SUMMARY
- Recently, former UFC heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer Bas Rutten appeared on the JAXXON podcast.
- Amid the discussions, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson reveals how much money he made to fight Chuck Liddell in 2007.
The UFC has often been criticized for not paying their fighters well. Whilst it is a well-known issue and much-debated issue, there are exceptions to the rule as well. As one UFC superstar reveals he was once paid a massive amount, which is impressive even by today’s standards.
Recently, former UFC heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer Bas Rutten appeared on the JAXXON podcast. Speaking to the hosts Quinton Jackson and Bear Degidio, the trio had an interesting and insightful conversation, as always. Previously, Bas had left the fighting business owing to insufficient compensation. However, one notable claim from Jackson really left Rutten stunned.
Revealing what was likely his career-high payday, ‘Rampage’ said, “They (the WFA) gave me a crazy PPV deal, ’cause they knew they weren’t going to do PPVs, and then Dana White and UFC bought my contract. So when I fought Chuck, they had to give me…”. Further, he added, “I made about $7 million off the Chuck Liddell fight. My first time even telling about it”. Naturally, the claim was a shocking one and one that even surprised his co-host.
Quinton Jackson reveals how the UFC scammed him out of a lot of money
With that said, this is not the first time Quinton Jackson has mentioned his mega PPV deal with the UFC. As it turns out, his unbelievable payout against Chuck Liddell at UFC 71 was likely what prompted the promotion to use underhanded tactics to pay him less money. In a previous episode with Ken Shamrock, Rampage revealed exactly what the UFC did to prevent him from getting what he was owed.
Ahead of their UFC 114 fight, Jackson and Rashad Evans coached opposite each other on the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter. With their show drumming up a lot of attention, the fight was expected to break over a million PPV buys, which it did, contrary to what the fighters were told. As it turns out, something very similar occurred with Ken Shamrock as well, in his fights against Tito Ortiz.
Speaking on the situation, Jackson said, “When I fought Rashad Evans, I had a crazy contract. If I get over a million buys, my pay-per-view all the way up here. So, they told me we did just under a million buys. But in the press, he said that we did over a million buys. And I told him, ‘Pay me like you told the press,’ so I don’t know, but I got paid like we didn’t hit a million. That’s not fair.” Thus, it is now clearer as to why the UFC did such a thing.
Fans react to Rampage making $7 million to fight Chuck Lidell
For the most part, considering that the fight took place all the way back in 2007, $7 million is a mind-boggling figure. As such, it must have taken a lot of effort from Quinton Jackson to keep the matter to himself, and considering his history and lifestyle, he has done a good job of keeping the information to himself. Naturally, many fans online have questioned its validity, and understandably so.
After all, ‘Rampage’ making $7 million would put it as the second-highest payout ever in UFC history. Owing to the ongoing Anti-Trust lawsuit, decades of fighter pay information and more have been leaked to the press. Naturally, some of the highest-known salaries went to the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Ronda Rousey, and Conor McGregor. However, Brock Lesnar’s $8 million payout was at the top of the pile.
To put things into context, former UFC Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou earned a measly $600,000 for his final UFC fight. Here, it must be added, that Rampage had to break the 1 million PPV mark to be eligible for such a payday. “One of only fighters ever to get paid what they deserve” wrote one fan, as another followed up with “Get out no way”. All things considered, some fans were happy for Jackson whilst some were still in disbelief