Should all UFC fighters make $30000/year + their fight money?

[spid3yo]

30k a year while under contract [seems like it would be an extremely easy fix. It's only $18,000,000 annually for the UFC which is chump change and would get people shutting up about sponsorship issues.

Lower tier fighters can actually have a living wage and higher tier fighters will have some of that lost sponsorship money given back.

Win/Win, don't know why the UFC hasn't instituted something similar already, at least to get people to shut up about fighter pay. I mean they dropped a couple million just on that Aldo/Conor TV commercial. Seems like $18,000,000 is nothing to make the roster happy and get the media to calm down.

Don't you just love it when fans with no information what so ever regarding UFC financials make statements like this

 

[Bob Gray]

No.

 

[mi4ko]

You didn't address my points at all. What is the incentive to change from performance based to a salary base? It causes a lot of potential issues as I mentioned. Here is another issue. They sign fighters simply as fill ins when someone is injured. These fighters would likely never get another chance. Do these fighters get the $30k? I just don't see MMA wanting to stray from a performance based prizefighting model. The only org that I'm aware that has done this is IFL.

Incentive pay on top of salary is a commonality in many workplaces. A low base with commission aka fight bonuses isn't really that unreasonable. 30 may be high, but the point is skew towards performance based bonuses and its handled. Would you rather make 30 or fight 3 times and make 90?

 

[Buff]

No way... We'd never see half of them again.

 

[SuperiorHands]

imo there should be a very small base salary like $10,000 or $15,000 to cover training/ cornering while still upholding show/win money. they could set up in tiers where maybe at the lowest rungs you get $5000 annual salary plus show/win/reebok and bump it 5g's every couple fights til it maxes out. maybe a 10/15 fight vet or top 5 guy could get $30,000 or even $50,000 base salary/ yr. would a top 5 guy or 15 fight vet really need it? no but i bet they wouldn't refuse either.

I was thinking the same thing like 1000 a month base for most newer or lower ranked fighters, nothing substantial but it keeps some cash coming monthly in between fights which for a lot of the less well off fighters is probably very important.

 

[George Jetson]

Tiger Woods reportedly only paid his old swing coach, Hank Haney, $50k per year as a flat salary.

The real compensation, in Tiger's mind, was simply being associated with Tiger Woods (which gave his swing coach a bigger name and other opportunities).

Kinda like the UFC. Just being associated with the UFC gives fighters lots of sponsorship chances out of competition.

Fuck the junior fighters. They don't deserve shit.

 

[Apocalypse604]

I think they should just have a bigger payout for the fighters. I find it disturbing that i make more money per year on average after taxes then a lot of these UFC fighters.

 

[torval]

the way i understand it from the few contracts that have been made public is the ufc agrees to give a fighter a certain number of fights per year, if they do not then they have to pay the fighter their show pay. like say the women's strawweight division. they may be signed for 3 fights a year at 8/8. if they are not OFFERED 3 fights they get their 24k. if they are offered 3 and decline or can't due to injury that is their problem and they don't get squat, but as long as the fighter can fight and the ufc is not offering them the agreed upon number of fights they get paid.

 

[TX Fighter]

If each UFC fighter had a base salary of 30K per year, paid out monthly, then the lower end UFC fighters would be out of a job

Correct. Within a year or two, probably the bottom half of the roster would be replaced with more athletic and talented fighters.

It would improve the sports development. But most lower tier fighters have time for and work a second job. Even Carwin, who headlined in his prime, kept his day job because he was smart and knew that fighting has a short life span.

Im not against a small raise for fighters. But at their current talent level, the pay is on par imo. Ymmv

 

[TX Fighter]

A lot of people forget that being a lower tier ufc fighter is not meant to be a full time job

If its your first fight on a prelim, the ufc is doing you a favor by signing you. That doesnt mean you should get 30k. And the alternative? Make even less fighting for a no name regional circuit.

