Fans surprised as MMA legend reveals pay cheque from UFC 9 in 1996… 'You deserved so much more'

25/08/2024 17:43

Gary Goodridge has given an interesting insight into what fighter pay was like in the early days of the UFC, revealing his earnings for two cards.

At the peak of his powers, ‘Big Daddy’ was a formidable competitor, capable of rendering his opponents unconscious with a single shot.

Gary Goodridge reveals pay cheques for UFC 9 and UFC 10

After leaving his home in Trinidad and Tobago for Canada, Gary Goodridge stumbled upon martial arts and fell instantly in love.

With immense strength and power, the gifted athlete became not just a national boxing champion, but also the arm wrestling world champion.

With such talent, Goodridge applied to compete in the UFC on a whim after a friend suggested the idea while they were watching it at his house.

With this goal in mind, the brawler joined the Kuk Sool Won school, which, at the time, was training another man to fight in the UFC.

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To prove himself, the Canadian challenged his gymmate, won, and was subsequently offered a fourth-degree black belt and a free dobok if he agreed to represent the gym.

Consequently, with less than a month’s experience in MMA, Goodridge competed at UFC 8 in 1996, wearing his black gi. Regardless, he managed to beat Paul Herrera with one of the most brutal knockouts of all time.

After catching him in a crucifix position, the brawler detonated several explosive elbows to his opponent’s face. He followed this victory with a win over Jerry Bohlander before losing in the final to Don Frye.

He then fought at UFC 9, where he lost to Marc Schultz, before rolling the dice again at UFC 10, beating John Campetella, prior to falling short in the semi-finals to MMA legend Mark Coleman.

With many years having passed since the early days of the sport, Goodridge has revealed how much he was getting paid.

He uploaded a picture on Instagram of a pay slip at UFC 9, which indicated he received $15,000 before getting a further $5000 three days later. For UFC 10, he showed off a pay cheque worth $5000.

Fans react to how much the UFC paid Gary Goodridge

UFC enthusiasts have unsurprisingly had a massive reaction to the revelation, with many expressing their disappointment.

One person commented: “I wish you could have gotten paid what you deserved, brother. Never a dull moment from you in the cage,” while another added: “You deserved so much more.”

However, others thought the payment was relatively good.

An impressed individual exclaimed: “Not a terrible check for fighting back then when the UFC was just getting started.”

Another added: “Dawg was making more in 1996 than at least 20 per cent of fighters make today.”

A third asserted: “15k in ’96 was a good amount of money btw.”

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