"But do they deserve it tho?", "That is not true" - Fans react to Terence Crawford’s blunt take on UFC, MMA and boxing fighter pay gap

Terence Crawford is a veteran boxer and the current WBA super welterweight champion. Given his extensive tenure as a professional boxer, Crawford shared an interesting perspective on the differences in fighter pay between the UFC and boxing.

In a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, 'Bud' outlined some of the key differences in the two sports' pay structure. Interestingly, he stated that an undercard boxer of a boxing event typically receives a higher payout than a headlining fighter in the UFC.

“UFC, a guy headlining at the Sphere, they’re probably getting a couple million dollars. But you’ll see a guy on the undercard of a [boxing] show, making more money than that guy.”

Several fight fans and netizens took to X to share their reactions in the comments section of the above post. Notably, one of the users hinted that the payouts in boxing aren't justified:

"But do they deserve it tho? That's the real question."

Another user questioned the legitimacy of Crawford's claims:

"That’s not true tho. People on Crawford undercard last time had some fighting for only a few grand"

Others commented:

"That is not true at all"

"Bold to assume they make a "couple" of million"

"This is cap. Undercard boxers don't make shit either that's why the main event guys always make so much."

Check out more fan reactions below:

Fans react to Terence Crawford's take on the pay difference in UFC and boxing. [Screenshot courtesy: @acdmma_ on X]

The issue of fighter pay in MMA has been a prominent topic of discussion in the combat sports community in recent years, with UFC CEO Dana White frequently facing criticism.

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Terence Crawford highlights what he loves about the UFC

Despite having a credentialed wrestling background, Terence Crawford has no interest in competing in MMA. However, he does like certain aspects of how the UFC operates and how fans of the sport receive fighters.

During the aforementioned podcast appearance, Crawford highlighted what he likes about MMA while in conversation with former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo. 'Bud' said:

"One thing I love about UFC is that a guy can lose and still be supported. Nowadays in boxing, Floyd made it to where you lose and they are kicking you to the curb. And, ‘Oh, you is a bum’. It’s like, ‘Man! Dude lost to a good fighter... So now everybody is trying to protect the 0 because you get one loss, now you’ve gotta go way to the back of the bus."

Check out Terence Crawford's comments below (11:04):