Some people think that making it to the ufc prelim means you should make some cheddar

Prelims dont mean shit

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

No

But I wouldn't be opposed to fighters getting a year end bonus for fighting more than 3x a year

 

[TruckHarder]

No

But I wouldn't be opposed to fighters getting a year end bonus for fighting more than 3x a year

Seems like a lot of fighters would benefit from some stability in payment. Giving these types of people 24000 for a fight means that person is likely going to just go blow it on a car or something. But drip feed them 2000/mo and they'll be more responsible.

 

[Hinedog]

Do you always just pull random figures out of your ass when you debate, or is this a one time thing?

Yes, just using random numbers expressing my opinion. I was referring to the previous reference of 600 fighters on the UFC roster. I guess I should have prefaced it with "IMO" and "for instance from 600 to 300" or just said "the UFC roster could possibly be reduced in half, maybe less". This is a discussion, is there something you would like to add? Or just wanting to play forum cop? Either way, have a good day. I apologize if I offended you with my "random figures out of my ass" as an expression of my opinion. However, it may happen again some day. Peace.

 

[Rational Poster]

Yes, just using random numbers expressing my opinion. I was referring to the previous reference of 600 fighters on the UFC roster. I guess I should have prefaced it with "IMO" and "for instance from 600 to 300" or just said "the UFC roster could possibly be reduced in half, maybe less". This is a discussion, is there something you would like to add? Or just wanting to play forum cop? Either way, have a good day. I apologize if I offended you with my "random figures out of my ass" as an expression of my opinion. However, it may happen again some day. Peace.

I care so much about the fighters so let's cut half of them and make them fight for scraps in Bellator/WSOF if they could even handle such a huge influx of talent, which they probably couldn't.

30k a year while under contract seems like it would be an extremely easy fix. It's only $18,000,000 annually for the UFC which is chump change and would get people shutting up about sponsorship issues.

Lower tier fighters can actually have a living wage and higher tier fighters will have some of that lost sponsorship money given back.

Win/Win, don't know why the UFC hasn't instituted something similar already, at least to get people to shut up about fighter pay. I mean they dropped a couple million just on that Aldo/Conor TV commercial. Seems like $18,000,000 is nothing to make the roster happy and get the media to calm down.

$18M/yr is not chump change for the UFC.

They profit only 200-300M/yr so that's nearly 10% of their profits...

 

[justbetter]

hell no.

Take that extra 18 million a year, and tack on an extra 500k to the knock out of the night award. They will make back the money in no time. Spectators will be happy. Some fighters will be happy.

 

[eiyuu]

Nope

Prize fighters fight for a prize.

These are not salary fighters.

 

[Rational Poster]

hell no.

Take that extra 18 million a year, and tack on an extra 500k to the knock out of the night award. They will make back the money in no time. Spectators will be happy. Some fighters will be happy.

This is something I could get behind.

MMA is a meritocracy and should remain that way.

A more structured way to earn bonuses, bigger bonuses, etc.

They are already getting decent bonuses behind the scenes, but it would certainly be a good look for the UFC to come up with some ways to make some of them more public.

 

[savemgs]

no.

 

[EpicFail]

^^^^^this. The roster would shrink from 600 to 300 or less. Pay per view prices would double. Tickets to events would double.

Would I like to see fighters make more money? Absolutely. I think the UFC brass is more concerned with their own lifestyle than the struggles of most UFC fighters at this point.

A base salary would never work. What if you get hurt? What if you don't fight for a year or longer? Does UFC making them clock in and out of a training facility? Too many variables.

The issues you mention could be solved though. Every idea has pros and consideration but ultimately a base salary is a great idea and would likely change things for the better.

When the guy retired after his win last night, I wonder how much the lack of money at the entry level had to do with it.

I say pay the fighters a small base wage so they don't starve and can focus on training. Throw in some stipulations about activity.

 

[Goonerview]

Maybe if they aren't making enough money they should get a side job. Chris Lytle was a full time fire fighter his entire career. Would you say this 40ish hour a week job made him a bad fighter? Could he have become GSP level if he put 40 more hours a week in?

Too many people in society want something for doing nothing. You don't like your financial situation? Change something to make more money

Can you imagine professional soccer players/NBA players holding down a 40 hour a week second job while still playing/training at the highest level???

The quality of their performances would clearly suffer, you mong.