Four Corners: Season 2025, Episode 19

2025 - 19: Heavy Hitters

Former UFC stars say the organisation is built on their pain, not their pay. Some of the biggest names in Australian mixed martial arts say they were pushed to their physical and financial limits while the UFC made over a billion dollars in revenue. In this week's Four Corners, reporter Mahmood Fazal speaks to former fighters who describe a culture of exploitation, secrecy, and lasting damage. Professional fighters share what it's like to be locked into restrictive contracts, take punishing fights, and end up broke or broken after years in the cage.