Dana White: Jose Aldo 'would've made close to $4 million' to fight Conor McGregor

[Anno Domini]

If Jose Aldo thought his ribs were hurting, that's nothing compared to the sting his bank account is feeling now.

The outspoken UFC featherweight champ has long been a proponent for higher fighter pay. And now, according to UFC President Dana White, Aldo was finally in line to get that big payday he wanted oh-so-badly before a rib injury forced him to pull out of Saturday's UFC 189 main event against arch-nemesis Conor McGregor.

White told ESPN's Ryen Russillo. “If he could’ve fought, he would’ve fought."

White was then asked how much Aldo stood to make.

"Millions of dollars. Yeah, he probably would’ve made close to $4 million."

Double ouch.

As if having your rib crunched by a spinning kick to the side wasn’t enough, knowing you missed out on a multi-million dollar payday has to have the Brazilian extra salty.

Then again, the feud with McGregor has put the featherweight division on the map, despite Aldo’s half-decade reign. If McGregor can get past Chad Mendes in a few days, the anticipation for the stalled Aldo bout will be at a fever pitch.

But for Aldo, that surely doesn't take the sting off pulling out of the UFC 189 bout. Aldo found himself in a precarious position: He could've either taken the fight while hurt and risked further injury or potentially a loss; or, he sits out, and is left with sour grapes.

As an organization, does the UFC owe a champion like Aldo some sort of compensation for months spent in training, and lost money on the pay-per-view end? After all, as White said himself: “If he could’ve fought, he would’ve fought.”

LINK to full story: Dana White: Jose Aldo 'would've made close to $4 million' to fight Conor McGregor | Cagewriter - Yahoo Sports

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Damn, that's alot cash to miss out on if its true.

 

[Wild]

And herein lies the problem with Dana White. He's told so many lies in the past, you don't know when you can believe him (if ever). And this is another example. I don't doubt Aldo may have made that much...but I'm not taking Dana's word for it.

 

[jason73]

 

[jason73]

he pulled that number out of his ass again. how can they calculate someones ppv points for a fight that never even happened?

 

[Zeph]

It's a good story though for the eventual match. Missed out on his millions, coming to get them now, etc.

 

[Weidman's right nut]

he pulled that number out of his ass again. how can they calculate someones ppv points for a fight that never even happened?

Because Dana was predicting well over a million buys. Like you say, he has no real idea and is basically talking out of his ass. This is the same guy who (if I remember correctly) was predicting Rousey/Cyborg would do over 2 million buys

 

[Zeph]

Because Dana was predicting well over a million buys. Like you say, he has no real idea and is basically talking out of his ass. This is the same guy who (if I remember correctly) was predicting Rousey/Cyborg would do over 2 million buys

Despite what you might think, on predictions for PVP numbers Dana is usually pretty good. They analyze the shit out of PVPs and once you know all the numbers for previous ones, such as google searches, twitter mentions, all kinds of crap, then they can make a pretty good educated guess.

 

[dacofty]

Ok ok give the guy a break, geesh! He has a disease he cant help it, its call "chronic lying" He will say everything in the book to try to make people believe it, he is like a laid off Circus ringmaster. I suspect Aldo would have made real well but when danocchio speaks its not hard to see whats really up.

 

[Weidman's right nut]

I

Despite what you might think, on predictions for PVP numbers Dana is usually pretty good. They analyze the shit out of PVPs and once you know all the numbers for previous ones, such as google searches, twitter mentions, all kinds of crap, then they can make a pretty good educated guess.

I agree, but most of that info is based off google search et al the day after the fights or at least the night of......Dana is predicting stupid numbers weeks ahead of the events. I'm sorry but no event they could put together today would draw 2 million buys. McGregor/Aldo I think would have done in the 600K-750K range....and that's huge for today's UFC PPV buy rates

 

[teamquestnorth]

Assuming that it would get 1 million buys, Aldos ppv bonus would have been around 2.5 million. Factor in whatever his show/win is and he probably would have made 3 million total. Assuming he's getting 200/200 or 250/250

 

[Zeph]

I

I agree, but most of that info is based off google search et al the day after the fights or at least the night of......Dana is predicting stupid numbers weeks ahead of the events. I'm sorry but no event they could put together today would draw 2 million buys. McGregor/Aldo I think would have done in the 600K-750K range....and that's huge for today's UFC PPV buy rates

Well I know this doesn't mean much, but Ronda's last pvp was estimated to have done 590k buys, and the episode 1 of UFC 184 embedded did 389k views. UFC 189 embedded episode 1 has 566k views atm. I'm not so sure the extra views were coming because it was the Aldo match up, it might just be the interest in Mcgregor. We'll see.

