Ronda Rousey is the “It Girl” for the UFC right now. She’s got a bustling film career, an undefeated streak as long as your arm, a best selling auto-biography, and a size-able chunk of UFC gold around her waist. But, according to Tyron Woodley, who fights Johny Hendricks, on October 3rd’s UFC 192, Rousey may not occupy her spot as the UFC’s hottest commodity for long.
Speaking to MMAJunkie, Woodley opined that it’s only a matter of time before former light heavyweight champ in exile Jon Jones is back on top of the world, as the UFC’s top earner:
“I think when Jon comes back, he’ll take his spot as the highest-paid (fighter) in the UFC.”
…
“He got paid what he was worth, and just so you know, I agree with it. I think Ronda should be making what she’s making. I think Jon should be making what he’s making.
“I don’t know what she gets paid, (but) I kind of know what Jon gets paid, and he was the highest paid while he was around. When he gets back, he’ll reclaim that, but I think right now, she’s probably making a good seven figures.”
There’s little doubt that Jones will still command a high salary when he makes it back to the Octagon. It even seems likely that he’ll climb back to some similar level of stardom, akin to what he held before his inauspicious, hit and run fueled, exit from the promotion. But as for claiming that “top earner” spot? It feels like Rousey has set a new bar for media success and attention with the promotion and has picked up a reach outside the sport that Jones was never able to garner. It’s hard to see him as the face of the organization at this point, and as such, hard to see the UFC paying him like he is.
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