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via Imago

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Jake Paul got his first loss in boxing last Sunday. He lost to Tommy Fury over a split decision after fighting throughout the eight rounds. Moreover, both fighters received a big payday after their fight. However, Conor McGregor‘s coach, John Kavanagh, doesn’t seem too happy about people investing more in entertainment than in skilled fighters.

Jake Paul and Tommy Fury’s fight had been canceled twice for various reasons. However, they finally came to blows in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, in a very entertaining fight. Both Paul and Fury went to-to-toe till the very end of the battle. ‘The Problem Child’ also earned much praise from combat sports personalities for his impressive performance against a real boxer.

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Reports claim that Jake Paul was handed 65 percent of the pay-per-view revenue. He claims to have earned an estimated $30 million from his fight. He was already guaranteed to take home $3.2 million. Moreover, Tommy Fury was guaranteed $2 million and earned an estimated $4.5 million; much less than Paul, despite winning the match.

Kavanagh criticized fans for not investing in professional fighters upon seeing Jake Paul earn millions

UFC megastar Conor McGregor’s coach recently tweeted as a reaction to the news of Jake Paul and Tommy Fury earning millions of dollars from their fight in Saudi Arabia. He wrote about how casual fans are not investing enough in professional fights, but instead, spend money on social media celebrities and their merchandise. Kavanagh wrote, “Casual fans are more interested in story lines over skills. They tend to buy tickets, ppvs and merchandise. This is why influencers make more money than highly skilled pros.”

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He also blasted the hardcore combat sports fans. He claims that they may show interest in fighters, but do not pay to watch their fights. Instead, they resort to illegal ways of watching their bouts. Kavanagh added, “‘Real’ fans are more interested in skill but rarely buy tickets and search online for illegal streams.”

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Fighter pay has been a big issue in combat sports. John Kavanagh believes that fans hold the key to the money received by fighters. Illegal streaming and other ways of piracy are one of the primary reasons behind professionally skilled fighters are unable to make good money from their fights. The sport has become more diluted with the inclusion of celebrities from other industries.

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