Why is the UFC so shady about ppv numbers and fighters cuts now?

[WarFan90]

I feel like we used to hear a lot more about when and what fighters were getting from the ppv money. Are we not hearing it now because of the ESPN deal? The only reason I can see for not disclosing what fighters are getting is to help in negotiating with other fighters. Otherwise you would think the UFC would want to disclose every penny they pay fighters to incentivize people to enter the sport. The idea that even at the absolute pinnacle of the sport you make 500k per fight and probably fight twice a year is not a good look. To be a pro athlete at that level and make 1 million a year is crazy.

Why do you think we aren't getting the whole story?

 

[Me&MrJones]

Lol.



None of our morons business.

 

[genecop]

Nothing to prevent the fighters from disclosing, unless they want to continue to fight in the UFC.

 

[Tugboat]

They’ve been cheap because of covid and they already take tons of crap for paying so little.
Not to mention now there’s attendance money available but probably again not much for the fighters.

why make it worse.

 

[joeson]

That’s actually Jon Jones’ reason for demanding upfront pay vs PPV percentage, there is no way of verifying PPV numbers. There isn’t an independent body that keeps them accountable, you have to take what they say at face value. Given how secretive they are about that, i can understand the mistrust.

 

[Straatblaffer]

That’s actually Jon Jones’ reason for demanding upfront pay vs PPV percentage, there is no way of verifying PPV numbers. There isn’t an independent body that keeps them accountable, you have to take what they say at face value. Given how secretive they are about that, i can understand the mistrust.

This indeed.

 

[DestinedAussie]

I feel like we used to hear a lot more about when and what fighters were getting from the ppv money. Are we not hearing it now because of the ESPN deal? The only reason I can see for not disclosing what fighters are getting is to help in negotiating with other fighters. Otherwise you would think the UFC would want to disclose every penny they pay fighters to incentivize people to enter the sport. The idea that even at the absolute pinnacle of the sport you make 500k per fight and probably fight twice a year is not a good look. To be a pro athlete at that level and make 1 million a year is crazy.

Why do you think we aren't getting the whole story?

They don't need to incentivize fighters. They already pay the most and people always want to fight in UFC if they are a professional MMA fighter.

There are rumored huge numbers people get from PPV points. I am sure every fighter feels there is a pot of gold waiting for them if they are champion.

Revealing this would just lead to making their negotiations harder but each manager would want to get more.

 

[WarFan90]

They don't need to incentivize fighters. They already pay the most and people always want to fight in UFC if they are a professional MMA fighter.

There are rumored huge numbers people get from PPV points. I am sure every fighter feels there is a pot of gold waiting for them if they are champion.

Revealing this would just lead to making their negotiations harder but each manager would want to get more.

I'm not saying to incentivize people already in mma at any level. I'm referring to actual high level athletes that are young say 10-15. If your a good enough athlete to play football basketball baseball even soccer professionally why would you pursue fighting if the money is so drastically less even if you really like fighting best. Major sports pay 30+ million a year to far more people per sport than the ufc pays 1+ million a year. A good player in any of them can expect 10 million a year. An average one 3-5 million. So if I am a good athlete with the potential to make any of those pro sports, the difference between my high end earnings being 1 million a year(no ppv) and let's say 5-10 million a year(with ppv) would have a great bearing on which sport I choose to pursue

 

[Hellowhosthat]

I'm not saying to incentivize people already in mma at any level. I'm referring to actual high level athletes that are young say 10-15. If your a good enough athlete to play football basketball baseball even soccer professionally why would you pursue fighting if the money is so drastically less even if you really like fighting best. Major sports pay 30+ million a year to far more people per sport than the ufc pays 1+ million a year. A good player in any of them can expect 10 million a year. An average one 3-5 million. So if I am a good athlete with the potential to make any of those pro sports, the difference between my high end earnings being 1 million a year(no ppv) and let's say 5-10 million a year(with ppv) would have a great bearing on which sport I choose to pursue

Realistically if people are good enough to play the other sports they're not going to choose the one where they get punched, kicked and choked even if the money is the same.

 

[PhotographyRaptor]

Lol.



None of our morons business.

Haha Dana don’t care

 

[PhotographyRaptor]

Realistically if people are good enough to play the other sports they're not going to choose the one where they get punched, kicked and choked even if the money is the same.

