150 P4P World Number One, Chimaev Still Needs To Defend His Title

In the room, there were lawyers, Dana, Catwoman, Ye Chen, and several other staff members present. Dana, of course, was keen to ensure that Ye Chen wouldn't encounter any issues at this critical time. Even if the situation escalated to a court battle and Ye Chen eventually triumphed, the process in this scenic country would undoubtedly stretch to at least a year and a half. This timeline represented the fastest possible resolution. Some cases linger in the courts for one or two years, or even three years or more. Such prolonged proceedings would certainly dampen Ye Chen's current momentum. Complicating matters further was an upcoming hearing at the Sports Association that Ye Chen was required to attend, which would eat up even more of his time. If Covington were to file a lawsuit, it could potentially sway the penalties imposed by the Sports Association.

Taking all factors into account, Ye Chen was still in a position to participate in events and generate income. After all the commotion from last night, Ye Chen's fan base skyrocketed, eclipsing Connor's, and reaching over 49 million, with the milestone of 50 million just around the corner. He had undoubtedly emerged as the foremost superstar in the realm of combat sports. Even the less astute observers, like "420," could recognize that Covington's camp was primarily motivated by monetary gain. It seemed clear they aimed to stir the pot ahead of the scheduled press conference. Dana contemplated that once the financial discussions began, both sides' legal teams would likely negotiate a settlement amount. Even if UFC stepped in to cover expenses, Dana was all too familiar with the exhausting nature of these disputes.

He recalled a much-publicized incident involving former heavyweight champion Kane, whose wrath was ignited when his daughter fell victim to a repugnant act. In a fit of rage, Kane confronted the perpetrator, only to face legal consequences himself, resulting in his detention for over six months before he was finally released. While Ye Chen's situation was not as severe, the repercussions would still resonate throughout his career. Everyone's gaze was fixed on Ye Chen as he raised his eyebrows and declared, "This is clearly a baseless rumor and an act of slander. I refuse to pay."

Dana's impatience was palpable, and he opened his mouth to protest, but Ye Chen pressed on. "If you want to take legal action against me, I will fight it to the bitter end. I can even counter-sue them for defamation and false accusations." His eyes flicked towards the lawyer, who understood the implications. "Yes, you do have grounds to pursue a lawsuit, but this will be a time-consuming process, and it may directly impact your career," the lawyer cautioned.

Dana chimed in, "Ye Chen, think about it. You have a fantastic trajectory ahead of you; there's no reason to jeopardize it because of Covington's disparaging remarks." Nevertheless, Ye Chen stood his ground. Before their earlier fight, he declared he wouldn't allow Covington to profit from him. Having emerged victorious, he certainly shouldn't be the one to bear the cost. He maintained he had all the time in the world to see this through, determined not to back down.

In Ye Chen's opinion, Covington was likely just bluffing, anticipating that they would pay him to settle the matter. This situation did not resemble the sneak attack that involved the Motors team. Everything was straightforward as long as Covington remained obstinate. The fight had a referee present; Covington had requested a rematch, giving him a perceived justification for wanting to continue if the referee allowed the contest to roll on. Allegations from other wrestling coaches claiming they were trying to protect the golden-bearded man from Ye Chen's aggression were downright ludicrous.

With so much clear evidence, the Covington team's confidence appeared misplaced. Their strategy hinged on leveraging public opinion against Ye Chen, hoping to corner him into acquiescence. Ye Chen remained unyielding, disregarding anyone who sided with Covington. Choosing not to show up at the press conference seemed a calculated move on Covington's part, leaving the media poised to direct all their inquiries towards Ye Chen, repeatedly asking about Covington's remarks in his prior interviews.

A week flew by in no time. Ye Chen had already participated in the Sports Association meeting once. To his astonishment, these hearings were usually drawn-out and tedious, often necessitating multiple sessions. Yet, in this instance, the New York Athletic Association appeared eager to resolve matters quickly, likely spurred on by the high-profile nature of the case which had garnered considerable public interest. Countless fans of the sport had inundated their inboxes with emails, leading to an overwhelming surge in correspondence. Ultimately, the Athletic Association imposed a fine of $100,000 on Ye Chen, but he faced no suspension. Conversely, Covington and his team were hit with a hefty $500,000 penalty and a one-year suspension.

