UFC Records Best Financial Year, Endeavor Refuses To Comment On Fighter Pay

The UFC has delivered once again, according to parent company Endeavor Group Holdings.

Endeavor announced that, in 2021, the UFC had its best financial year in its 28-year history. The Owned Sports Properties segment, which includes UFC and PBR, had a fourth-quarter increase 3% to $277.3 million and a revenue hike 16% to $1.1 billion, Front Office Sports reported.

The report added that the increases were thanks to increased media rights fees, sponsorship deals and event-related revenue. In 2021, the UFC had nine sold-out PPV events that included live audiences.

Endeavor’s fourth-quarter revenue was up 56% and had hit $5.1 billion. 2021 was Endeavor’s first year as public via an initial public offering (IPO) in April. The company has raised around $511 million.

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, who has been a heavy critic of fighter pay, tweeted that he was looking forward to the earnings call on Wednesday.

“Looking forward to my first Endeavor earnings call today! Going to reach out to their board members afterwards Every Wall Street analyst preview report I’ve read is questioning if the low UFC fighter pay percentages are sustainable That tells you how unfair UFC fighter pay is,” Paul tweeted.

Looking forward to my first Endeavor earnings call today!

Going to reach out to their board members afterwards

Every Wall Street analyst preview report I’ve read is questioning if the low UFC fighter pay percentages are sustainable

That tells you how unfair UFC fighter pay is

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) March 16, 2022

When Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel was asked about fighter pay among the criticism, he refused to comment.

“I’m not commenting on that,” Emanuel said. “I think we’ve done very well as it relates to the pay for the fighters.”