Andrew Ravens
Sean O’Malley has never been shy about discussing fighter pay, but the latest maneuvers in combat sports have left the former UFC bantamweight champion stunned. Over the weekend, the mixed martial arts and boxing communities were rocked by the news that Zuffa Boxing made a major splash, signing British sensation Conor Benn away from Matchroom Boxing.
The deal is reportedly a one-fight contract and worth as much as $15 million. This unprecedented figure immediately highlighted the glaring pay disparity between top-tier boxers and the UFC roster, prompting a bewildered reaction from one of mixed martial arts’ biggest stars.
Taking to his YouTube channel, O’Malley admitted that he could barely process the magnitude of the reported contract, particularly because he was entirely unfamiliar with the boxer receiving the massive payout.
“For me, it’s so hard to believe. 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.”
The frustration was palpable as O’Malley, who has spent years delivering highlight-reel knockouts, found himself comparing his own compensation to a boxer who has yet to win a world title. Historically, the revenue split in combat sports has heavily favored boxers, who take home the majority of the revenue generated by their events, whereas UFC fighters collectively receive approximately 20 percent.
Despite this structural difference, seeing a newly minted promotional banner like Zuffa Boxing throw an eight-figure sum at a single athlete struck a nerve.
Sean O’Malley calls Conor Benn’s Zuffa contract ‘crazy’
“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. 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.”
While O’Malley acknowledged the cold nature of the fight business, he also threw out a theory that there might be deeply personal motivations behind the astronomical offer. The well-documented animosity between UFC CEO Dana White and rival boxing promoters like Oscar De La Hoya and Eddie Hearn is no secret. According to O’Malley, Zuffa Boxing’s financial muscle is being used as a weapon to humble the traditional boxing establishment.
“Zuffa Boxing is something that’s taken over from Turki [Alsheikh]. 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.”
