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

[Hester65]

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.

People do budgets over a single years salary and middle class is what 30,000-60,000 pay wise. This dude fights more than once a year and makes middle class money each fight. His yearly budget would be based on say 2-3 fights which would be 100,000-150,000 at his current deal if he lost. If he won each, your looking at 70,000-210,000. He would be considered upper class by American standards...

 

[Oiler]

unionize

 

[Haruspex]

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?

Taking away money from people who have earned it just to give it to people who are lower in the economic scale is unfair to both sides. Whats the point of getting really good at your job if your boss is going to give a cut of your check to the next person that might pan out. Being an athlete is not a stable career option, fighter beware.

 

[Sosua]

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.

He's actually making at least $55k - if he wants to pay his coach and manager $11k every few months plus about $14k on gym and nutrition for two months that's hisown problem.

 

[SpeckledBob]

wonder if he made more in strikeforce

 

[The Real Pedro]

4) The UFC actually paying fighters what they are worth

The UFC is broadcast in 150 countries, has massive event sponsors, has huge ratings/PPV numbers, and multi-million dollar gates.

Fighters in Bellator, WSOF, all the other small leagues make what they are worth. Fighters fighting in Iowa making a 100 bucks are getting what they are worth.

This is where Sherdog gets very, very silly. How much is Tim Kennedy worth? Not how much he wants to be worth, not how much Sherdog fans think he should be worth, because none of that matters.

The cold hard truth is that he's probably worth a bit less than the UFC is paying him.

If Tim Kennedy can get the UFC or another org to give him more money, then that's great. In the meantime, a lot of people have to work second jobs while chasing their dreams.

 

[SODACKER]

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.

Yep. In life you get paid for how physically demanding and tough your job is. That's why garbage men and construction workers are so rich.

 

[Kanakukko]

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.

Are you seriously thinking that fighters train only during fight camp? And yeah, you will not be getting punched or have to do anything physical other than the fight itself. Would like to know if you have ever even sparred hard in any martial arts? Rolled in a gi? I'd say fighting for living is harder than any of your meetings or what not.

 

[straight6]

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

Yeah, i dont get that either...every thread on fighters' complain about UFC pay, there are people asking about sponsorship money..truth is undercard guys dont have or very little money from sponsorship...for vast majority of MMA fighters, sponsorship money almost irrelevant.

 

[Haruspex]

can't we say choice 4 - unionize?

This is really the best option. If you want job security stand up for it instead of passive aggressively complaining about your pay.

 

[mindturking]

hasn't had a fight yet and bitching about his strikeforce contract. hilarious if he gets cut after a loss.

 

[Sosua]

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?

Yeah, $116 a day on chicken breasts and protein powder I guess.

Don't expect the frothing unionists to know how to use a calculator and do the maths though.

 

[UrsaMajor]

wonder if he made more in strikeforce

His last fight he made 80,000 with a 25,000 win bonus.

http://www.mmaconvert.com/2013/01/14/strikeforce-marquardt-vs-saffiedine-fighter-salaries-revealed/

 

[Zeke's Chaingun]

4) The UFC actually paying fighters what they are worth

They do.

What is Tim Kennedy's replacement value? Could they fill his spot with another fighter and generate the same value to their event for the same price? Yes, easily. In fact you could argue that he is over paid.

Think logically and not emotionally. A smart business looks at it as I described, not as you described. When the replacement value is different, the pay will be different. The fighters are the ones who have to make that change. Them or the fans, but the fans for the most part don't care.

 

[straight6]

Yep. In life you get paid for how physically demanding and tough your job is. That's why garbage men and construction workers are so rich.

lol.

 

[Skydome]

Those numbers seem to be a bit high, but what do i know

 

[The Real Pedro]

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.

Bullshit. Guys like Anderson Silva and GSP are the very best product the UFC has to offer. A lot of people want to see them fight.

It would be unfair to pay them more equally to other fighters.

 

[straight6]

People do budgets over a single years salary and middle class is what 30,000-60,000 pay wise. This dude fights more than once a year and makes middle class money each fight. His yearly budget would be based on say 2-3 fights which would be 100,000-150,000 at his current deal if he lost. If he won each, your looking at 70,000-210,000. He would be considered upper class by American standards...

in American standards, 70k-210k is middle class brah... maybe upper class in south east asia or south america... but def not u.s.

 

[Doomsday666]

 

[Broad Blade]

I don't think Tim Kennedy is managing his money right.