Now that UFC Freedom 250 has come and gone, Justin Gaethje seems to have had an epiphany about his worth.
Gaethje stole the show in the UFC Freedom 250 headliner on the South Lawn of the White House a little over a week ago when he pulled off a huge upset by battering Ilia Topuria to claim the undisputed lightweight title. Topuria was unable to continue after Round 4 due to damage suffered to his orbital.
The fight was yet another action affair – among Fight of the Year contenders – from Gaethje, who received a combined $825,000 in bonuses for Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night. In the days since, Gaethje has thought about how he stepped up to the plate for the company in two previous marquee events: the milestone UFC 300, where he and Max Holloway put on a show in the co-headliner; and UFC 324, where he dominated Paddy Pimblett in the main event of the promotion’s debut on Paramount+.
And he’s reached one conclusion.
“I deserve to be compensated for what I have done, not for what I’m going to do. I shouldn’t have to fight next to be compensated,” Gaethje said on a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience.” “UFC 300, UFC 324 and now (UFC Freedom 250) – those are the three stages that the UFC needed somebody to do something phenomenal, and they picked me every single time. And I delivered. I wasn’t the main event at UFC 300 – co-main event, still stole the show even though I lost. And so I think I need to be compensated for what I’ve done.”
Gaethje isn’t looking to simply renegotiate his current contract before his first lightweight title defense, either. He wants even more – and has an idea from what may would consider to be way out of left field.
“I’m not talking about for the next fight. I’m talking about the UFC should make a company and give me equity in that company, so I can build passive income,” Gaethje said. “… I’ve never been the guy that asks for things. I wish people that were opposite of me that ask for things and get all kinds of things, I wish I was given those things without asking. Because obviously people know it’s appreciated, and I like it.”
Given UFC CEO Dana White’s belief that fighter pay is already good enough and his stance against minimum salaries, Gaethje figures to have a hard time getting what he feels he deserves. His manager is Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA.
