Ex-UFC fighter calls for UFC 300 boycott amid latest judging scandal: ‘Unless there’s a change, we aren’t fighting’
Former UFC standout Brendan Schaub wants to see fighters boycott the promotion’s third centennial event next year.
Though it’s still a ways away, fans are already talking about potential matchups that could go down at UFC 300, tentatively on track for April 2024. But if The Ultimate Fighter alumnus Brendan Schaub gets his wish, the event won’t happen unless the promotion makes some major changes first. Schaub’s recent call to action comes less than a week removed from the UFC’s latest judging scandal. During last weekend’s Fight Night card in Las Vegas, fans were treated to a highly entertaining five-round scrap between top-ten bantamweights Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi.
After 25 minutes of action, the general consensus had Kara-France leaving Sin City with a win and a world title opportunity in the bag. However, two of the presiding judges, Chris Lee and Sal D’Amato, saw things differently and scored the bout 48-47 in favor of Albazi. The questionable decision drew the ire of fans and fighters, including an especially fiery response from Kara-France’s teammate, Israel Adesanya.
During a recent episode of The Schaub Show on YouTube, the ex-heavyweight contender suggested fighters band together and call for a boycott until the promotion fixes the epidemic of inept judging that is plaguing the sport. Schaub also hopes to see changes in fighter pay, another hot-button issue that has routinely been dismissed by UFC President Dana White.
“There has to be something we can do here,” Schaub said. “You can do what the SAG writers and just protest…what you do is rally the troops, do it before the big event, UFC 300, the week of…’Guess what? Unless there’s a change, we aren’t fighting. ‘… If the fighters decided to put their foot in the ground, two days and things would change.”
UFC Revenue Skyrockets While Fighter Pay Remains the Same
The promotion currently employs roughly 600 professional fighters, all of whom are fighting for their livelihood, their families, or in many cases, both. Getting every fighter to sign off on a walk-out that could potentially cost them tens of thousands of dollars does not seem feasible, though Schaub is not wrong about a change that is desperately needed.
With the promotion raking in record-breaking revenues year after year, fighter pay has seen no improvements. In fact, the promotion’s athlete costs dropped in 2022, reducing their already embarrassing revenue share to a meager 13-15%. Recently, reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya called for the promotion to increase performance bonuses due to skyrocketing inflation that continues to plague the country.
The UFC has admittedly increased their bonuses from the standard $50,000 to $75,000 and even $100,000, but those have been few and far between, and are typically reserved exclusively for special events.
