I wouldn't say the UFC is burying him...the regular fan just doesn't want to watch a small man the size of most freshman high schoolers fight. He knows it, Dana knows it, and the fans know it. He had a decent co-main event with names like Mir and Arlovski, he had Rumble on the card as well. I've been a fan of the UFC for years now, but I completely forgot there was an event last night until after it was over. It sucks for DJ because he's extremely talented, but he does not sell at all. That's why he needs to be co-headlining UFC on Fox cards. Or the UFC can continue to try and throw him out there and have shitty sales numbers.
The reason I say they are burying him is that this is like the fourth shitass card they've had him headline. He is the kind of guy that can boost a card with a good headliner but he can't carry a weak card. It's also hurting his bottom line as he's making fuck all from PPV shares. If they insist on having him headline a PPV they should give him two or three A or A+ fights on the undercard to help him out. The best solution is not to have him headlining a PPV at all.
DJ made $191,000 flat for his win, plus his Reebok payout, plus his PPV share. At $1/PPV he's lucky if he gets $150,000 extra. Looking at somewhere in the neighbourhood of $350,000 for his victory without a backroom bonus (no homo). Compare that to McGregor who reportedly made 10x that or GSP who made 20x that. Obviously DJ can help himself out by becoming a bigger star and getting fans interested in his fights but it highlights the disparity between champions and the need for the UFC to be transparent when it comes to fighter salaries.
