\n<\/p>\n
Sal Everett made a big splash on Contender Series a few weeks ago, finishing Ozzy Martin in the second round and earning a UFC contract. His performance wasn\u2019t what made headlines, though. The headlines came well before he fought.<\/p>\n
Everett\u2019s inclusion on Contender Series is one of the more interesting choices made on that show. That\u2019s because Everett was already drawing a paycheck from ZUFFA\/TKO. He\u2019s been working for UFC since 2019, starting in the mail room and working his way up to being Dana White\u2019s personal gopher.<\/p>\n
Among Everett\u2019s duties are running personal errands for White and stocking the company fridge.<\/p>\n
\u201cSal, we\u2019ve had title fights in here, and I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s ever been as loud as it was tonight,\u201d White said. \u201cEverybody at the UFC loves you, you\u2019re a great kid. Forget fighting and the contract, you\u2019re a great human being. This could not happen to a better person. You have worked your way from the bottom up. You could not have won more impressively. It\u2019s kind of weird because you\u2019re already at the UFC, but Sal, welcome to the UFC!\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite now being on the UFC roster, as a fighter, Everett has not quit his day job.<\/p>\n
He told TMZ<\/em> this week he\u2019s still keeping White\u2019s fridge filled with goodies.<\/p>\n \u201dI\u2019ve been working,\u201d he said. \u201cI worked yesterday and I worked today. I\u2019m at work right now, actually. I love my job, so it\u2019s not like I was working so hard to get away from stocking Dana\u2019s fridge.\u201d<\/p>\n Everett might actually have the best deal of any fighter in the UFC. As an employee at TKO he may very well have things like medical coverage and retirement contributions, along with a steady paycheck. It would be hard for anyone to give that up for a guaranteed $10,000 in show money once or twice a year. Also, doing a run for diet cokes sounds a lot easier than getting punched in the face.<\/p>\n Everett getting the contract and keeping his job is the opposite of what happened to Alivia Bierley, who competed on the same episode as Everett. She infamously quit a six-figure corporate job to pursue her goal of getting to the UFC. After winning a decision over Summer Onley she had to sit in the folding chair and hear White tell her she wasn\u2019t good enough to get the deal (before handing one out to Everett and all the other winners).<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear when Everett will make his proper UFC debut. Hopefully he\u2019s banked enough PTO get a proper camp in.<\/p>\n