Ye Chen couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome. The UFC surprised everyone by implementing a lifetime ban on Covington's team, barring them from any UFC-related events in the future. The tables had turned dramatically. Covington's camp was caught off guard by the penalties handed down by both the athletic association and UFC, and their plans to pursue litigation against Ye Chen had yet to materialize.

Instead, Covington found himself embroiled in internal disputes with his team. If Covington chose not to sever ties with his squad, he risked barring himself from future competitions. Given that he hadn't engaged in any sneak attacks or acts of violence, the UFC lacked grounds to penalize him further. Initially, no one had anticipated the developments leading to this outcome. Ye Chen's supposition had proven partly correct: Covington and his team continued to hound him online, dishing out disparaging videos, but as of today, there had been no lawsuits filed.

Covington's recent posts featured selfies of his supposed injuries, which had drawn scorn, as he insisted Ye Chen had deliberately hurt him. In response, Ye Chen chose to let his lawyer handle all matters without getting involved personally. Amid all of this turmoil, Ye Chen received a detailed breakdown of income from his last fight.

The pay-per-view sales totaled an impressive 2.67 million, generating over $210 million in revenue. Ye Chen's earnings from this alone surpassed $42 million. In addition to Covington's $600,000 appearance fee, there was also a guaranteed deposit of $2 million. The financial summary included a variety of income sources, such as appearance fees, bonus rewards for winning, and sponsorship deals, alongside an additional $2 million for the final bonus round. By the end, his total earnings skyrocketed past $52 million, which left even Catwoman astonished, not to mention Ye Chen himself.

His three fights this year, along with several other sources of income, propelled his earnings well past the $100 million mark. Notably, the P4P (pound-for-pound) rankings experienced a substantial shift following his victory over Covington. Ye Chen claimed the top spot on the P4P list in one grand leap. Although the P4P ranking holds no tangible benefits, it represents a prestigious honor. Individuals are not the only champions that occupy this list; rankings are determined by the quality of opponents defeated as well.

This was the reason Ye Chen could ascend to the top of the P4P rankings even after elaborately defending both the lightweight and welterweight titles just once each. He had triumphantly vanquished several opponents already on the P4P list, including Makhachev, Oliveira, Diamond, and Wusman. Notably, Makhachev and Wusman previously captured the top positions on the P4P list.

Interestingly, the P4P standings might have been updated earlier had Ye Chen's victory over Makhachev been accounted for; at that moment, Makhachev had just bested the Great Emperor and claimed the P4P number one spot. However, owing to Makhachev's relative inexperience and insufficient record, he remained an undisputed third place. Presently, Ye Chen enjoyed the distinction of a dual crown, ranking high in both the P4P world and financial standings, boasting impressive earnings and fan traffic.

By all accounts, his path towards clinching a Triple Crown was set to face some hurdles, as a mandatory title defense awaited him, against none other than Chimaev. In the past two days, at Ye Chen's behest, the UFC initiated contact with Chimaev's camp, leaving Ye Chen now to await the outcome with bated breath. It was perhaps a ripple effect stemming from the issues concerning him and Covington that led to a quieter period recently, with those who had previously called him out seemingly withdrawing from the spotlight. Through it all, Covington remained tethered to social media, but those who had targeted Ye Chen appeared to have stalled their pursuits for the moment.

With the UFC reigning supreme at the box office, it's notable that Ye Chen had secured three of the top five slots historically. The greatest matchup in terms of revenue undoubtedly rested between himself and Connor, followed by the recent clash with Covington. Khabib's bouts with Connor rated third, while Ye Chen's fights against Wusman took fourth. Connor and Diamond rounded out the fifth slot. In this manner, both Ye Chen and Connor commanded three of the top five all-time earnings spots, with the financial prowess of Ye Chen's performances now clear for all to see, even outpacing that of the notorious Connor himself.