Brendan Allen scored a a big win Christian Leroy Duncan in the main event of UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday night. The fourth-ranked middleweight defended his spot and was one win away from a likely shot at the belt. The belt is currently held by Sean Strickland.
This drew a big reaction from Nassourdine Imavov, who is considered the next contender to fight Strickland for the title. Imavov even ambushed Strickland last week at the UFC Performance Institute to try and force the fight through.
After Saturday’s big win, Allen was asked about Strickland (someone he lost to early in his UFC career). Allen, choosing his words carefully, said he respected Strickland for raising the issue of the fighters’ pay.
“Hey man, at the end of the day, you’re never going to hear me license for my salary,” Allen said. “But I’d love to have more money. Who here wouldn’t want more money? So, these guys who don’t have to fight, but talk back and take those kinds of positions for more money… God bless you. I wish I could. But I’m happy. But, like I said, I’m just a dumb f**king from Louisiana.”
Allen continued to talk about the situation and in real time you could see him walking a tightrope as he was honest about his opinion on the fighter’s low pay rate and his fear of the consequences of doing so.
“I’m happy with what I’m getting paid,” Allen insisted. “I do the shit that people wish for. A lot of people wish they could do what I do (and) do what I do. So I’m very grateful. I don’t want to feel like I’m greedy or anything.”
Getting paid what you’re worth isn’t greedy. With Paramount valuing the UFC at $7.7 billion and Dana White betting millions of dollars on a single baccarat hand, the fighters — as a whole — must be worth a lot more than they’re currently being paid. Allen’s low-key way of talking about money shows how good the injured business is at convincing fighters that they don’t have a real job and are just lucky to be here.
Despite not wanting to upset the apple cart — something Sean Strickland isn’t afraid to do with all his controversy — Allen was very gentle in his criticism of the salary situation.
“But hats off to Sean for talking about trying to get more money, because if you look at the scale of things, based on the statistics that we have, we’re underpaid.”
However, Allen quickly retracted his statement.
“But hell, I’m not trying to cancel. At least the bosses say I like my paycheck. They know I like my paycheck. I don’t care. My car collection is still growing. My house is still growing. I didn’t mean it, Hunter (Campbell). I’m sorry.”
It was pretty sad. For every Strickland, there are probably many more Allens. And the result is that no one in the four ounce gloves is going to get paid any time soon.