US mixed martial artist Paige VanZant took her fight out of the ring and up to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) officials, calling for better pay for women in her sport, making her the latest high-profile professional athlete to take aim at a global pay gap.
The flyweight division fighter, listed as No. 14 in her category by the league, said that her contract with UFC would end after her next fight and a renewed agreement should reflect her value in the ring.
“I want a significant pay raise, to be completely honest,” VanZant told sports journalist Ariel Helwani in an interview this week. “If I’m going to keep breaking my arm, if I’m going to keep bleeding and sacrificing for this sport... I think it’s all fighters and all female fighters need to be recognized.”
The conversation around equal pay in professional sports has gained steam since members of the US women’s soccer team in March sued the US Soccer Federation, arguing that their pay and working conditions amounted to gender discrimination.
The prize money for the FIFA Women’s World Cup doubled to US$30 million this year, but that was dwarfed by the US$400 million available for last year’s men’s tournament.
They pay gap for mixed martial artists is similarly stark.
In this month’s UFC 241 event, the highest-paid male fighter earned more than US$700,000, while the top-paid female fighter earned less than US$30,000.
When VanZant signed her last UFC contract, she said she was told not to expect to be paid like a female champion, but wondered why her pay was only being compared with another woman instead of to fighters in general.
On her current contract, VanZant said she earns more money at home on her couch.
The athlete, who boasts 2 million Instagram followers, earns most of her income from social media sponsorships and TV appearances.
VanZant was among female athletes taking part in “Change in Play,” an Adidas campaign highlighting the challenges women face in sports, including a lack of coverage and unequal pay.
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