Rogan and Schaub Accuse UFC of Underpaying Fighters Despite $7.7 Billion Deal
"The entire business model is these guys' bodies, and the consequence is their health, and it's for the rest of their life. And so if you're doing something that is generating a significant amount of money for a very short amount of time, I think you should get a lot of money for that."
About this episode
Joe Rogan was joined by comedian and former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub for a wide-ranging conversation dominated by analysis of the controversial Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight and broader issues facing combat sports. Schaub revealed that Strickland fought with a severely compromised shoulder, essentially using only one arm, yet still managed to win a split decision many observers scored for Khamzat. Rogan disclosed that Khamzat nearly died during his weight cut, dropping approximately 44 pounds from 230+ down to 185, with his brother confirming his body almost shut down. The conversation evolved into a passionate critique of UFC fighter pay, with Rogan arguing that fighters deserve substantially more than the current 18% revenue share given the $7.7 billion TKO-Paramount deal and the permanent health consequences fighters face. Schaub proposed—though acknowledged it as unlikely—that fighters should have collectively refused to fight after the Paramount deal to demand better compensation. The discussion shifted to the broader fight card, with both praising Joshua Van's dominance at flyweight and debating whether Justin Gaethje could pull off one of the greatest upsets of all time against Ilia Topuria at UFC 250 in front of President Trump. Beyond MMA, Rogan and Schaub discussed Schaub's new show 'Gearheads Gone Wild' on Tubi, their shared obsession with cars and manual transmissions, concerns about federal kill-switch mandates in 2027 vehicles leading to social credit systems, and the corrupting influence of social media on American youth. Rogan revealed that parents of a child actor he knows personally stole $6 million from their son, drawing parallels to toxic sports parents who exploit their children. The episode closed with passionate advocacy for driving manual transmission cars and keeping automotive enthusiasm alive.
Key takeaways
- Schaub revealed Sean Strickland fought Khamzat Chimaev with a blown-out shoulder, essentially using only one arm, yet still won the split decision.
- Rogan disclosed Khamzat Chimaev nearly died during his weight cut, dropping 44 pounds from 230 to 185, with his body shutting down mid-process.
- Rogan argued UFC fighters deserve substantially more than 18% revenue share given the $7.7 billion deal and permanent neurological damage risks unique to fighting.
- Schaub proposed fighters should have collectively refused to fight after the Paramount deal to demand 30% revenue share, though he acknowledged it would never happen.
- Both agreed Sean Strickland is a Hall of Famer who beat two of the greatest middleweights ever—Izzy Adesanya at striking and Khamzat at grappling—as an underdog in both fights.
- Rogan revealed a child actor he knows had $6 million stolen by his parents, who used their son as a piggy bank and stopped working entirely.
- Discussion of federal kill-switch mandates for 2027 vehicles raised concerns about evolving into Chinese-style social credit systems that could shut down cars based on political speech.