Boxing has been the highest-paying combat sport for over 100 years. The UFC is celebrating their 30th anniversary this year and, although the company hasn’t been around nearly as long as boxing, they may be in the hunt for the top spot.

An average boxer’s purse per fight is easily over a million dollars. The bigger the name, the bigger the payout. In MMA, only the top guys are touching that, and barely even. After a lawsuit against the UFC from former fighters came out, purses of some of the highest-grossing fights were released and the numbers were staggering. 

No MMA fighter has made over $10 million, except for Conor Mcgregor, and the average payout for others was no more than $5 million. It is interesting to note that the UFC is a multi-billion dollar company. President Dana White has constantly been asked numerous times at post-fight press conferences if fighters will get a pay raise, to which he responded, “You eat what you kill.”

The hunter-gatherer mentality has been long known, but other MMA promotions like the PFL, professional fight league, have created ideas to increase fighter pay. The most notable tactic is the PFL fight tournament. Fighters in each division compete in a tournament in their weight class and the winner not only becomes champion but also wins $1 million. The creation of this tournament has seen numerous big names from the UFC sign to the PFL to compete and, by the looks of it, they seem much happier and more appreciated.

Boxing on the other hand has been in decline for some time now. With MMA being much more interesting to watch because of the almost unlimited ways to strike and constant blood being splattered, people have been more tuned in.

Boxing viewership has been declining and one of the leading promoters of the sport, Showtime Boxing, announced that it will be closing business after this year. In recent fights, fans have been seen booing at the shows for the lack of competitiveness and aggression. 

David Turner, an amateur boxer from Pasco County, Florida, said he feels that the sport isn’t as loved as it once used to be.

“It’s no secret boxing is the highest IQ sport of all combat sports, but some fans aren’t interested in that. They want the elbows and to hear punches land with blood gushing out.”

In an overview of everything, average boxers are still getting paid more than some of the highest-grossing fighters on the UFC roster. The pay gap is an issue. However that doesn’t necessarily concern fans, it’s the product being displayed.

The level of violence is completely higher in MMA and with rules and regulations in place for boxing after numerous deaths in the ring in the past, the sport has been saturated and has become much more of a defensive chess match. Another factor that is being brought up is the lack of competition. In boxing, your record is everything, and even one loss puts you in a completely separate conversation from the greats. In MMA it’s different, fighters are more loved and paid more for their violence and the damage they can take. Nate Diaz is the perfect example. Diaz has a 23-10 record and has never won a championship; however, he gets paid more per fight than even some champions do. 

Both sports may be physically tolling, but the rules and respect are very different and the politics of it is what separates these sports from one another. If MMA is taking over the number one spot in the combat sports ranking, it should see a much higher pay increase.