In 1996 Mark Schultz was paid 50k for beating Gary Goodridge at UFC IX

[IamStryker]

I found this to be interesting. I had kind of assumed that fighters back then were always paid really bad. Mark being paid 50k is pretty friggin good considering that was his one and only MMA fight and how new the sport was at the time. By comparison Cody Garbrandt was only paid 48k when he KO'd Thomas Almeida last weekend in his 9th straight victory.

Source: Mark Schultz book "Foxcatcher, The True Story of My Brother's Murder, John du Pont's Madness, and the Quest for Olympic Gold". I highly recommend this book. Very interesting story.

 

[rakeleaves]

The UFC has become profitable in the 150+ million annually yet fighter pay has seen barely any increase for the vast majority of fighters.

 

[DIABOLUS]

That is pretty good for 1996. You figure it was because of his Olympic credentials?

 

[RenegadeMMA]

They got all that good Reebok Monies now days, so it's all good playboi.

 

[AronaBeatsJones]

I love how they portrayed Schultz competing in UFC as the most demeaning thing possible in FOXCATCHER.

Interesting that people out there (especially in Hollywood) still have this perception about MMA.

 

[HelloJapan]

You figure it was because of his Olympic credentials?

 

[MisdemeanorMMA]

Interesting. Source? I want to see other fighters from back then. Or did u just google it out of curiosity

 

[IamStryker]

That is pretty good for 1996. You figure it was because of his Olympic credentials?

Mark replaced a guy that he was helping train. It was very last minute so maybe he was paid a little more because of that, who knows.

 

[IamStryker]

Interesting. Source? I want to see other fighters from back then. Or did u just google it out of curiosity

I am reading the book that Mark wrote "Foxcatcher, The True Story of My Brother's Murder, John du Pont's Madness, and the Quest for Olympic Gold"

 

[DIABOLUS]

I love how they portrayed Schultz competing in UFC as the most demeaning thing possible in FOXCATCHER.

Interesting that people out there (especially in Hollywood) still have this perception about MMA.

Yeah that left a really bad taste in my mouth, them putting this image out of this hard-working, all-American cornfed wrestler being degraded to being a cagefighter. Like that doesn't have its own athletic merits.

It's actually my biggest gripe with any MMA-related movies. They always caricature the sport, portray it as being 100% populated by guys with purple hair, tribal tattoos, tons of piercings that listen to nu-metal or death metal and shit like that. All with an overblown sense of masculinity that drink to excess and slap their women around, do drugs in excess, street race, get into fights with cops and dumb shit like that.

It just insults my intelligence. A lot of people praise Warrior but it was guilty of the same shit and some other worse offenses.

 

[justbetter]

The UFC has become profitable in the 150+ million annually yet fighter pay has seen barely any increase for the vast majority of fighters.

Are you kidding? Guys like Brock Lesnar were paid $250,000 for their first fight. That is a 5 times increase from Schultz first fight pay era.

 

[LargeFarva]

With inflation,
50k in 1996 =
$76,246.34 today

 

[DIABOLUS]

Are you kidding? Guys like Brock Lesnar were paid $250,000 for their first fight. That is a 5 times increase from Schultz first fight pay era.

I'm sure he's talking about the average fighter, not a statistical outlier like Brock...

 

[IamStryker]

Are you kidding? Guys like Brock Lesnar were paid $250,000 for their first fight. That is a 5 times increase from Schultz first fight pay era.

Can we really compare Brock's pay which was based on his huge fame to Schultz who was nothing like that?

 

[IamStryker]

With inflation,
50k in 1996 =
$76,246.34 today

Good point. Thanks.

 

[IamStryker]

Yeah that left a really bad taste in my mouth, them putting this image out of this hard-working, all-American cornfed wrestler being degraded to being a cagefighter. Like that doesn't have its own athletic merits.

It's actually my biggest gripe with any MMA-related movies. They always caricature the sport, portray it as being 100% populated by guys with purple hair, tribal tattoos, tons of piercings that listen to nu-metal or death metal and shit like that. All with an overblown sense of masculinity that drink to excess and slap their women around, do drugs in excess, street race, get into fights with cops and dumb shit like that.

It just insults my intelligence. A lot of people praise Warrior but it was guilty of the same shit and some other worse offenses.

Fighting in the UFC to Mark was redemption for his not wrestling to his full potential at the '88 Olympics. Winning his one and only UFC fight allowed him to go out a winner.

 

[OrigFan255]

That is pretty good for 1996. You figure it was because of his Olympic credentials?

Don't think so because, Mark Coleman got knee pads and a ham and cheese sandwich for his first fight. (No mayo)

 

[Starkist]

Wow that is pretty crazy,considering coleman kerr and couture were all Olympic alternates if I'm not mistaken. I'm certain coleman come in ufc at the next event (ufc 10). Couture shortly after.

 

[BisexualMMA]

I love how they portrayed Schultz competing in UFC as the most demeaning thing possible in FOXCATCHER.

Interesting that people out there (especially in Hollywood) still have this perception about MMA.

Seriously, it was the equivalent to Mark Wahlberg giving that dude a handjob at the end of Boogie Nights.

 

[Starkist]

Don't think so because, Mark Coleman got knee pads and a ham and cheese sandwich for his first fight.

I didn't see your post before I brought up mark coleman. Great point, I found it hard to believe or understand myself since coleman didn't mark any $ like that and he was in very next ufc.