Report: UFC Agrees To Pay Klose ‘Show’ Money After Weigh-In Assault

It’s sad that we even had to wonder whether Drakkar Klose would be paid after he was concussed at the UFC Vegas 24 weigh-ins, but that’s the UFC for you.

Last week at UFC Vegas 24, we were once again reminded that anything can and regularly does happen in mixed martial arts. A highly anticipated co-main fight between Jeremy Stephens and Drakkar Klose was called off on fight day due to a shove from Stephens the day before during weigh-ins.

Yes, what looked like a typical macho push from Stephens ended up seriously injuring Klose: a letter from doctors confirmed he’d received whiplash and a concussion from the incident.

For those watching, it was just another reminder of how dangerous weight cutting is, and how fighters really shouldn’t be engaging in these kind of antics during staredowns. But there’s certainly no sign of a punishment incoming from UFC president Dana White, who blamed the incident not on Jeremy Stephens but UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby, who was on hand to run the weigh-ins.

Okay, well if the UFC isn’t going to stop fighters from injuring each other prior to fighting, at least can they commit to paying a fighter when freak injuries like this occur? You’d think it would be a given that Drakkar Klose would be paid his show purse for showing up and making weight. But it took several days and a ‘back and forth’ before the UFC finally confirmed he’d get any money at all.

You’d think in a day and age where the UFC is the crown jewel in their owner Endeavor’s effort to launch a $10 billion IPO, their fighters would be guaranteed their show money when they … you know … show up. Never mind when they get assaulted and injured during an official pre-fight event. But that’s not how their contracts are structured and it’s definitely not how it works out a lot in real life.

This year there have been many instances where fighters have braved training during a pandemic and made it to fight night, only for someone to fall out over COVID-19 protocols. Sometimes fighters get paid their show money. Sometimes they don’t. There is absolutely no transparency or consistency and we imagine any complaints that make it out into the press put a mark against the fighter who’s being ‘trouble.’

Klose suffered an injury through no fault of his own, was robbed of his opportunity to earn his win bonus, and isn’t fighting again any time soon because of his concussion. If there really needed to be a ‘back and forth’ between Klose’s team and the UFC to get paid, it’s scandalous and bush league … and very in line with the UFC’s history of inconsistently paying out show money when fights fall out last minute.