[Brolo]

MMA is the fastest-growing sport in North America right now and UFC is raking in the dough. I found out the other day that UFC pays out 7% of its earnings to the fighters. In comparison, unionized sports like baseball and football pay out 50%+ of its earnings to athletes.

What do you think the future holds for MMA? Do you think a fighter's union is in the forecast?

Here's what I watched yesterday...
http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/2009/01/011109_5.html

 

[k6zook1k]

UFC IMO has the highest payouts out of all the MMA leagues. As long as there are fighters that aspire to be in the UFC they will never be unionized. The show "Ultimate Fighter" will always have recuits. The UFC has no competition when it comes to their business, they can make any contract they want and will always have fighters to replace ones that dont like the way business is run.

 

[mdillon]

^^ yup. i dont think they are underpaid. they are not hurting for food, they have homes. i'd love to get my wage now just to work out all day and fight on occasion.

 

[ACOMA]

Underpaid is an understatement. That bum Gay-la hoya is making 40+ million on fights he's not even coming close to competing in. While UFC champions are lucky to make a mill and a half for fights IF they win. If the UFC is beating out boxing PPV event where the hell is all the money going??? :wtf

 

[Socalef9]

its going to dana whites pocket

 

[mdillon]

most likely lining pockets, they are probably weary to pay out because of the other organizations folding around them. hes pretty much a white don king.

 

[soysauce021]

White's just the President, but it's the owners of Zuffa who are probably getting a fat cut (as well as Dana of course).

Could they make more...sure of course they can. Will they? I doubt it. And I too doubt they will unionize anytime soon.


UFC92 payouts -
Rashad Evans — $130,000 ($65,000 to show, $65,000 to win)
Forrest Griffin — $100,000
Frank Mir — $90,000 ($45,000 to show, $45,000 to win)
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira — $250,000
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson — $325,000 ($225,000 to show, $100,000 to win)
Wanderlei Silva — $200,000
Cheick Kongo — $90,000 ($45,000 to show, $45,000 to win)
Mustafa Al-Turk — $7,000
CB Dollaway — $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
Mike Massenzio — $5,000
Yushin Okami — $32,000 ($16,000 to show, $16,000 to win)
Dean Lister — $19,000
Antoni Hardonk — $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win)
Mike Wessel — $4,000
Matt Hamill — $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
Reese Andy — $15,000
Brad Blackburn — $14,000 ($7,000 to show, $7,000 to win)
Ryo Chonan — $18,000
Pat Barry — $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 to win)
Dan Evensen — $4,000

 

[mdillon]

damn i didnt know it was that low. still enough to live on for most. plus the incintives.

 

[soysauce021]

yeah, but they have to pay for training, travel, etc. Not to mention some of those training camps cost a good chunk of change $$$. I'm sure they recoup some of that in sponsorships, but they can still be making a lot more I guess is the bottom line.

 

[Tyg]

Glad I have a real career

 

[sti2gsxr]

I'm gonna have to say no. It's just other athletes are over paid

 

[ACOMA]

Those purses are just rediculously low. These guys are putting a lot on the line for that kind of money. You have to understand they have a whole camp of people that also eat off of them. Thats pretty sad.

 

[k6zook1k]

the fertitta's are making all the money.

 

[Brolo]

yeah, but they have to pay for training, travel, etc.

Don't forget medical expenses. They could take a beating, then they need to heal up to prepare for the next fight. That could be costly.

 

[k6zook1k]

Those purses are just rediculously low. These guys are putting a lot on the line for that kind of money. You have to understand they have a whole camp of people that also eat off of them. Thats pretty sad.

The best fighters a making roughly $200k a fight. if they fight 3 times within a year thats over $600k....how much do you think the training camps really cost?? besides once your a great (couture, shamrock etc) you make your own training camp to create more revenue. and lets not forget sponsers..clothing lines, supplements etc. these guys have tone of potential to make money.

the insentive to make money is there, but many fighters get sidetracked with celebraty life and screw up.



btw shamrock is not great, but he started "lions den" training camp.

 

[Brolo]

(The UFC) can make any contract they want and will always have fighters to replace ones that dont like the way business is run.

Couldn't that be said for any organized mainstream sport? Couldn't the NFL decide to pay 7% to the athletes instead of 50%+ and if any athletes disagree, they get booted?

What's the difference that keeps this from happening in the NBA/NFL/MLB but not the UFC?

 

[mdillon]

^no ones got the juevos to do it in the other sports. look at affliction clothing, they sponsored rashad evans and gsp to name a couple. each fighter sponsored prolly gets 100k a year or more just to wear a damn shirt.

i wonder how much condomdepot.com pays to blast their name on every one's ass?

 

[k6zook1k]

Couldn't that be said for any organized mainstream sport? Couldn't the NFL decide to pay 7% to the athletes instead of 50%+ and if any athletes disagree, they get booted?

What's the difference that keeps this from happening in the NBA/NFL/MLB but not the UFC?

mma/ufc has only been big now for about 5 years. When i mean big i mean mainstream....on TV and in the media. Other major sports such as MLB/NFL/NHL/NBA have been around much longer. I think that professional sports have a kind of union because of the teams, and the owners of those teams. A commisioner makes sure everything is in check for all players and teams. In MMA your more or less an individual, and just like any other sport your pay is determind by your greatness.

I dont know much about UFC contracts but they seem to have a short lifespan...unless your an elite fighter (Anderson Silva, GSP etc) The elite fighters have nothing to worry about because they will always generate huge revenue. Its the fighters that are working there way up that need to try and get unionized, however they are young, have no real management, and are thirsty for there first paycheck, they get caught up in all the fame and hype. we've seen from the show how unintellegent and immature they are, and dana can expoit them for it.

basically the UFC is too new, and the UFC is the face of MMA. So many people are trying to get in. I'm sure if you talk to any upcoming fighter they will tell you their goal is to fight in the UFC. With all that demand for a career that potentially only leads to 15 minutes of fame why would they ever get a union??? dana makes the rules and will own everybody that steps in the ring...tito tried getting more money and cried about his contracts...where is he now. Dana is a smart business man, and until a large group of people stand up for some kind of rights nothing will change. $5k is alot of money to me and I would fight somebody for it. I think thats the same thoughts these fighters have...we have to remember there not business majors, they throw punches for a living.

 

[mdillon]

i see it more like a private trucker contracting for the work he can get, vs. a baseball player that works for an actual company and does the same old run over and over if that makes any sense.

 

[Gixxer 7fiddy]

Why not pay the fighters more? Shit there taking in enough!