he had to do a double take after the name Jose Aldo was uttered.

“I think it was after sparring, my manager called me and he was like, ‘Do you want to fight Jose Aldo?’ And I was like Jose Aldo?” Martinez told MMA Fighting. “I even asked who’s that? [He said] ‘Jose Aldo!’ And I was like, ‘Oh damn, yeah, I want to fight him.’”

A former featherweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer, Aldo retired from active competition back in 2022, so Martinez wasn’t even thinking about him as a potential opponent.

“It was pretty crazy – I had to let it sink in a little bit,” Martinez said. “I was ready to fight soon. I was telling my manager, and Jose’s name came up. It is a huge name. The fight’s good, and I know he’s been boxing and stuff. I feel like he’s gotten better. When people get older, they start going down, but he’s been looking good. I’m excited to see that version.”

While he was initially shocked to hear Aldo’s name as an opponent, Martinez doesn’t put the former UFC champion on a pedestal, because at the end of the day, they’re going to fight on May 4 in Brazil.

As much as he respects Aldo and the ex-champ’s résumé, Martinez recognizes the rare opportunity ahead as the co-main event on a pay-per-view card like UFC 301.

“I don’t get excited like that,” Martinez said. “When I fought Cub Swanson, the same thing. You put that in front of me, it’s kind of going to mess with my head, so it’s just another guy in there. I’ve just got to go in there and show I’m better than him.”

Martinez appreciates that he was selected as the opponent, not only because it’s a boost for his career, but it also shows that the UFC isn’t trying to give Aldo a pass in his return from retirement.

If anything, Aldo may end up being a sizable underdog considering his time off between fights and the impressive run Martinez has been on lately.

“To me, I think they like this matchup because me and him, it’s the two kickers in the division,” Martinez said. “Out of all the [bantamweights], I kick a lot and he used to kick and maybe he’ll bring it back this time.

“I’m going to try to mix everything up. He’s really good everywhere, so I’m going to do everything. It’s mixed martial arts so some fights I throw kicks, some fights I don’t. We’ll see.”

Martinez will undoubtedly experience a hostile environment in Rio de Janeiro thanks to Aldo’s celebrity in his home country. That kind of raucous reception – fans famously chant “you’re going to die” at some fighters – is something that excites him. For the first time in over three years, he’ll actually have thousands of fans at his fight.

“Boo me or cheer for me, it doesn’t bother me,” Martinez said. “Them booing me, it doesn’t really get in my head or nothing like that. I’m actually going to have some noise, which is way better than fighting in the quiet [UFC] APEX.”

Aldo’s long layoff came after he dropped a decision to Merab Dvalishvili in a fight that could have put him back in line for another title shot. He ultimately decided to call it a career, but was still ranked near the top of the division at 135 pounds when he retired.

Aldo remains a massive name thanks to his laundry list of accomplishments and Martinez expects that beating him will make a bigger impression than facing off with an unranked bantamweight.

“I’m excited for that,” Martinez said. “Honestly just to show them my skill and show that I do belong in the top five. I go get him out of there, he’s going to bring a lot of eyes. So that’s my goal, to go in there and get him out of there.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

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Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

The ever-changing UFC roster has seen another update, its second purge in as many weeks. According to UFC Roster Tracker, four more athletes have been released from the promotion: Bryan Barberena, Philipe Lins, Carlos Candelario, and Josh Parisian. In addition, Joanne Wood has been removed from rankings eligibility after she retired following her UFC 299 victory over Maryna Moroz.

Barberena might be the biggest name of this batch of cuts. The 34 year old joined the roster in 2014 as a Lightweight but spent most of his career a 170 lbs. Notably, he handed Sage Northcutt his first loss, as well as putting on incredible scraps against the likes of Vicente Luque, Matt Brown, and Robbie Lawler. He’s lost four straight, however, including a bizarre 0-2 Middleweight run that saw him strangled by Gerald Meerschaert last weekend at UFC Vegas 88.

Lins also fought at UFC Vegas 88, but he won, defeating Ion Cutelaba via unanimous decision. The former PFL champion actually won four straight fights, so there are two possible options. On one hand, Lins could just be in negotiation with the promotion still and is ineligible to be ranked until he signs back with UFC. Conversely, Lins is well-paid for an unranked Light Heavyweight because of his PFL success, so perhaps UFC simply wasn’t willing to foot the “Monstro” bill any longer.

Like Wood, Parisian fought at UFC 299. Unfortunately, his bout versus hot prospect Robert Despaigne lasted just 18 seconds (watch it), and the knockout loss was his third defeat in a row. He ends his UFC career with a 2-5 record. Candelario’s run in the UFC was far shorter, as he went winless in two fights and missed weight in his sophomore performance.

Insomnia

Tim Means and Uros Medic are going to take lumps out of one another, no two ways about it.

I will never watch Road House, but I will watch all these goofy clips that land on my feed.

Two quick clips that I found difficult to place. Answer (per usual) in the responses!

Mark Hunt reactions are the only ones I want to read.

Demetrious Johnson accuses UFC CEO Dana White of lying … it couldn’t be, right?

Weird dorks online are taking this clip of Jamahal Hill lightly rolling with Aljamain Sterling VERY seriously.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Verdonk was throwing clubs from close range.

A throwback “Thug Rose” finish!

Four ounce Muay Thai is so nasty.

Random Land

A friendly fish.

