Triller Fight Club burns UFC, announces $25,000 donation to Sarah Alpar's GoFundMe

UFC women’s flyweight Sarah Alpar woke up Wednesday morning with a long way to go until reaching her GoFundMe goal. By the afternoon, however, she eclipsed it.

Alpar, who is slated to fight Erin Blanchfield at UFC Fight Night on Sept. 18, started the GoFundMe campaign (Help Sarah “Too Sweet” Become a UFC Champ) last Friday to pay off training camp fees and living expenses. In an Instagram video, she explained just how important the fundraiser was to her career.

“I want to go so far in the UFC, and I cannot do it without you and my ‘Too Sweet’ tribe,” Alpar said.

In an unexpected turn of events, Alpar reached her Dec. 1 goal of $30,000 on Wednesday thanks to two large sums. First, Alpar received a $5,000 donation from YouTuber Jake Paul, who took the opportunity to once again criticize UFC fighter pay. Later in the day came a $25,000 donation, which was revealed to be from Paul’s former promoter, Triller Fight Club.

“We are honored to help Sarah as she continues her march towards becoming a world champion,” Triller boxing chief officer Peter Kahn said in a statement. “Sarah and many underpaid UFC fighters are starting at a disadvantage when they have to work multiple other jobs while putting their bodies and brains through the most rigorous training one could imagine. It’s sad to see such talented fighters making less than the UFC ring/round card girls.”

Triller’s donation and Kahn’s choice words on UFC fighter pay come on the heels of the promotion being at odds with UFC president Dana White, who blocked a proposed boxing match between Oscar De La Hoya and Georges St-Pierre. White could do that because the retired former double champion’s UFC contract remains frozen, meaning he could only fight for another promotion with the UFC’s approval.

In her plea for financial help, Alpar said she puts in “at least over 65 hours a week” between work, school and MMA training. She’s also a stepmother to a young son.

Alpar, 30, is a former LFA women’s bantamweight champion who signed with the promotion after a Dana White’s Contender Series win in August 2019. She made her UFC debut in September 2020 when she was finished by Jessica-Rose Clark.