Morning Report | Sean O’Malley reacts to Conor Benn reported Zuffa deal: ‘I’m not making f*cking $15 million’
Sean O’Malley might be one of the UFC’s biggest stars, but his paycheck isn’t near what the top guys earn in boxing.
Over the weekend, Zuffa Boxing made arguably its biggest splash move yet, signing British boxing star Conor Benn away from Matchroom Boxing. The deal is reportedly a one-fight contract for $15 million, a significant payday for anyone in combat sports, and a towering figure compared to what most UFC fighters make. In fact, the number is so large that former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley can’t quite believe it’s true.
“For me, it’s so hard to believe,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “I did see it, I heard it, I’ve been told. Tim told me, ‘Did you see that?’ That doesn’t mean it’s true. I don’t know. It could very well be true. I can’t imagine it being true. Zuffa Boxing, they’re paying out — I don’t even know who Conor Benn is! Supposedly, he’s a pretty big name in boxing, but I’ve never f*cking heard of him.”
Historically, big-name boxers have commanded significantly more money than UFC fighters, as boxers earn the lion’s share of revenue from their events, while UFC fighters collectively pull in only around 20 percent of the promotion’s revenue. And, unfortunately for O’Malley, that means Benn, despite never holding a major title, is about to make more than the former bantamweight champion ever has.
“If they really paid him $15 million, it’s like — It’s crazy how you put in so much work in the UFC, puts in so much work in the UFC to build this name, create this character, be this star, and I’m not making f*cking $15 million a fight,” O’Malley said.
“But, it’s also a business. If they think that’s a good business move and that guy’s going to bring in money, I get it. I don’t take anything personal in business. Business is business.”
And, there might be a little more to this than just business, at least, so says O’Malley. Given the longstanding beef between Dana White and Oscar De La Hoya, and the recently fired-up beef between White and Eddie Hearn, O’Malley says the big price tag may be a result of White’s competitive nature.
“Zuffa Boxing is something that’s taken over from Turki [Alsheikh],” O’Malley said. “So, if that’s the case, Turki and Dana are in on this, and Dana really wants to do it because he f*cking hates Oscar De La Hoya, he hates Eddie Hearn, he hates these people. He’s like, ‘Hey, let’s take their biggest star and pay him, even if it’s $15 million.’ I could see it being out of an ego thing.”
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