Help me Understand MMA Fighter Financials..

[DragRacer]

Two words, one number

Gay 4 pay

 

[Cowboy Cerroliveira]

How much of a cut do gyms, coaches, and managers get? They must get a sweet cut of that 15/15

 

[BaggyMuffin]

When people on this site use nutrition as a fighter expense they usually literally just mean food. Fighters aren't the only
People that have to eat.

 

[agibmxmma]

I gave up my 60+ hr a week UPS Driving job of 7+ years and I turned Pro at the age of 35! Now I work a 40-50 hr a week job out of fight camp, doing construction.. While in my 4-6 week camp, I work front desk at the Cross-Fit gym that helps sponsor me, approx 25hrs a week.. The main mma gym I train out of, allows me to train for free, as do the other gyms I stop in at for a sparring session, class, etc.. Luckily! I am sponsored by an energy drink sponsor that pays me a small financial once a month for the duration of my contract, and I have an apparel sponsor who pays my medicals, helps with travel and a small stipend for fight weekends. Use to have a cell phone store sponsor that paid my monthly phone bill. I am also lucky to have a significant other with a great job, plus family, friends and a motorcycle club that help out and support me 110%. I am a 2-1 37yr old Pro, lost my pro debut, have had two huge injuries which took me out all of 2015, fight at 135, walk around at 162, stand 5ft 8in, and have no want or dreams to fight on a bigger level, outside of local/regional events, I just like the chess match of it all, and I have made "ok" money per fight in doing so. But the avg up and coming fighter may not have the financial support, work ethic or even life experience to sustain finances while pursuing a dream. I am lucky that I have had trainers and friends thru the years who have taught me to invest when making money and been blessed to have befriended a few people thru the years who were already within the MMA scene, and allowed me to dive in head first along side them. MMA, Combat Sports in general, is not a Professional Sport where you give everything up, to possibly be "rich". Though, there are a select few who have made solid money because of MMA, currently, that is too few, too far between, given the number of "Professional" MMA Athletes competing weekly, within the United States, let alone across the globe. Will the pay increase across the board? Of course, over time.. It already has. But will it ever rival NBA, MLB, Hockey players? Never. Look at how long Boxing has been around, how much money has been involved in that sport. Yet unranked/new boxers make around the same as their MMA counterparts, yet upper mid level to top level guys rival the earnings of those in the NBA, MLB and Hockey.. The richest athlete in the world is an ex boxer.

 

[CroCopsLHK]

When people on this site use nutrition as a fighter expense they usually literally just mean food. Fighters aren't the only
People that have to eat.

Tell that to Mike Dolce

 

[lsa]

It is quite sad that you're going to make a better living (well, more stable? ) in WWE than you will in MMA.

Uhm? You will also make more in the WWE than in most jobs and sports.

 

[BaggyMuffin]

Tell that to Mike Dolce

If a fighter is stupid enough to pay for Mike Dolce they deserve to be poor

 

[tasticles]

They generally make ends meet by training noons like me when not in a fight camp if they don't have additional outside income.
Plus you aren't considering the sponsorship $ they still receive, Reebok only gets the hooks in them for fights and weigh in apparel.

Is that why noons has looked so awful lately? I guess KJ is just another regular guy. People are too critical of him.

 

[tasticles]

It is quite sad that you're going to make a better living (well, more stable? ) in WWE than you will in MMA.

Not really. Those guys get hurt all the time, are on the road away from their families about 300 days out of the year, and have a short life expectancy. Only the superstars get rich too. Most of those guys don't make near as much as I originally thought. I havent watched in over 16 years but i'm well informed its not very glamorous. Or you can be like stone cold steve, yeah you're rich but in pain every day of your life and about need someone to feed you.

 

[KarateYeah]

I gave up my 60+ hr a week UPS Driving job of 7+ years and I turned Pro at the age of 35! Now I work a 40-50 hr a week job out of fight camp, doing construction.. While in my 4-6 week camp, I work front desk at the Cross-Fit gym that helps sponsor me, approx 25hrs a week.. The main mma gym I train out of, allows me to train for free, as do the other gyms I stop in at for a sparring session, class, etc.. Luckily! I am sponsored by an energy drink sponsor that pays me a small financial once a month for the duration of my contract, and I have an apparel sponsor who pays my medicals, helps with travel and a small stipend for fight weekends. Use to have a cell phone store sponsor that paid my monthly phone bill. I am also lucky to have a significant other with a great job, plus family, friends and a motorcycle club that help out and support me 110%. I am a 2-1 37yr old Pro, lost my pro debut, have had two huge injuries which took me out all of 2015, fight at 135, walk around at 162, stand 5ft 8in, and have no want or dreams to fight on a bigger level, outside of local/regional events, I just like the chess match of it all, and I have made "ok" money per fight in doing so. But the avg up and coming fighter may not have the financial support, work ethic or even life experience to sustain finances while pursuing a dream. I am lucky that I have had trainers and friends thru the years who have taught me to invest when making money and been blessed to have befriended a few people thru the years who were already within the MMA scene, and allowed me to dive in head first along side them. MMA, Combat Sports in general, is not a Professional Sport where you give everything up, to possibly be "rich". Though, there are a select few who have made solid money because of MMA, currently, that is too few, too far between, given the number of "Professional" MMA Athletes competing weekly, within the United States, let alone across the globe. Will the pay increase across the board? Of course, over time.. It already has. But will it ever rival NBA, MLB, Hockey players? Never. Look at how long Boxing has been around, how much money has been involved in that sport. Yet unranked/new boxers make around the same as their MMA counterparts, yet upper mid level to top level guys rival the earnings of those in the NBA, MLB and Hockey.. The richest athlete in the world is an ex boxer.

Thanks for sharing your story man. Good luck on continuing your dream!