‘I would do this sh-t for free’ – Miesha Tate clarifies comments on fight camp expenses

Long-standing fighter pay complaints aside, a few UFC fighters are now going the opposite route and expressing satisfaction with what they’re being compensated for. After UFC middleweight Jared Cannonier spoke up this week, former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate is doing the same.

In a recent episode of her MMA on SiriusXM podcast, “Cupcake” clarified the previous statement she made about losing “98%” of her UFC Vegas 31 purse on a load of expenses.

“The UFC paid me $200,000 for that fight and what I choose to do with that money is definitely my choice. And I’m not sad about it,” Tate told co-host Ryan McKinnell. “I’m stoked that I doubled down on myself. I’ve been out for nearly five years.

“So yeah, it was a really expensive camp, but look at the result. Look at the product. I spent a ton, but I’m grateful that I had that to spend.”

Tate is happy with what she’s getting from the UFC. But even without the money, she says she will be left satisfied.

“People want to say we should make more money, we should do this, we should do that. All I know is that I signed on the dotted line and I haven’t argued about it yet. So in truth — and I probably shouldn’t say this — but I would do this shit for free, to be honest. I would do it for free because I f—ng love it.

“I love it and I used to do it for free and I did it for pennies on the dollar. And would I love to make more? Of course, because I have a family.”

Tate says one big factor could be the innate desire to be compensated more and not having a general definition of what is enough.

“Would you like to make more money at your job? Of course. Everybody on this planet. Bill Gates probably likes to make more money. Everybody wants to make more money,” she said.

“When I look at the world as a whole, and I look at what opportunities are here as an American, as a woman, that I can capture, I’m just so grateful that I’m in the position that I can say, like, I own my home, I do this, and I’m able to invest $200,000 on myself. That’s what I stand on, at the end of the day, to be honest.

“I don’t have a lot to complain about. I have a lot to be grateful for and I don’t want people to think that I’m just over here complaining, because I’m not. I’m grateful, I doubled down on myself, and I think it was worth it.”

After her huge win over Marion Reneau, Tate is reportedly scheduled to headline the UFC’s October 16 Fight Night event against Ketlen Vieira.