Does the relative easiness of making it into the UFC result in low fighter pay?

[Game_Bred_Irish]

There's been a lot of comparisons I've seen on this forum that compares fighter % of revenue to total revenue generated to other major sporting leagues.

I think it is absurd to compare other major fighting organizations to the UFC, considering the odds of making it in the UFC are achievable for your average person where as organizations such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, ect, is essentially almost like winning a lottery.

Let's take the NBA for example, at the high school level, a good portion of the population will be cut out of being even able to play basketball competitively at a high school level. Then, about 1% of high school basketball athletes go on to play D1, and then about another 1% of people good enough to play D1 in college, end up being drafted by the NBA.

Assuming, you are genetically tall enough, and can play basketball competitively at a high school level, you are still looking at 0.001% of making it into the NBA. Not to mention, your odds go exponentially lower if you aren't born in the USA (look at how many people from other countries can make it into the UFC and become champion).

At the heart of it, fighting competitively against another human being that is the approximately the same height and weight as you are, doesn't require absurd genetics to be able to do it. I don't mean that is easier than other sports in terms of the amount of hard work that you have to put in, but there are certain genetic barriers in other sports that most people will never over-come with any amount of hard work or training.

Perhaps the UFC will pay more, if only 0.0001% of the population can fight competitively.

Essentially, in the world of sports:

A UFC fighter is a tyical white collar job because it's a job most people can do if they choose it.
A NBA, NFL, or MLB position is more like the CEO of a company.

 

[Masturbin]

Depent on the division tho.

Bottom of the barrel ufc Hw,LHW are horrible while bottom of the barrel 155 and 135 er are good/decent

 

[rex kramer]

It ain't that complicated.

The people that run the UFC are the reason for low fighter pay.

 

[Willy Knuckles]

Yes. The UFC hires 5-4 plumbers to fill out cards and sell them as top level MMa fighters lmao. Have you not noticed the decreased quality of the UFC over the years?

 

[Game_Bred_Irish]

It ain't that complicated.

The people that run the UFC are the reason for low fighter pay.

People will never pay more for something unless they have to. You can arbitrarily demand UFC pay people by passing laws that make them, or you can do it through the market.

Dana pays 10,000 because there's a line of fighters that can all compete on the level that 10,000 fighter can. If 99.99% of the population can't throw a high level hook or shoot a high level double leg, well, I'd bet fighter pay goes up tremendously.

 

[Randy Fandy Fo Fanders]

low fighter pay is because of:

• shareholder value and return on investment.
• Corporate greed
• paying high salaries to fighters ultimately transfers power to them and makes fighters look for a quick payday and then they ride off into the sunset. Look at McGregor, made a shit ton of cash and now he's completely indifferent toward MMA. Sure, he fights, but he has his "fuck you money" and doesn't need to fight. Fighters that NEED to fight are easily controlled and manipulated.
• most fighters are disposable and completely replaceable....unless a fighter is really special, extremely talented, and marketable...

 

[weaselkenievil]

I think it’s a contributory factor but it’s not the biggest reason, that’s greed.

 

[Game_Bred_Irish]

Yes. The UFC hires 5-4 plumbers to fill out cards and sell them as top level MMa fighters lmao. Have you not noticed the decreased quality of the UFC over the years?

I don't know if the UFC's quality has actually decreased, I always feel like they've hired plumbers, substitute teachers, electricians (I mean we had a math teacher as champion).

 

[Dbreiden83080]

There's been a lot of comparisons I've seen on this forum that compares fighter % of revenue to total revenue generated to other major sporting leagues.

I think it is absurd to compare other major fighting organizations to the UFC, considering the odds of making it in the UFC are achievable for your average person where as organizations such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, ect, is essentially almost like winning a lottery.

Let's take the NBA for example, at the high school level, a good portion of the population will be cut out of being even able to play basketball competitively at a high school level. Then, about 1% of high school basketball athletes go on to play D1, and then about another 1% of people good enough to play D1 in college, end up being drafted by the NBA.

Assuming, you are genetically tall enough, and can play basketball competitively at a high school level, you are still looking at 0.001% of making it into the NBA. Not to mention, your odds go exponentially lower if you aren't born in the USA (look at how many people from other countries can make it into the UFC and become champion).

At the heart of it, fighting competitively against another human being that is the approximately the same height and weight as you are, doesn't require absurd genetics to be able to do it. I don't mean that is easier than other sports in terms of the amount of hard work that you have to put in, but there are certain genetic barriers in other sports that most people will never over-come with any amount of hard work or training.

Perhaps the UFC will pay more, if only 0.0001% of the population can fight competitively.

Essentially, in the world of sports:

A UFC fighter is a tyical white collar job because it's a job most people can do if they choose it.
A NBA, NFL, or MLB position is more like the CEO of a company.

That all sounds good in theory.. Yet still in the NBA you got dudes that are 6'9-6'10 sitting at the end of the bench that shoot like 50% from the foul line.. So who knows? Some pretty shitty basketball players make millions on those guaranteed deals..

 

[Dbreiden83080]

I don't know if the UFC's quality has actually decreased, I always feel like they've hired plumbers, substitute teachers, electricians (I mean we had a math teacher as champion).

That's no different from boxing though..