Midnight Music: Hip-hop, 1998

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

It sounds like Conor McGregor and the UFC are finally getting back on the same page again.

Following months of delays in booking the Irish superstar for his next fight, McGregor told MMA Fighting on Wednesday that he finally received word from the UFC that he will make his highly anticipated return sometime during the summer of 2024. That came after McGregor hinted at not hearing much from the UFC regarding his return to action despite making constant overtures about fighting sooner rather than later.

UFC CEO Dana White addressed the situation in a new interview posted Thursday, disputing claims that the promotion hasn’t been in contact with McGregor. Instead, White says UFC just allowed McGregor the breathing room that he needed to promote his role in the new Road House remake, which had him traveling around the globe over the past few weeks.

“There’s no lack of communication. Not at all,” White told the Pound-4-Pound podcast. “You know where Conor is tonight? He’s in New York City for the premiere of Road House. He has obligations right now to promote this movie. So he’s been flying all over the world, going to all the premieres of the launch of this movie. This is an obligation that he has to do. It is what it is. He committed to this movie. He has obligations to this movie. He can’t do both.

“So once this movie launches, which is Thursday, this thing launches Thursday the 21st, and boom — I don’t know what his obligations are once it launches, then Conor can get back in the gym and start training. Like full-time, getting ready for a camp.”

White commended McGregor for his business savvy, not only as a new film star but also playing it smart where his fight career is concerned.

Because the Road House remake ate up so much of his time, McGregor was never a viable option for the upcoming UFC 300 card on April 13. With the film officially out in the world as of March 21, White expects that McGregor will soon get back in the gym and they’ll discuss next steps to book a fight.

“Conor McGregor, for a guy who was on the dole or whatever his situation was when he came into the UFC, for a guy that had never done big business, he’s a pretty good f******* businessman,” White said. “He’s been a great partner to us. I like to be a good partner back.

“Conor needed this time to take off, handle his obligations, and now, once this is over, he can get back into full-time training — which means from Thursday on, we can start talking about fights for Conor.”

McGregor is expected to clash with Michael Chandler in his return, although nothing has been signed yet.

While he anticipates McGregor’s UFC comeback to take place in the near future, White doubled down on his belief that the wealth the former two-division champion amassed still plays some part in his delayed comeback.

“Once you start to make a lot of money, you’re not as hungry as you were before and it is harder to get in the gym, and it does suck to f******* grind as hard as you used to grind,” White said. “It is harder to stay on top once you make that kind of money.

“Then you think about the money that Conor’s made — tthis dude’s living on f****** legit yachts for months and s*** like that.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Logan Paul has no interest in running back his 2021 clash with Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather.

Three years ago, the elder Paul brother stepped inside the ring for an exhibition bout at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Going to an eight-round draw, fans have been clamoring for a rematch ever since.

Actually, that’s not true. Nobody cares. We’re not sure anyone even remembers the first fight.

Still, during an In Depth With Graham Bensinger appearance, Logan Paul revealed that Mayweather came calling for a sequel on more than one occasion. Paul, who keeps himself busy as the current WWE United States Champion, has little interest in going toe-to-toe with the iconic pugilist again — unless his piece of the pie is much bigger.

“Yeah. He asked me. He asked me,” Paul claims. “Twice. He was supposed to fight someone on top of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai – it fell through. He asked if I wanted to step in. I said no. He’s not a person you take a fight on six weeks notice with, and not with the goal that I have. I already fought Floyd Mayweather. If I did it again, it would be to beat Floyd Mayweather – which I think is doable. I just need to train proper… And also if I fought him again it wouldn’t be 85/15, it’s 50/50. ‘F*ck you bro, I don’t need this sh*t. You need it way more than I do.’”

Logan Paul likes the idea of being the first fighter to KO ‘Money’ Mayweather

Admittedly, Logan Paul can’t help but like the idea of becoming the first fighter to KO Mayweather in the ring. That, and a bigger bag, might be enough to entice him to sign on the dotted line someday.

I just feel like I got bigger fish to fry, literally,” Paul said. “But the idea of being the only person to knock out Floyd Mayweather excites me. I would also request 10 rounds, because I was coming alive at the end. He was not.”

Until then, Paul will have his hands full when he defends his WWE gold against Randy Orton and Kevin Owens in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 40 next month.

Check out Logan Paul’s full appearance on In Depth with Graham Bensinger below:

LowKickMMA.com

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

MMA Fighting has Bellator Belfast results for the Anderson vs. Moore Champions Series fight card, and more from The SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Friday.

In the main event, Corey Anderson faces off with Karl Moore for the vacant Bellator light heavyweight title.

In the co-main event, Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull defends his title against PFL and MMA vet Jeremy Kennedy.

Check out Bellator Champions Series results below.

Main card (Max at 1 p.m. ET)

Corey Anderson vs. Karl Moore

Patricio Pitbull vs. Jeremy Kennedy

Fabian Edwards vs. Aaron Jeffery

James Gallagher vs. Leandro Higo

Tim Wilde vs. Manoel Sousa

Prelims

Ciaran Clarke vs. Darius Mafi

Alfie Davis vs. Oscar Ownsworth

Luke Trainer vs. Grant Neal

Nathan Kelly vs. Vikas Singh Ruhil

Abraham Bably vs. Isaiah Pinson

Nate Kelly vs. Jordan Elliott

MMA Fighting – All Posts