UFC 293 Fighter Shows Off Ridiculously Low Paycheck After Fight

UFC 293 has come and gone and it was a memorable one as Sean Strickland did the unthinkable as he dethroned the former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya to become the undisputed champion. The event was a complete success even breaking gate records for an indoor event in the entire continent.

The dust has now settled and the fighters are on their way back to the country where they reside but without a lot less money in their pockets than they originally planned.

I sacrificed my whole life for this sport and put everything on the line. Damn Australian government and the judges robbed me pretty badly. #MATRIX @Cobratate pic.twitter.com/PBpkWkphpD

— John Wayne Makdessi (@JohnMakdessi) September 12, 2023

In the picture, John Makdessi who lost a razor-close decision to hometown favorite Jamie Mullarkey showed off his pay after his fight at UFC 293. Not only was Makdessi deducted for airfare for his cornermen to be there but he was also charged for the event-based medicals that were needed and a VISA fee. That’s not all, he was taxed 45% of his purse for Foreign Federal Tax for taking the fight in Australia. He is quite upset with the situation as most fighters would be.

“I sacrificed my whole life for this sport and put everything on the line. Damn Australian government and the judges robbed me pretty badly.” Makdessi said.

That makes his total deductions and tax come out to an outstanding $29,538.35 of a potential purse of $58,000 which is 50.9% of his gross show purse. This is also before any management fees and out-of-pocket medical expenses that come after the fight itself.

Is it worth taking a fight in another country?

This asked the question, why do fighters even take fights in other countries if they are going to be taxed an absorbent amount of money? It really all depends on the situation at hand. Living in a country like John Makdessi does in Canada that doesn’t have many UFC events, he will have to travel outside of his country to fight but as for fighters that live in the United States it seems like a no-brainer to avoid fighting abroad at all costs if you can.

The UFC pay scale is already low as it is but with all of these deductions and foreign taxes, it’s going to make it a lot harder for fighters outside of the host country willing to travel and put on a show for the fans. It is the unfortunate part of being a fighter for any organization and there isn’t much change to happen about it.