Georges St-Pierre is calling on today’s biggest UFC names to use their star power to push for improved fighter pay.
Speaking with Demetrious Johnson on The MightyCast, the former two-division UFC champion and Hall of Famer said he believes the UFC currently pays fighters around 17 percent of revenue and wants to see that change in favor of the athletes.
"Like, I fought. I went head-to-head with the UFC on many things – for the fighter's pay, for the image that we were portrayed as a stereotype. I tried to make us have a better image. Go in with a suit at the press conference. For the drug testing," St-Pierre said, noting his own history of clashes with the promotion over compensation and other issues.
St-Pierre, who used his leverage as a top star to secure a more lucrative UFC contract in 2008, pointed to fighters like Johnson making moves outside the UFC. "You said, 'Oh yeah, you don't want to pay me what I'm worth?' You went. So, you fought and you did it for yourself, but in the same time, you helped the fighters that don't have the same platform, don't have the same power."
He also praised the UFC’s business dominance while highlighting its impact on athletes. "It's a big machine, and they took over, which is bad for the fighters because they have less power, and it's good for the UFC for their business."
Looking ahead, St-Pierre believes the responsibility now lies with active stars: "The torch has been passed to them, and if they want fighters to be better treated, that's their job to do it, while they're on the spotlight right now."
