UFC women’s flyweight Sarah Alpar found herself in a bind when her fight on May 22 was canceled, her fourth canceled bout in the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Five days out, they had to cancel,” Alpar told Pete Hoffman on the latest episode of The Fight Fan. “It’s not the UFC’s fault…we just went through a pandemic, things happen, people get sick. They did their best to find me an opponent…but it just didn’t happen.”
But Alpar doesn’t receive compensation for canceled fights, and with the need for increased travel to maximize the quality of sparring partners as she continued to train, finances to support her career became a struggle. So with the help of her friend, a GoFundMe page was started, one that she thought would attract the help of just a few close friends and family.
“I thought it was just gonna stay in my little group and my small community,” Alpar said. “I was thinking ‘OK, if I could get enough funds for my travel and training, I’ll make it.’”
It stretched far beyond that, as social media influencer Jake Paul donated $5,000 to the cause, a notable donation from a well-known personality who has begun trying his hand in combat sports in recent years, but has been critical of UFC president Dana White and the handling of young athletes in the sport.
“Imagine a rookie in the NBA had to start a GoFundMe to play,” Paul tweeted when revealing his donation. “I let Sarah know she has my support and contribution.”
Alpar was able to meet Paul over Zoom and thank him for his donation, and regardless if it was also meant as a way to shed light on the UFC’s inefficiency when it comes to compensating its young fighters, Alpar was only focused on the donation itself, and the act of kindness that was followed by Triller Fight Fight Club, which donated $25 thousand to the cause.
“I have a lot of respect for him and a lot of love for him,” Alpar said. “I just want to give him a big hug. Even if his intentions were more than just to help me…that’s on them. That’s separate from me. I respect Jake a lot. I think he’s a sweetheart and he helped me and my family, and that’s what I’m taking from that. I hope I can help somebody in the same way one day.”
UFC middleweight Ian Heinisch also joined The Fight Fan this week to talk about his July 24 fight, while Hoffman gives his prediction for UFC 264 on Saturday night, headlined by Dustin Poirier taking on Conor McGregor. Hoffman will also be recording a podcast from Mickey Spillanes in Eastchester, New York on Saturday night at 10 p.m. to break down UFC 264 with live reactions.
You can listen to the full episode right here!
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