The world of combat sports is about much more than just punches and roundhouse kicks. A contract backs every hit, every major event follows a specific business model, and behind every “cash grab” is a calculation that can make or break a fighter’s career.
Few people understand that reality better than Andrew Cutrow, a combat sports dealmaker who has worked directly on major UFC and PFL negotiations, boxing crossovers, and landmark fighter contracts. In a wide-ranging interview with Covers, Cutrow – the co-founder of sports and entertainment management service company 3Point0 Labs – pulled back the curtain on fighter pay, UFC's branding machine, the fragile economics of mega-fights, and why Jake Paul vs. Tank Davis another is a growing list of pure money grabs.
Key Takeaways
- Fans will not save money with the removal of UFC pay-per-view fights
- UFC puts brand over fighters: Great for profits, but it caps growth and limits star power
- Crossover fights like Jake Paul vs. Tank Davis are "cash grabs"
Fans won't really save on PPV costs
When news broke that combat sports may be shifting away from $80 pay-per-view price tags as part of the UFC's broadcast deal with Paramount, many fans cheered. However, Cutrow cautions against expecting real savings.
"As long as someone's selling something to you, you're rarely going to save money,"he said. "Most households spend between 85 and 95 dollars per month on entertainment. Your cable package is now a collection of streaming apps. You pay the same amount month over month."
Cutrow likens the change to the "streaming wars," where calls for à la carte programming didn’t lower costs but reshuffled who collected the money. In his view, eliminating sticker-shock events like PPVs may ease frustration, but bundled subscriptions will ultimately ensure fans spend the same amount.
Paramount+ will be the exclusive distributor of UFC action starting in 2026, presenting all numbered UFC events and UFC Nights.
The real benefit of the deal, Cutrow argues, is less about cost and more about exposure: “In one fell swoop, the (combat) sports have been taken into the mainstream. It’s done more for combat sport than Dana White, Donn Davis, or Frank Warren have been able to do in years.”
UFC puts the band above fighters
Cutrow was blunt in his assessment of the UFC’s business model, claiming its strategy appears to be "brand over the individual."
Cutrow argues that this brand-first approach may limit mainstream growth. Without athletes who can become household names and appeal to a broader audience, the UFC risks being confined to its core fanbase.
That leaves fighters caught in a system where collective bargaining is virtually impossible, he says, and where the sport's superstars are strategically muted.
"Star power is always what allows a sport to transcend its core audience," Cutrow said. "I don't think fighters will get their fair share, and as it stands, I don't think UFC will break out of their core audience.
"Dana has done the same with Power Slap. Everyone I know has seen a Power Slap clip, but no one can name someone who’s in it."
Mega-fights are like Hollywood blockbusters
Cutrow also offered rare insight into the true economics of super fights.
“They need to structure those guaranteed purses in a way that they break even based on anticipated buys," he said. "If they're making $40 per buy and the whole event cost $150 million, they need 3.75 million buys. With cratering PPV numbers, you can see why that kind of prospect is difficult.”
The comparison, he notes, is Hollywood. Like blockbuster films with nine-figure budgets, mega-fights require a staggering upfront investment that is difficult to recoup unless everything goes perfectly.
That math explains why promoters tread carefully and why the frequency of true “super fights” has dwindled. In Cutrow’s view, the financial risks of producing mega-events are higher than fans realize -- and they’re even shaping which fights even get made.
The hidden contract traps
Even more concerning than PPV economics, Cutrow says, are the traps fighters often miss in their contracts and finances.
"UFC has progressively made their deals look more and more like the 360 deals we see in music, effectively creating a revenue share or co-ownership across every stream," he said.
Cutrow says he has seen fighters prioritize quick cash over long-term wealth, sometimes costing themselves millions in taxes or missed business opportunities. Without collective bargaining power or stronger protections, fighters are left to navigate these pitfalls largely alone.
"More money is lost by not surrounding themselves with vetted professionals than by any other route," Cutrow said.
Jake Paul vs. Tank Davis: A pure cash grab
Perhaps no topic sparked more candor from Cutrow than the Jake Paul vs. Gervonta “Tank” Davis matchup scheduled for November.
“Cash grab - as pure as it gets,” Cutrow said flatly.
Paul, the YouTube-star-turned-boxer, has challenged MMA veterans and professional boxers in matchups that blurred the line between entertainment and sport. Davis, a multiple-time boxing world champion, is next on the list.
For purists, the fight may feel like a gimmick. But Cutrow doesn’t fault Davis for chasing the payday: "Most athletes’ earning potential drops off a cliff as they hit their 30s. I don’t like to fault people’s decision-making when the options are that stark. My advice to Tank is simple: get the bag.”
He warns, however, that Paul’s career will eventually face a reckoning.
“At a certain point, Jake is going to have to take on a real fight in his weight class if he wants to be a boxer more than an entertainer.”
