Paddy took a pay cut to fight in the UFC

[loptyjoe]

“When I got offered the first (UFC) contract, I got offered a new Cage Warriors’ deal, and that deal was worth more than the base contract for the UFC and I’ve done a lot with that money,”

UfC iS dYiNg.

Paddy Pimblett says he took a pay cut to sign with UFC as Cage Warriors champ in 2021

Paddy Pimblett opens up about his beginning contracts with the UFC, and how he was initially getting paid more fighting for Cage Warriors.

mmajunkie.usatoday.com

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

I remember when Pride used to pay their stars billions of dollars

 

[Bowel-forged Stool]

I remember when Pride used to pay their stars billions of dollars

Hear ya bro. I miss Affliction.. never seen a Megadeath concert I didn’t have to pay for in my life

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

I remember when Pride used to pay their stars billions of dollars

In suitcases of unmarked bills

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

Imagine literally any other major sports' pinnacle organization requiring athletes to take a pay cut to move up from the regional circuit to the big show.

You think F1 drivers or top 50 in the world tennis players/golfers have to give up base pay or sponsorship contracts just to perform on the world stage?
Make it make sense lol, I know paddy was a franchise star for CW and they were probably willing to pay to keep him there, but it's still retarded

 

[laleggenda27]

Fighter pay is a dead issue for 2 reasons:

1. There's no longer a need to speculate, and all the rumors of "backroom bonuses" are moot. After court filings in the antitrust suit, we know exactly how much the UFC has paid fighters, and what their revenue sharing is (i.e., they don't want fighters getting more than 20%.
2. The fighters don't seem to care. The vast majority refuse to unite on the issue, and they shoot down media/fans who bring it up.

Point being, they're clearly underpaid but don't care enough to change it. And if they don't care, we shouldn't either.

 

[Alacran]

Most fighters are taking a paycut lol

 

[Neck&Neck]

I remember when fighters fought for honour

 

[MDoza]

Imagine literally any other major sports' pinnacle organization requiring athletes to take a pay cut to move up from the regional circuit to the big show.

You think F1 drivers or top 50 in the world tennis players/golfers have to give up base pay or sponsorship contracts just to perform on the world stage?
Make it make sense lol, I know paddy was a franchise star for CW and they were probably willing to pay to keep him there, but it's still retarded

Didn’t a bunch of pro golfers abandon the PGA to go play in Saudi funded league because they paid more?

 

[tritestill]

Thanks for telling us this information, pretty sure it will prove useful at some point during my fan experience here.

 

[rollthedice]

Fighter pay is a dead issue for 2 reasons:

1. There's no longer a need to speculate, and all the rumors of "backroom bonuses" are moot. After court filings in the antitrust suit, we know exactly how much the UFC has paid fighters, and what their revenue sharing is (i.e., they don't want fighters getting more than 20%.
2. The fighters don't seem to care. The vast majority refuse to unite on the issue, and they shoot down media/fans who bring it up.

Point being, they're clearly underpaid but don't care enough to change it. And if they don't care, we shouldn't either.

It's not that they don't care, it's more they don't want to bite the hand that feeds them when they're still trying to make it, and even established ones don't want to compromise their bag. It's not until after they stop trying to impress machine that they either express or change their views against fighter pay. Everyone knows it's disgusting for most except the top 1%, and the only ones not speaking up are either ignorant, benefitting from it or just don't care as there's bigger stuff to worry about than fighter pay.

 

[Thy]

I remember when Pride used to pay their stars billions of dollars

i remember the days of trillions.

 

[Thy]

I remember when fighters fought for honour

I don't lul.

 

[Neck&Neck]

I don't lul.

You're right, I don’t either
Maybe back in the samurai days

 

[Thepaintbucket]

His UFC base contract was like 12k so lol.

If I remember correctly, Dana or Hunter once said their whole goal with new roster signing is to minimize the negotiation process aka take the default contract or go somewhere else

 

[El Fernas]

Imagine literally any other major sports' pinnacle organization requiring athletes to take a pay cut to move up from the regional circuit to the big show.

You think F1 drivers or top 50 in the world tennis players/golfers have to give up base pay or sponsorship contracts just to perform on the world stage?
Make it make sense lol, I know paddy was a franchise star for CW and they were probably willing to pay to keep him there, but it's still retarded

You sort of replied yourself, but thats also probably half truth from Pimblett, if he made more over there thats already their top pay, he joined the UFC as a regional star for UK shows, probably didnt took much until he ended up making more, specially with 4 POTN bonus so far, the potential to make money is in the UFC, even if they underpay a lot according to their revenue.

 

[Fergelmince]

Pimblett NEVER would've become Dave Portnoy's number 1 object of affection had he resigned with Cage Warriors. This is exactly what the UFC banks on so they can keep their labor costs down. Remember guys, the UFC is not a career, it's an opportunity.

Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett Signs Massive Seven-Figure Deal With Barstool Sports

HUGE NEWS - Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett is now a coworker of ours here at Barstool Sports thanks to this masssive seven-figure deal he has signed to become a brand ambassador and content creator with u...

www.barstoolsports.com

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

Didn’t a bunch of pro golfers abandon the PGA to go play in Saudi funded league because they paid more?

True, but taking a pay raise is a perfectly sensible move. You go where the money is and let the pundits/journos worry about what that does to the so called established brands.

To be forced to take a pay cut to even get a chance to compete with the elite in your profession is so ass backwards to me

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

You sort of replied yourself, but thats also probably half truth from Pimblett, if he made more over there thats already their top pay, he joined the UFC as a regional star for UK shows, probably didnt took much until he ended up making more, specially with 4 POTN bonus so far, the potential to make money is in the UFC, even if they underpay a lot according to their revenue.

That's almost certainly the logic behind it, that it'll provide you bigger opportunities in the long run if you successfully climb the ladder, which Paddy has done.

But when we complain about the lack of depth at LHW and HW bc the talented guys that size aren't interested in MMA unless they wash out of a real spirt, or the biggest fights not materializing with the biggest names sitting out all year while fight cards are filled with underpaid unknowns in an empty warehouse, we're all criticizing the lack of real investment into a better product.

Not that it's necessarily as simple as "more money = better fight card/better sport " but it's definitely a big part of their product feeling so stagnant

 

[nostradumbass]

Imagine literally any other major sports' pinnacle organization requiring athletes to take a pay cut to move up from the regional circuit to the big show.

You think F1 drivers or top 50 in the world tennis players/golfers have to give up base pay or sponsorship contracts just to perform on the world stage?
Make it make sense lol, I know paddy was a franchise star for CW and they were probably willing to pay to keep him there, but it's still retarded

Um, yes, and I speak from experience. Not top 50, but Paddy wasn't top 50 when he signed either. You make more money winning lower events than you do being the new guy losing early in bigger events. You move up to the bigger events and risk making less money because you potentially make a lot more doing better in the bigger events, the same way Paddy took a short term cut in base pay and has now ended up with way more money because he won in the bigger org.

Hell, tennis players and golfers who don't come from money have to go find personal sponsors, and when I say sponsor, I don't mean a company pays you to wear or endorse their product, I mean a regular person or family who will pay for you to enter and travel to tournaments, because you can end up in the negative going pro in both sports where going to a tournament costs more than your prize money.