While it wasn’t his fault that Ray Borg fell ill and the UFC 215 main event got cancelled, Demetrious Johnson has shared that he has yet to be paid by the promotion.
“When they said, ‘Stop cutting weight,’ and the first thing I said, I said, ‘How the f—k do I get my money?” Johnson said at the MMA Hour. “Do I need to finish cutting weight, step on the scale, so I can get my pay check?’ Because I just trained eight weeks for this.”
According to Johnson, the UFC told him that the promotion typically doesn’t pay the athletes if the bouts are rescheduled quickly, and the plan is to have the fight at UFC 216 next month.
“Usually if it’s a quick turnaround, then typically they do not pay the athletes,” Johnson said about his conversation with UFC officials. “Hopefully they do make things happen on Oct. 7, if it’s possible, then I can get a pay check. As far as I’m concerned, my black ass should be going to the bank and depositing a check right now and taking my kids to school. But that’s not the case right now.”
With some cases of late cancellations in the past, fighters have received at least their “show” money from their contract, but this isn’t the case for Johnson. According to the top pound-for-pound champion, his management team and the UFC are still discussing this matter, and he’s unsure if he will be getting paid for the event.
“I didn’t get a pay check, so I’m still searching for my pay check,” Johnson said. “They said I have to fight and make weight Oct. 7. Then I’m coming to fight and collecting cash.”
If Johnson is indeed rebooked for UFC 216, his 8-week training camp will basically be stretched to 12 weeks.
About the author