Haha

Realistically if people are good enough to play the other sports they're not going to choose the one where they get punched, kicked and choked even if the money is the same.

apparently wanting to test yourself as a man eludes ts

 

[DestinedAussie]

I'm not saying to incentivize people already in mma at any level. I'm referring to actual high level athletes that are young say 10-15. If your a good enough athlete to play football basketball baseball even soccer professionally why would you pursue fighting if the money is so drastically less even if you really like fighting best. Major sports pay 30+ million a year to far more people per sport than the ufc pays 1+ million a year. A good player in any of them can expect 10 million a year. An average one 3-5 million. So if I am a good athlete with the potential to make any of those pro sports, the difference between my high end earnings being 1 million a year(no ppv) and let's say 5-10 million a year(with ppv) would have a great bearing on which sport I choose to pursue

The UFC has zero hope of competing with top football (soccer) salaries. You are talking about one of the biggest, if not the biggest sport in the world where Athletes are on broadcast 30 or 40 times a year. The other ones you listed also are all by impossible to emulate in the UFC with it's current popularity. Add to that the top players have huge marketing appeal and probably making more in marketing deals than actual pay (which is why big markets are magnets for top players).

A high level young 10-15 year old athlete will be encouraged by their parents to do any sport but MMA. College scholarships aren't given out for MMA but other sports. Young kids would be crazy to do MMA if could make a living in a mainstream sport. It is why you see a lot of ex-NFL fighters, you only do it after failing to make it in mainstream sports.

Obviously sometimes people just love the sport and get into it, but the idea revealing PPV points value would make any difference isn't a reality.

 

[blacknblue104]

Because they are totally unregulated and have virtually no one to answer to.

 

[PhotographyRaptor]

Realistically if people are good enough to play the other sports they're not going to choose the one where they get punched, kicked and choked even if the money is the same.

Exactly if they have qualms getting punched or just getting hurt they’ll play basketball. Lebron is a perfect example

 

[Achilles00]

Exactly if they have qualms getting punched or just getting hurt they’ll play basketball. Lebron is a perfect example

That's a false equation. I highly doubt LeBron, when he was like 15, said to himself, "You know, I could be good at this MMA thing but I don't want to be punched so I'm just going to play basketball instead."

 

[charalsias]

That’s actually Jon Jones’ reason for demanding upfront pay vs PPV percentage, there is no way of verifying PPV numbers. There isn’t an independent body that keeps them accountable, you have to take what they say at face value. Given how secretive they are about that, i can understand the mistrust.

Isn't it their fiduciary duty or something like that to be honest about that?Or i don't know through taxes?Serious question.

 

[NewUfcwatcher]

@WarFan90

I don't know, but I think it's to protect themselves, or not make them look bad. Dana and the ufc has to protect the business and promote it, even when what he says either doesn't make sense or not true. Dana said ufc 261 sold out in one day, i just checked and there are a whole bunch of tickets available. This also goes for Mac vs porier 3. I think Dana is doing is actually what goes on in boxing, it may even be like that for all sports. It's to entertain and be cool, interesting, and popular

 

[Pain4Pain]

Given the monopoly UFC has on MMA its crazy to me that Bellator and OneFC can pay elite athletes more for fighting subpar competition.

You need a large ego to go into boxing/MMA, and most people have a lot of passion for it. Some guys will be "good at it" like Jones and Rampage to begin with, but given most MMA fighters never even earn 100k/yr fighting 2-3 times a year despite having 6-10 years of part-time training experience and are left with injuries and severe brain damage, there isn't much incentive to be a MMA fighter.

Jones and Conor are the wealthy, talented success stories, and guys like GSP were blessed with talent and worked very hard to maintain a skill advantage over their competitors in order to be the best in their divisions.

 

[pseto223]

Corporations disclose financial information, because they are made to do it. Not because they want. If there is a way to not disclose anything, they won't disclose anything. Nevada made UFC disclose purses, it's not like they did it so we all can see how little they are paying most of their fighters.

Sadly the door was closed in Nevada as well, so we won't know what kind of money fighters get. Probably some events abroad could require purses to be disclosed, but that's about it.

 

[Dingaling]

Because the fighters are suckers and will keep accepting whatever is offered