With the Netflix MMA card drawing near, everyone wants to know just how much money they’re able to pony up to compete with the UFC.
UFC commentator and podcast host Joe Rogan even speculated on the rumored fight purses after Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions signed Ronda Rousey, Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz, Mohammad Mokaev, and more.
“What did you hear that [MVP] offered Diaz?” Rogan asked his “Joe Rogan Experience: Fight Companion podcast co-host Brendan Schaub, who responded he heard Diaz was offered $10 million.
“I heard it was more,” Rogan responded. “That’s wild.”
This would obviously be among the biggest paydays anyone has ever received in mixed martial arts combat in any promotion.
Paul appeared to throw some cold water when asked by The Post about a $15 million figure while discussing the all female MVPW boxing event this Friday at Madison Square Garden.
“I think that a lot of the numbers in combat sports are often inflated,” Paul said when asked about Rogan and the rumor mill. “There are so many rumors out there, and at the end of the day, there is a lot of money in combat sports. I don’t think anyone besides me, Nakisa [Bidarian, Paul’s MVP co-founder] and Nate Diaz’s team right now know how much they are getting paid. At the end of the day, we want fighters to make the most amount of money when they come and work with MVP and fight with us.”
Notably, the amount that is being paid to Diaz will be public information come the MMA card’s conclusion on May 16, where it will be live from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
The card is headlined by Ronda Rousey, who is surely getting a hefty sum to come out of retirement at the age of 39.
Rousey, in a New York press conference on Wednesday, revealed that the minimum pay for fighters participating on the card is $40,000, win or lose, a significant step up from the $10,000 that the UFC typically pays to fighters before bonuses.
Paul also told The Post that this event is expected to be the first of many MMA cards as they splurge into the space.
“Specifically on the MMA side, we want to create another home where fighters can get paid, three, four, times as much,” Paul said. “And that’s what we’re proving by coming in with Netflix by putting on an amazing card we’re proving that there is another sherrif in town.”
“Yes, hopefully [there will be many more MVP MMA cards]” Paul concluded. “When May 16th is a success I believe there will be much more to come.”