Hagler (RIP) worked construction while training in his early years...

 

[Game_Bred_Irish]

That all sounds good in theory.. Yet still in the NBA you got dudes that are 6'9-6'10 sitting at the end of the bench that shoot like 50% from the foul line.. So who knows? Some pretty shitty basketball players make millions on those guaranteed deals..

Yeah... those "shitty" players though still beat 99.999% of the population in basketball. They are only shitty when compared to the top 0.0001%

 

[Randy Fandy Fo Fanders]

That all sounds good in theory.. Yet still in the NBA you got dudes that are 6'9-6'10 sitting at the end of the bench that shoot like 50% from the foul line.. So who knows? Some pretty shitty basketball players make millions on those guaranteed deals..

given the size of the player pool and those looking to make it pro, there is a .03% chance that a player will make it to the NBA. In MMA, there's probably a 1% chance. Much easier to go pro in MMA than in NBA or NFL. Those dude who ride the bench still beat all of the odds to make it there.

 

[chinarice]

What does any of that have to do with 0 fighter pay increase when a company went from 4 billion to 10 billion?

There needs to be a UFC shill belt for the users that will do anything to justify everything the UFC do or don't do that they should be doing.

Dana White is literally on video explaining why that they don't want to pay fighters more, on the premise they'll stop trying or want to fight anymore if they get too much money. People will still defend that here. He in a roundabout way justified paying people low to keep them fighting. lol

 

[Dbreiden83080]

Yeah... those "shitty" players though still beat 99.999% of the population in basketball. They are only shitty when compared to the top 0.0001%

given the size of the player pool and those looking to make it pro, there is a .03% chance that a player will make it to the NBA. In MMA, there's probably a 1% chance. Much easier to go pro in MMA than in NBA or NFL. Those dude who ride the bench still beat all of the odds to make it there.

Some of those players make it because of bad MGT decisions. Scouts/GM's and coaches that have no fucking idea what they are looking at.. And once you hand out those fully guaranteed deals you are stuck with the bum riding the bench getting little to no playing time.

The Pistons once drafted some turd named Darko Milicic 2nd overall.. If you remember him..

Well congrats..

 

[Game_Bred_Irish]

given the size of the player pool and those looking to make it pro, there is a .03% chance that a player will make it to the NBA. In MMA, there's probably a 1% chance. Much easier to go pro in MMA than in NBA or NFL. Those dude who ride the bench still beat all of the odds to make it there.

1% seems extremely low, I'd reckon if you wanted to fight in small regional mma organizations, you can probably more than likely make it assuming you are healthy.

Maybe 1% for the UFC, but the UFC signs almost 700 fighters, I really doubt there's more than 70,000 pro mma fighters. I'd reckon we probably have less than 10,000, and the odds of making it into the UFC are around 10%, but I'm pulling these numbers outta my ass... so...

 

[biomed190]

I have known some people that fought in the UFC. Some were good and some weren't very good, but fought in weight classes that needed bodies. So based on that if you are a semi serviceable heavyweight it is way easier to get into the UFC than say pro football.

 

[Game_Bred_Irish]

Depent on the division tho.

Bottom of the barrel ufc Hw,LHW are horrible while bottom of the barrel 155 and 135 er are good/decent

Yeah I think the bottom divisions are definitely harder. Although I always chuckle when I think of how Rob Font was just some pizza delivery guy who decided to pick up MMA and became the top 5 of the 135 division. No offense to Font, I like the guy.

 

[Dreyga Hates You Sherbums]

There's been a lot of comparisons I've seen on this forum that compares fighter % of revenue to total revenue generated to other major sporting leagues.

I think it is absurd to compare other major fighting organizations to the UFC, considering the odds of making it in the UFC are achievable for your average person where as organizations such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, ect, is essentially almost like winning a lottery.

Let's take the NBA for example, at the high school level, a good portion of the population will be cut out of being even able to play basketball competitively at a high school level. Then, about 1% of high school basketball athletes go on to play D1, and then about another 1% of people good enough to play D1 in college, end up being drafted by the NBA.

Assuming, you are genetically tall enough, and can play basketball competitively at a high school level, you are still looking at 0.001% of making it into the NBA. Not to mention, your odds go exponentially lower if you aren't born in the USA (look at how many people from other countries can make it into the UFC and become champion).

At the heart of it, fighting competitively against another human being that is the approximately the same height and weight as you are, doesn't require absurd genetics to be able to do it. I don't mean that is easier than other sports in terms of the amount of hard work that you have to put in, but there are certain genetic barriers in other sports that most people will never over-come with any amount of hard work or training.

Perhaps the UFC will pay more, if only 0.0001% of the population can fight competitively.

Essentially, in the world of sports:

A UFC fighter is a tyical white collar job because it's a job most people can do if they choose it.
A NBA, NFL, or MLB position is more like the CEO of a company.

No, it’s because the UFC doesn’t have much competition for talent

 

[Randy Fandy Fo Fanders]

but I'm pulling these numbers outta my ass... so...

wash your hands

 

[rex kramer]

The UFC hires 5-4 plumbers to fill out cards and sell them as top level MMa fighters lmao. Have you not noticed the decreased quality of the UFC over the years?

The irony is they could attract more top shelf athletes if they paid better.