What happened: On the Ariel Helwani Show, hosts Ben Fowlkes, Chuck Mindenhall, and Petesy Carroll, who previously weighed Dana White's criticism of Eddie Hearn, said the UFC's shift to Paramount eliminated pay-per-view revenue shares that champions once relied on for major paydays. Speaking with fighter managers on The Craic segment, Fowlkes reported that titleholders now receive only their flat contractual base increase, compliance kickers, and finishing bonuses rather than backend pay-per-view cuts.

Why it matters: Carroll argued on the show that the promotion has stripped away the last major negotiating leverage fighters held at the top of a division. Fowlkes noted that champions like Alexander Volkanovski signed contracts expecting pay-per-view points before the broadcast model changed, leaving managers to tell fighters that the flat figure on paper is now the ceiling. Mindenhall added that Sean Strickland realized one fight into his recent six-fight deal that winning the belt no longer unlocks the outside windfalls earlier stars received.

What to watch: Mindenhall and Carroll said on the show that Strickland has turned to public pressure and alignment with Jake Paul as he tests whether the UFC will renegotiate his existing terms.