*an image of Gadelha she shared herself on her social media
The UFC’s exclusive contracts for its jiu-jitsu athletes have become a debate within the grappling community. Andy Varela recently posted a video pushing back on what he sees as misplaced concern over athletes accepting exclusive deals with UFC BJJ.
“Y’all need to stop worrying about other people’s careers. We’re going to do what feels good for us financially and for our brands.”
For Varela, the calculus is straightforward.
“I can’t depend on wanting to do a show in two years. There’s not that many hype promotions out right now. No one putting on matches. UFC’s got 10 matches this year. We won’t get busy.”
His comments come amid growing scrutiny of how UFC BJJ structures its athlete agreements. Claudia Gadelha, appearing on the Mundo de Luta podcast, offered a window into compensation: exclusive UFC BJJ athletes competing four times annually can earn between 500,000 and 800,000 Brazilian reais, approximately $97,000 to $155,000 USD.
The catch is that they reflect a best-case scenario. Reaching $97,000 requires an athlete to secure four bookings across UFC BJJ’s 10 annual cards and submit their opponent every single time. A single loss changes the math considerably; Varela is estimated to have made a total of $12,000 in 2026.
For context, a McDonald’s general manager in Las Vegas earns between $42,000 and $97,000 annually, with a guaranteed salary regardless of performance and no contract exclusivity limiting outside income.
That exclusivity question sits at the heart of the debate. UFC BJJ’s 10-event calendar leaves athletes with limited booking opportunities, while exclusive agreements restrict their ability to compete elsewhere or participate in special events outside the promotion. The UFC’s parent company has a documented track record in MMA of leveraging exclusive contracts in ways that constrained athlete mobility and earnings, concerns significant enough to produce a $375 million antitrust settlement finalized in 2025.
UFC BJJ leadership has largely stayed out of the public conversation, leaving athletes like Varela to defend the arrangement. Gadelha’s compensation figures surfaced on a Brazilian podcast with a limited English-speaking audience, numbers that may read very differently depending on who’s listening. For an emerging competitor, $97,000 represents a career-changing sum. For an established athlete weighing the cost of exclusivity, the math is harder to celebrate.
