Following his clash with Jamie Mullarkey at UFC 293, John Makdessi, a UFC combatant, expressed his disappointment with the compensation he received.
The seasoned lightweight contender, who narrowly missed out on victory with a 29-28 score from the judges, turned to social media to reveal his wage slip. The documentation exposed that he only received slightly more than half of his earnings from the bout.
Hailing from Canada, Makdessi garnered $58,000 from the preliminary round but was only able to pocket $28,461.65. This was a result of a 45 percent deduction of $26,100 for foreign taxes, in addition to reductions for “medical,” “airfare,” and “others.”
Venting his frustrations on social media, Makdessi stated, “I dedicated my entire life to this sport and risked everything. The Australian government and the judges have certainly deprived me of my fair share.”
Despite later removing the post, Makdessi has been part of the UFC since 2010 and has competed in 20 contests for the organization. With a tally of 11 triumphs and 9 defeats, he has collided with notable fighters such as Donald Cerrone, Anthony Njokuani, and Yancy Medeiros. He has also secured victories against Abel Trujillo, Ross Pearson, and Sam Stout.
This recent setback marks Makdessi’s second consecutive loss, following his encounter with Nasrat Haqparast in 2022. He will certainly look to avoid competing in Australia in the future to evade encountering such substantial tax deductions.
