When CM Punk made his UFC debut, MMA fans and fighters were split on him competing for the company. Some have thought he deserved praise for attempting the sport, while others criticized UFC for giving Punk an opportunity. It seems the WWE superstar salary also caused fighters to be outraged.
The company is currently involved in an antitrust lawsuit, which has led to a deposition from UFC President Dana White to the public. It was also revealed that Punk got paid over $1 million for his debut fight against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 on September 10, 2016. When it was revealed how much Punk was getting paid, it created a backlash from other UFC fighters.
White acknowledges the backlash
MMA Fighting’s Steven Marrocco was able to look at the document with White’s comments on the issue. The UFC President shared that fighters in the company speak among their peers about what they are making. This leads to fighters being upset with how pay is being distributed.
One of the examples he brought up was that UFC fighters were unhappy that Punk received over $1 million for his first professional fight.
Marrocco transcribed the following quote.
“…We had some guy that was — that was paid a certain amount of money and never — oh, the professional wrestler that we brought in. Not Brock [Lesnar], the other one,” said White.
When the attorney handling the case replied with Punk’s name, the UFC President confirmed he was referring to him.
White added, “People went crazy when they saw what he got paid. … Even the women.”
How much did CM Punk make fighting for UFC?
Punk’s base salary for the time he was competing in the UFC was $500 thousand. It made him among the most-paid fighters on the UFC roster at the time.
However, he received more money for his fight with Gall due to other agreements in his contract. For example, if a pay-per-view he was a part of had over 200,000 buys, he would get an increase in his salary. UFC 203 had over 400,000 buys, which was part of fans’ interest in his fight with Gall. This is one of the ways he crossed over $1 million for his pro debut.
Although Punk wouldn’t stay with the UFC for too long, he made significant money for his time. Currently, his focus is back on wrestling, as he hopes to win the 2024 WWE Men’s Royal Rumble Match and the main event of WWE WrestleMania 40 in April.
