Matt Hume (left) and Demetrious Johnson (photo via UFC.com)

By FCF Staff

As Demetrious Johnson gets set to attempting tying Anderson Silva’s title defense record of 10, the flyweight champ is calling on the UFC to pay fighters like him more money.

Johnson will face Wilson Reis on Saturday night, in a bout that will headline UFC on FOX 24 in Kansas City, Missouri. Although Johnson is currently ranked #1 in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings, and is the longest reigning champ with the promotion, there are several other fighters who make more than “Mighty Mouse”. Thus, this is why Johnson recently said this on the Fight Society podcast (quote via FOX Sports):

“I think once the UFC shifts gears and starts paying the champions where it’s ‘hey you’re the champion you’ve defended your belt five times, we’re going to keep giving you extensive bonuses because we want to market a champion who stays a champion for a very, very long time and separate themselves from the class.’ If they put that person on that pedestal like this is an elite athlete,” Johnson said.

“…For me, I’m a champion, I’m going on my 10th title defense, so they need to start compensating guys more that way for being a nine-time, 10-time, 11-time [champion] instead of just ‘hey you lost two fights ago but we’re going to give you $10.6 million but it does make sense because [Conor] did bring in the numbers so it kind of goes hand in hand.”

Johnson is coming off a decision win over Tim Elliott in December, while Reis earned a UD victory over Yuta Sasaki in his last bout, this past February.