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Answers: WWE name changes, UFC Pay, MJF Backstage

Added 2025-06-05 16:00:09 +0000 UTC

Welcome to Select Answers, a short feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.

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Random thing but I've always wondered: how is MJF perceived backstage? He doesn't really come off as one of "the boys" publicly (which might just be some good character work by him) and he's forged his own path when it comes to doing business, but I've also never heard of anyone not wanting to work with him.

It's improved a lot over the last nine or ten months, and he's worked hard at that. There were times when it wasn't great and the perception of him backstage wasn't great. I think a lot of that comes with being the top singles act, top tag act, and the main guy getting promo time all at once.

Why does WWE change some wrestlers names(Jeff Cobb,Ricky Starks) and let others keep their ring names.

It's dependent on the situation. When they change it, it's for trademark reasons though. There have been some names that have been changed that just aren't real names, that people didn't realize weren't the performers real name...and that's why. Others are just ones they want the rights to.

Hey Sean! You mentioned the other day how the UFC underpays fighters a lot compared to how TKO pays WWE talent. How are UFC fighters paid in general? Just per fight? What do they make? How much do you think they should make? Thanks!

Generally, UFC pay it based on a tier structure. Here is a good breakdown of it, which is nowhere near what boxing does. Wrestlers at the top in WWE also do way way better than MMA fighters.