On the subject of the winners and losers in the one commerce to ever happen in MMA historical past, Demetrious Johnson is aware of how he fared after he was despatched to ONE Championship in trade for Ben Askren.
The 38-year-old former UFC flyweight champion, who introduced his retirement from the game again in September, admits that transferring to the Singapore primarily based promotion was the perfect transfer made throughout his total profession. Whereas there are quite a few the explanation why Johnson feels that means, it’s fairly simple to surmise why the monetary advantages most likely sits on the high of his record.
“ONE Championship is the perfect factor that’s ever occurred to me,” Johnson informed MMA Combating. “The rationale why I say that’s on a number of fronts. Clearly the [UFC antitrust] lawsuit simply went preliminary [approval] and I keep in mind someone mentioned you’re taking 23 p.c of no matter you made within the firm and that’s what it might be [that you earned].
“That time-frame from 2011 all the best way to 2017, I had 17 fights. I feel 12 of them have been world championship fights and 5 of them weren’t. So I did all the maths, I did all that stuff and I used to be like what the f*ck? That’s all I made? I used to be in mattress final night time simply doing the maths. I used to be like godd*mn, I’m f*cking gutted. I used to be simply gutted.”
Monetary disclosures made as a part of considered one of two UFC antitrust lawsuits revealed how a lot fighters have been being paid in comparison with the full income earned by the promotion. Whereas the numbers diverse from 12 months to 12 months, the typical was usually between 16 to twenty p.c of the general income went again to the athletes.
That’s dramatically decrease than most main sports activities leagues just like the NFL or NBA the place gamers earn round 50 p.c of the full income, which is predicated upon a collective bargaining settlement negotiated by a union representing the athletes towards the house owners of any explicit sports activities league.
When he sat down and began evaluating how a lot he received paid versus how a lot the UFC was making, Johnson was gob smacked by the numbers.
“For being top-of-the-line fighters on the planet, at one cut-off date the perfect pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. I used to be like f*ck, godd*mn,” Johnson mentioned. “If I might have performed NBA, f*cking baseball, it might have been f*cking pennies on the greenback what I made within the UFC.”
As a lot as Johnson laments how little he believes he earned in comparison with the UFC’s total income, he can’t assist however surprise how a lot compensation was going to the fighters who weren’t successful championships.
Johnson was the primary and solely flyweight champion within the UFC till he misplaced a razor-close choice to Henry Cejudo, which finally served as his last bout within the group. So for over 5 years whereas Johnson ruling over the division, he is aware of there have been loads of ultra-talented fighters who virtually definitely weren’t taking dwelling a much bigger paycheck than him.
“I feel the very first thing that got here to my thoughts, and I’m going to cease at that,” Johnson mentioned. “If I used to be the champion, and I did 17 fights throughout that time-frame and I did all the math, with out the Reebok sponsorship and with out the Dodge Dart and all the opposite sponsorships as a result of I don’t actually know these numbers, I felt very comfy with the numbers I put there. If I made this a lot, and I really feel a sure means, I’m curious what the following man felt.
“Like Joseph [Benavidez], Ray Borg, John Dodson, John Moraga, the record simply goes on. That was the very first thing. Me and my producer talked about that this morning, I used to be like if I really feel this fashion, and I used to be the champion and I used to be successful all my fights, I don’t assume anyone else within the flyweight division was making more cash than me, so if I really feel this fashion, think about how these guys really feel.”
Wanting again now, Johnson says the unprecedented commerce that despatched him to ONE Championship altered his life endlessly and there are zero regrets about the way it all went down.
Despite the fact that the transfer solely occurred after Johnson misplaced his flyweight title to Henry Cejudo, he guarantees there’s nothing he would change about that consequence.
“It was the perfect profession choice I ever made,” Johnson mentioned. “I really like ONE Championship for it and I’m nonetheless concerned with ONE Championship serving to them construct their model and their fighters. I’m so glad. If I had a crystal ball and foresee the long run, if it was like if I beat Henry [Cejudo], my Black ass can be caught within the UFC, nonetheless combating tooth and nail for more cash or if I regarded into it and be like I ought to lose and also you’re going to go over to ONE Championship and make more cash? We going to lose this f*cking struggle. It’s OK, don’t fear about it.
“However the whole lot labored out the best way it’s. I consider god had a plan and the best way it performed out is the best way it ought to have performed out. I’m actually grateful for that.”
Now simply because transferring to ONE Championship ended up being the absolute best answer for his profession, Johnson isn’t sitting round simply being bitter about how he was handled within the UFC.
Johnson understands that he signed each single contract and bout settlement despatched his means, which suggests he knew precisely what he was being paid alongside the best way.
He additionally is aware of that ONE Championship’s curiosity in him got here primarily from the profession he constructed within the UFC so Johnson doesn’t harbor any in poor health will in the direction of his former employers.
Simply after he retired, UFC CEO Dana White praised Johnson and mentioned that he was a lock for the corporate’s Corridor of Fame.
Whereas they haven’t all the time gotten alongside, Johnson appreciated that assertion from White and he wouldn’t dream of turning down that honor of becoming a member of the UFC Corridor of Fame even when he’ll all the time stay joyful that his profession led to ONE Championship.
“Let’s not get it twisted. I’m grateful for my time within the UFC as a result of that gave me the platform to have the ability to construct my model,” Johnson mentioned. “Once I went over to Asia, I already had a fan base. I wasn’t a brand new child coming into there. I used to be on the most important platform in North America, turned a world champion, pound-for-pound finest fighter on the planet, 11 consecutive title defenses, so I made my profession within the UFC. There hasn’t been anyone else that’s capable of do what I’ve been capable of do by way of the UFC. So I feel it’s solely proper but when they see match that I need to be within the Corridor of Fame, then completely I’ll settle for it.
“Like I mentioned, there’s no in poor health will. It does me no good to go to mattress at night time pissed off at Dana White. There’s no vitality. That’s a waste of vitality. There’s no in poor health will that I don’t need the UFC to succeed. As a result of it does nothing for me. In the event that they succeed, superior. In the event that they fail, OK, it’s what it’s. However my time within the UFC was wonderful. I’ll completely settle for that award.”
