Tim Kennedy: "It's a good thing I have a job because the UFC does not pay very well"

[Gervinho]

This is a terrible idea.

The UFC needs to pay the lower level fighters better so they can actually train full time and improve. Its the only way you can raise the quality....raise the money. If the UFC want to attract the best athletes, why would the best young kids go to MMA if they can barely support themselves if they are not high level UFc fighter?

 

[DoUEvenLiftBro]

This is a terrible idea.

Every rival organization that pops up and pays fighters top dollar goes out of business, since really no fighter is worth millions(outside of maybe GSP and Brock Lesnar). The UFC brand is more valuable than any individual fighters.

 

[Donchabot]

Is his other job still special forces? Neither of those jobs are easy money, are they...

 

[Foote92]

I love Kennedy, but it is his decision to sign the contract and compete. I'm also interested to see what he makes in undisclosed fees after the fight and also money from sponsors ad see how much he makes once everything is all said and done.

He is currently making around 20k, but the UFC will probably give out a bonus of somewhere of at least 5-10K i bet, plus sponsors which could be another 5-10k. A bonus is also not out of the question either.

So in the end, if he wins, he will probably end up somewhere between 30-40K. That pay 3 times a year is not bad at all.

 

[Krimzon]

These guys want to be compensated like other fighters, such as Anderson and GSP.
It's not fair to pay Andy and GSP so much and pay other fighters so little.

it's not fair that kennedy is inferior to fighters like GSP and Andy, but such is life. The easiest thing to do is to band together with like minded individuals and complain until things change.

 

[Steveston]

Like they say United States is the land of opportunity, be thankful for what you have.

 

[cooks1]

Kennedy revealed that he was due around $55,000 to show up at UFC 162, with the purse potentially increasing to $70,000 with a win bonus – but that after the expenses of his camp, medicals and fight team, he would only pocket around $20,000, even before taxes. After the interview, Kennedy sent a detailed breakdown of how his fight purse would be divided up: 13% on gym fees, 12% for nutrition, 10% to his manager, 10% to his coach, 8% on his camp lodging, 3% for fight medicals and 3% on equipment. In total, that’s 59% of his fight purse before tax is deducted.

Read more...

Kennedy is either completely full of shit, or is an idiot who does not deserve to have money in his pocket.

No legit PRO MMA fighter has to pay 13% on gym fees AND 10% to a coach AND 10% to a manager. $7150.00 for gym fees for 1 fight. Sorry, I'm calling Bullshit on that one.

$6600 per fight for 'nutrition?' By nutrition does he mean his food budget for a year?

$4400 for camp lodging for a 8-12 week training camp? Where the fuck is he staying, the Ritz Carlton?

 

[manji]

In reality, though, a lot of us face similar deals.

Say someone makes 50k a year. Maybe 10k goes to transportation just to get to work (car payments and gas and insurance and maintenance), another 10k on "nutrition" aka food, and you're down to 30k before taxes rip another 15k out of that.

 

[Oiler]

You have choices in life.

1) Fight for money.
2) Fight for money and do work on the side.
3) Focus on work only.

Pick one. Stop complaining about the choice you've made.

can't we say choice 4 - unionize?

 

[ThinkBig500]

These guys want to be compensated like other fighters, such as Anderson and GSP.
It's not fair to pay Andy and GSP so much and pay other fighters so little.

Andy and GSP are well worth what they get paid.

Problem is many "NFL-caliber" athletes will continue to play football or basketball where they can make more money and not get punched in the face. Football is damaging, but at least they are well-paid for it.

 

[Based God]

also lol @ 10% for his manager, I've read most MMA fighters pay around 3%-5% for management

then I read 13% on gym fees and 10% on his coach, so basically in reality his coach is getting that whole 23%


Tim is getting shafted from the people around him, not the UFC

 

[Foote92]

Eventually I think the pay grade will slowly rise for all fighters. I would like the minimum to be raised to 10/10 or 12/12. Champions should be making 100/100 at the minimum imo, and we are seeing this change slowly over time. We often forget that the UFC is a privately run organization and they can pay what the want. Fighters have options to fight other places or have another job if they wish.

 

[Mumrik]

Is he including sponsor money in this?

 

[Demoslasher]

These guys want to be compensated like other fighters, such as Anderson and GSP.
It's not fair to pay Andy and GSP so much and pay other fighters so little.

Horse shit....

GSP is what makes every card in Canada a huge success. He is a Mega star and people pay money to watch him fight. That is why he is payed so well, also does not hurt that he has been dominant in the UFC for like 10 fucking years...Tim is having his first fucking fight in the promotion and is not even ranked. He also is a guy frankly no one is paying to see, you will not hear people say "Man Tim Kennedy is fighting on this card?!?! Oh hell yeah im ordering that bitch" ever...

Same with Anderson, guy is the p4p goat...yeah he will make more then some guy that did alright in a different promotion but was never champ...

Seriously its been proven time and time again that fighter pay as a whole goes up EVERY FUCKING YEAR yet people will never be happy. I remember Pride 33 where nearly every fighter was payed 10k, no win bonus, just 10k...Hendo was Payed 20k to fight Wanderlei silva whom only made 500k, for the title and knocked him out...Pride also did not have bonuses. Folks there was a time when the prize for the entire tournament was 50,000 dollars, hell not too long ago champions were making 55k and it was considered good money a few years ago, now people bitch like the man is living on raman noodles.

Also like I said earlier, he does not include in his little equation how much he is getting from sponsors which often is as much as the fighters purse. Kenny Florian and many others have broken this down in attempts basically to shut fighters like Tim up when they throw a pitty party about how much they make. Tim is going to be fighting on the main card of a huge PPv, sponsors are going to put pen to paper and pay him big bucks to have their logo on his shorts. They also often pay for most if not all of the fighters camp. Tap Out used to show this a lot in their series where they would basically pay for all the guys equipment and would write him a check for like half of his gym fees right there on the spot. When fighters do not mention sponsors they automatically lose credibility with those of us that understand the game.

Further, Nobody made him sign the contract, he negotiated it and signed it...then before his first fight on that contract he is already bitching about it...then why did you sign it? If you think you can make more somewhere else, go somewhere else...no anchor tied to your ass is there? Also if you want a bigger contract, strap your gloves on nice and tight, go out there, and earn one. Im sure if you rack up 3 wins and ask for you pay to double, Im sure Dana would be more then happy to oblige you esp in a division that has been so cleaned out as MW. If you become a contender and look to challenge for the title...can you say "zeros"?

Just really irks the shit out of me when fighters do this...and for his first fight too

 

[ThinkBig500]

Where do people get the idea that undercard fighters (Kennedy's not exactly in that group) make out like bandits from sponsorships?

 

[bowened]

Waah.

 

[kenpantera86]

We shall see if Dana comes out and calls Kennedy a fucking moron. Might be a little different when it's a marine.

 

[straight6]

So if he fights twice a year he'd make 1/2 of what I make for training and fighting 1/2 the time I work.

He may not like having to do meetings and fucking tele-group-suck a ladeda dick calls all day, but that's what I do 47 weeks a shitty year to earn a pretty good living.

I don't like getting punched in the face, but he does it for 2 nights a year and trains for 20 weeks. I think he's doing okay.

They do get punched in the face in training as well... getting knee fked up rolling around in gyms, etc. Its NOT easy. And besides, how long can Kennedy do this for? Most people can do their jobs for decades.

Dont know about you, but I would never switch place with him, or 98% of the MMA fighters. However, to switch place with any NBA, MLB, etc. I would in a heart beat.

 

[Flexwave2003]

 

[Knockuout1]

dana aint gonna like this.