Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s flyweight Jessica Eye has had a difficult last two years. She’s lost three of her last four and missed weight in a couple of those bookings. She dealt with a barely functioning gallbladder that had to be removed, and then the UFC denying any financial help on the US $20,000 surgery. It’s been rough competitively and financially. It’s why in the lead up to her UFC 264 match-up with Jennifer Maia, she’s started an OnlyFans page as a new revenue source for the value she has as a sports celebrity.
Jessica Eye on her OnlyFans page: ‘I always knew there was a market for the sexier side of me’
“It wasn’t like, oh I’m just going to go get nude online. But I always knew there was a market for the sexier side of me,” Eye told MixedMartialArts.com. “But I didn’t showcase that because it was something I was embarrassed by for many years. Not that I didn’t love myself, but I grew up around a lot of men. I had that tomboy style. And yea, I’m 34, and I want to be like, wow, I’m a beautiful woman. I’m a great fighter, I’m a beautiful woman, and I’ve got something to showcase. If I’m going to be admired for my fight style and beauty style, I should get paid for it.”
OnlyFans is a service where individuals offer unique content for “fans” if they are willing to pony up a monthly subscription for access. The site has developed a reputation for often having far more adult content than social media sites. However, it has also become a legitimate source of income globally for civilians and celebrities alike. The seventh-ranked flyweight currently charges US $30 for a subscription to her page and admits that it has allowed her to be financially secure at the moment. To the point where she doesn’t “need” the income from her fight on July 10.
Eye also believes OnlyFans makes more business sense from a well-known fighter perspective. In that talent can better optimize their digital earning potential, compared to the work necessary to score likes on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. As well as develop stronger relationships with fans, who in this case are also paying subscribers.
“Yes, my subscription is higher. I offer connections with fans in the sense of DMs. Sometimes they can ask me questions. Have normal conversations about what our favorite foods are, life experiences, and you get a true connection with your fans. And then there’s [content] also for the guys that do want to see my butt, or how beautiful I am. That’s fine. If you want to see that, that’s fair, but it’s going to cost,” Eye says.
“They get gratification through it, and I get optimized on how hard I work [on my fitness]. I don’t think any female should put themselves out there on social media to get likes and that makes them feel good. It makes me feel good that people are willing to spend their hard-earned money to talk to me, buy my content and show why they support me. Likes don’t pay bills. I don’t care how many people like my photos. The only people I like are the people in my DMs on my OnlyFans because they really care about me, and I like those people.”
Jessica Eye on OnlyFans: ‘It allows for us to have our own value, and I value myself very high’
Fighter pay was a story at UFC Vegas 30 two weeks ago. As featherweight Justin Jaynes bet his entire US $25,000 show-money on pulling out a win over Charles Rosa. He did not achieve that goal. Eye knows Jaynes well and was asked about his risky bet. Although she admits she wouldn’t have taken that sort of risk herself, she isn’t surprised by it considering how much of the UFC revenue pie fighters receive. It’s just another reason why she chose OnlyFans to improve her financial situation in ways fighting wont.
“Justin is a great guy. I know him. I speak with him on a regular basis. I feel it’s slightly risky no matter what, but that’s what we do when we go [fight]. I’m sure he’ll make that money back in some other way. I can’t say I would do it. Everybody likes to live their life a little bit more dangerous than the other,” she says.
“UFC fighters make 17% of the earnings. NBA I think is like 50%. So yea, of course, we’re underpaid. But that’s why I don’t undersell myself in any other ways. Going back to my OnlyFans, I’m already underpaid in some ways. You can’t tell me you want to see what I look like underneath my clothes, or you want to have personal conversations without paying for it. It allows for us to have our own value, and I value myself very high.”
In the full interview Eye also talks about making changes in her training to fix the shortcomings in her recent defeats, her match-up inside the T-Mobile Arena against Maia on Saturday night, and much more.
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