Michael McDonald: UFC uses bonuses ‘more like a weapon than a reward’
Michael McDonald says the UFC uses their bonus structure as a weapon during contract negotiations.
Michael McDonald had been with Zuffa for 6 years, before he eventually asked for his release last March. He had quite a few issues with the UFC, from low pay to “dishonest” business practices, which eventually made him want to move on and sign with Bellator.
As McDonald approaches his promotional debut this week, he mentioned that he prefers Bellator’s structure of not having fight night bonuses, but having higher — and guaranteed — base salaries.
“With the UFC’s bonus system and how it’s structured, if you win and you get a bonus you’re doing good, you’re comfortable in life. If you don’t win it, you’re starving,” he told MMA Fighting. “A lot of the guys in the UFC are at that place and it’s not a very good place to be.”
McDonald, who was a top 10 bantamweight in the UFC, even put his career on hold at one point because he couldn’t afford to pay for the proper training. He also doesn’t like how the UFC uses this bonus structure during contract negotiations.
“In the UFC, they used to use the bonuses against you, they used them like a gun to your head,” he explained.
“They would say, ‘We don’t want to raise your contract because you’re last fight was this or that’ or, ‘all you have to do is win some bonuses, if you win some bonuses you’ll be fine.’
“It was used more like a weapon than a reward, and I’m honestly glad that I don’t have to deal with that anymore.”
McDonald grew up fighting, and has been a professional since he was 16. Now that he’s 26-years-old, naturally, his priorities have changed quite a bit.
“For the longest time I would tell myself that the money didn’t matter and I was only in this sport because I love it. Eventually that wears off once you have bills and a family and other responsibilities.
“Maybe it was all about the love of the game back then, but I had to make the decision that this is going to be my job.”
He will headline Bellator 191 against Peter Ligier on December 15.