 

[Zeph]

Assuming that it would get 1 million buys, Aldos ppv bonus would have been around 2.5 million. Factor in whatever his show/win is and he probably would have made 3 million total. Assuming he's getting 200/200 or 250/250

We don't know what his contract is.

 

[Weidman's right nut]

Well I know this doesn't mean much, but Ronda's last pvp was estimated to have done 590k buys, and the episode 1 of UFC 184 embedded did 389k views. UFC 189 embedded episode 1 has 566k views atm. I'm not so sure the extra views were coming because it was the Aldo match up, it might just be the interest in Mcgregor. We'll see.

I think McGregor is the draw for sure.......

 

[Fiend]

Ironic Aldo's replacement is named Money Mende$.

 

[teamquestnorth]

We don't know what his contract is.

I guarantee that is what his ppv point bonus is tiered like. Pretty sure it maxes out at $2.50 per buy at a million buys

 

[teamquestnorth]

'

 

[Narcosynthesis]

$4 million sounds right to me. For this fight. Aldo would never make that kind of money if it was anybody other than Conor. The UFC promoted the shit out of the fight. This was probably the biggest pay day Aldo would have ever seen in his career. The opportunity is gone now. The anticipation and interest won't be the same if they meet in the future.

 

[lookoutawhale]

Didnt Dana said that fighters dont want people to know how much money they make and thats why they keep the information private. Then the minute a fighter falls out of favour with him he blurts out the money anyways?

So how much is McGregor making in this fight and everyone else in this card? Might as well say it too.

 

[Silverball]

"I could not fight without having 100 percent of my physical condition. Many people told me to fight anyway, due to the money that I could win, but I wouldn't sell myself, no matter what it may be."

 

[Wild]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bQ2sWSm2wQ

 

[Leigh]

Some insight from Urijah Faber around the 7 minute mark

 

[Leigh]

Assuming that it would get 1 million buys, Aldos ppv bonus would have been around 2.5 million. Factor in whatever his show/win is and he probably would have made 3 million total. Assuming he's getting 200/200 or 250/250

Can you expand on this? I've read before that the $ per buy commission increases with the number of buys but I don't know the figures. Something like $1 for everything over 500k, $1.50 over 600k etc for example may be way off). Would Aldo and McGregor be on the same rate? What would they make with 600k buys?

FWIW, McGregor made fun of Mendes's gate sales, saying it was around 1/2 million and his show money is more than that.

 

[teamquestnorth]

Can you expand on this? I've read before that the $ per buy commission increases with the number of buys but I don't know the figures. Something like $1 for everything over 500k, $1.50 over 600k etc for example may be way off). Would Aldo and McGregor be on the same rate? What would they make with 600k buys?

FWIW, McGregor made fun of Mendes's gate sales, saying it was around 1/2 million and his show money is more than that.

The only contract ive ever seen was Randy's when it was made public.

I've seen Chaels via a pic over text from his 2nd fight vs Anderson. They were identical even though Randy's was from like 07 and Chaels from 2012.

From memory (although I will try to have that message shown to me again) it goes something like this.

Less than 200k buys = 0 bonus
250-300 = $1.00 per buy
300-400 = $1.50 per buy
400-600= $2.00 per buy
600-999,999 = $2.50 per buy
1 million plus = $3.00 per buy

And that's what it maxes out at.

It didn't change for 4 or 5 years between couture's contract and Chaels. With PPV numbers dipping, I wouldn't imagine that it went up.

DJ has never received a ppv bonus.

 

[Leigh]

The only contract ive ever seen was Randy's when it was made public.

I've seen Chaels via a pic over text from his 2nd fight vs Anderson. They were identical even though Randy's was from like 07 and Chaels from 2012.

From memory (although I will try to have that message shown to me again) it goes something like this.

Less than 200k buys = 0 bonus
250-300 = $1.00 per buy
300-400 = $1.50 per buy
400-600= $2.00 per buy
600-999,999 = $2.50 per buy
1 million plus = $3.00 per buy

And that's what it maxes out at.

It didn't change for 4 or 5 years between couture's contract and Chaels. With PPV numbers dipping, I wouldn't imagine that it went up.

DJ has never received a ppv bonus.

Thanks. So realistically, these guys are going to make somewhere between $1m-$2m

 

[teamquestnorth]

Thanks. So realistically, these guys are going to make somewhere between $1m-$2m

TBH, who really knows what McGregor is going to make here.

I'm not a fan but realistically he is the one selling this card. I'd have to imagine that at the very least he's getting ppv points.

I don't think Mendes is but maybe they added it as a perk to take the fight short notice.

If this fight does 500k (which I think it will do well over that) then Conor will easily clear over $2 million.

Add in whatever his show/win is with whatever locker room bonus he might get and he's going to be making some cash.

I think they might have put Mendes on the same type of 1 type contract that they put Rumble on for the last fight.

A flat 500k