The debate over the pay for MMA fighters, especially those in UFC has long been a pain point unless you are Conor McGregor. We heard veteran UFC fighter Matt Brown say that the fighters are partially to blame for the low pay and irregularities in their finances. On the same day Brown made these comments, we saw former UFC fighter Darren Stewart announce his retirement from MMA citing financial struggles.

‘The Dentist’ has had 15 appearances in the octagon but was cut out of the UFC roster in 2021. Stewart rose to fame as he went 7-0, with five KO wins to his name, fighting under different promotions before signing with UFC in 2016. After his release, he went back to Cage Warriors having his recent fight in March this year, but has now decided to step back from the sport in a heartbreaking post.

Stewart’s MMA retirement highlights the problem with MMA

It was back in July, that Stewart tweeted, “I never chose to have a break from fighting, it chose me. Too much to maintain without help. But up the upcoming fighters tho. It’s your time.” While this seemed a hint at his time in the sport coming to an end, it wasn’t clear. However, his Instagram post on August 27, left no doubt about his current predicament and his MMA future.

Sharing a picture of himself, he wrote, “It hurts me to write this, but I think it’s time to call it a day. Not by choice, but I’m forced too because I’ve lost a lot to this game trying to survive, and I can’t do it no more. When UFC let me go I should have invested something, but instead, I put all my eggs in one basket AGAIN to get back to the top and life has gotten even worse.”

Stewart competed under Dana White’s promotion for five years, fighting 14 times with a 5-7 record and 2 no contests. After his first bout against Franicmar Barroso at UFC 100 ended in a no contest, Stewart would lose his next three fights. However, he would soon recover to five out of his next six fights, with wins over Eric Spicely, Charles Byrd, Bevon Lewis, and Deron Winn.

During his tenure, Stewart won three $50,000 fight night bonuses which included his wins over Eric Spicely and Mike Pitolo and a Fight of the Night award against Julian Marquez. In his last four fights, Stewart failed to win even once, losing three times while his fight with Eryk Anders in 2021 ended in a no-contest at UFC Fight Night 187. He decided to return to his old stomping ground- Cage Warriors in 2022, but he realizes it may have been a mistake.

Stewart won four of six fights, though his last fight against Carlos Alexandre Perriera ended in defeat on March 30. “I put all my eggs in one basket AGAIN to get back to the top and life has gotten even worse. I’ve got family and it’s not fair for them to stress just to keep food on the table. I love fighting and I don’t want to call it as I’m only 33 but I’m not getting any help financially. Spoke about it a few times so not going to go into it. Maybe I’ll get into boxing if it ever arises but mma? ….yeah I’m done,” his Instagram post further read.

In his last four fights for the UFC, he made $10,000 as part of UFC Compliance pay, despite his match against Eryk Anders at UFC Fight Night 187, ending in a no contest. Then after losing to Anders in the rematch at UFC 263 in 2021, Stewart earned $45,000. His last fight in the UFC against Dustin Jacoby on UFC on ESPN 30, ended in a KO defeat, but he earned more in compliance pay than his opponent bagging $11,000.

Yet, today, his financial situation means he has to call time on a professional career that lasted a decade. Stewart’s decision is also a harsh reminder of the reality of MMA.

The base salary in UFC, the biggest MMA promotion ranges from $10,000-$30,000, although in some cases it can go up to $50,000.  In  2020, a report by the MMA Fighters Association (MMAFA) claimed that the median UFC fighter salary was $45,000, with 56% of fighters earning less than $50,000 a year.

Compared to Major League Baseball, where players earn $570,599 per year, you can see the reason behind claims of unfair pay in UFC and MMA at large. While Stewart is stepping away from MMA for now, he is keeping his options open about staying in combat sports and giving boxing a try. And it makes sense.

Boxing has had a new leash of life, with various celebrities competing in bouts adding to the allure and drawing more money. Canelo Alvarez earned around $85 million in 2024. When Nate Diaz, former UFC star, competed against Jake Paul in a boxing match, he won a guaranteed $500,000 on the night, despite losing. Incidentally, back in August 2023, Jake Paul had called out UFC for not paying their fighters properly, saying the minimum pay should be at least $ 50,000.

Stewart’s decision once again brings up the issue of poor salaries and payouts for those in MMA and experienced fighter Matt Brown recently said that the blame for it doesn’t lie completely with the promotions.

Matt Brown points out the factor that undermines MMA fighters

Compared to major US sports, UFC or other MMA promotions, don’t have a union. Speaking on The Fighter vs The Writer, the same day as Darren Stewart announced his MMA retirement, Matt Brown said, “The one thing that we can’t forget [is that] when we talk about the NFL or MLB, they have unions. before If anybody is to blame for fighter pay, it’s the fighters and I’m one of them – at least formally.”

“I’ve never heard of a business in my life where the employees, if you want to call us employees or even sub-contractors, are saying like ‘Yeah, I shouldn’t be getting paid more, they’re paying me a perfect amount of money’ – that is so unbelievable to me,” he added.

Stewart’s decision to step away is a cautionary tale of the MMA world. While the riches on offer may entice a young prospect, very few are able to reach the pinnacle where money just keeps flowing in.

What do you think Darren Stewart will do now? Tell us in the comments below.