John Makdessi, a UFC fighter, expressed his dissatisfaction with his fight purse after his match against Jamie Mullarkey at UFC 293 over the weekend.
The experienced lightweight fighter, who narrowly lost the fight with a 29-28 score from the judges, took to social media to share his pay slip. The document revealed that he received just over half of what he earned from the bout.
Makdessi, a Canadian fighter, earned $58,000 from the preliminary round but was only able to take home $28,461.65. This was due to a 45 percent foreign tax deduction of $26,100, as well as deductions for “medical,” “airfare,” and “others.”
Expressing his frustration on social media, Makdessi wrote, “I sacrificed my whole life for this sport and put everything on the line. Damn Australian government and the judges robbed me pretty badly.”
Although he later deleted the post, Makdessi has been with the UFC since 2010 and has fought in 20 matches for the promotion. With a record of 11 wins and 9 losses, he has faced renowned fighters like Donald Cerrone, Anthony Njokuani, and Yancy Medeiros. He has also achieved victories against Abel Trujillo, Ross Pearson, and Sam Stout.
This recent loss marks Makdessi’s second consecutive defeat, following his fight against Nasrat Haqparast in 2022. He will surely hope to avoid fighting in Australia again to avoid facing such hefty tax deductions.
