UFC fighters make more than boxers

[NoSmilez]

Why is this news? I thought it would be obvious. This fighter pay stuff is a bit overblown. These guys are making more than ever. I do agree that they are underpaid but this is slowly changing.

 

[Draxton]

Well yeah, you're comparing the UFC, an organization, to the entire sport of boxing. The UFC has a minimum salary and an increase in income based on continuing to fight. If you're fighting at the bottom tier of the UFC you may not be making much but you're doing better than a no name at the bottom of some random boxing card.

If the UFC brings in a random regional guy to fill an early prelim slot, he’s getting paid better than most on a Bellator card and getting paid better than anyone except the main and co-main of a boxing card.

 

[Raptors2019]

Why do median and average comparison it's not apples to apples. A for effort.

 

[Deleted member 110072]

These recent stats may surprise a lot of people who thinks boxers are paid more than UFC fighters.

The average UFC fighter made $160,022 in 2021, up from average earnings of $146,673 in 2020. 256 fighters (42%) earned six-figures in 2021, up from 219 fighters (38%) in 2020. 116 fighters (19%) made less than the average U.S. income ($25,000). The highest-paid UFC fighter was Conor McGregor, with $10,022,000 (without PPV bonuses).

The median salary for a professional boxer is $51,370, which may surprise many of you looking to become a professional boxer. This means that half of the professional boxers competing today earned less than this amount. Only the top 1% of all professional boxers earn more than a million dollars per year, the lowest 10% of all professional boxers earn less than $19,220 per year.

Not really a fair comparison is it? your talking the biggest org in MMA that really tends to deal mostly in high level or mid level talent and comparing it to the entirety of boxing down to the lowest professional level.

 

[DOMMA]

Not really a fair comparison is it? your talking the biggest org in MMA that really tends to deal mostly in high level or mid level talent and comparing it to the entirety of boxing down to the lowest professional level.

Correct and you have a fair point. There is a lot of talk of UFC fighters not getting paid which is still debatable, but pay is increasing. Consider this, (42%) earned six-figures

UFC Payouts:

Lowest Tier: from $10,000 to $30,000 per fight
Middle Tier: from $80,000 to $250,000 per fight
Highest Tier: from $500,000 to $3,000,000 per fight
This does not include bonuses of any kind or endorsements.

Here is an example of a mid-level (Waterson) and low-level (Herrig) UFC pay for UFC 229:

• Michelle Waterson $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus) def. Felice Herrig $40,000. So if Herrig fights three times a year, wins a bonus, and has a few endorsements, she is making $150K+. Not great, but considerably better better than a low level boxer that fights 3X per year.

 

[Askafan]

A lot of Sherdoggers only know about half a dozen big name boxers, they've no idea about purses down the cards.

 

[Sticko]

If the UFC brings in a random regional guy to fill an early prelim slot, he’s getting paid better than most on a Bellator card and getting paid better than anyone except the main and co-main of a boxing card.

$12k/12k is getting paid better than everyone except the main and co-main on the boxing card? Is the pay really that bad for the boxing undercard?

 

[Mesos]

These recent stats may surprise a lot of people who thinks boxers are paid more than UFC fighters.

The average UFC fighter made $160,022 in 2021, up from average earnings of $146,673 in 2020. 256 fighters (42%) earned six-figures in 2021, up from 219 fighters (38%) in 2020. 116 fighters (19%) made less than the average U.S. income ($25,000). The highest-paid UFC fighter was Conor McGregor, with $10,022,000 (without PPV bonuses).

The median salary for a professional boxer is $51,370, which may surprise many of you looking to become a professional boxer. This means that half of the professional boxers competing today earned less than this amount. Only the top 1% of all professional boxers earn more than a million dollars per year, the lowest 10% of all professional boxers earn less than $19,220 per year.

This is not surprising to me but I bet some people didn't know this. Mma actually has a very strong middle class. UFC probably structured it like that on purpose to have stability in the sport

 

[Mesos]

$12k/12k is getting paid better than everyone except the main and co-main on the boxing card? Is the pay really that bad for the boxing undercard?

The entire history of Boxing is built on screwing over the undercard, not promoting them and giving them the scraps basically.

In boxing it is common for people not to show up to the actual boxing event until its time for the co main lol. Thats how badly promoted the undercards in Boxing are. Thats the one thing UFC has changed for the better, they compensate the undercard way better and promote the entire card. So it gives a chance to the new fighters to get noticed, build a name, get more pay in future

 

[Draxton]

$12k/12k is getting paid better than everyone except the main and co-main on the boxing card? Is the pay really that bad for the boxing undercard?

Biggest PPV of all time or close to it, MayMac…. Under card guys fighting for $5k and under.
You will regularly see under card boxers fighting for $200-800.

It’s hard to compare directly to UFC, but in MMA you see that also in regional fights.

It’s gotten to where people just say “UFC pays shit”. They don’t. They pay more than any other MMA promotion. What the real knock is that the UFC pays a shit percentage of their overall earnings to their fighters.

 

[WhosTheBoss]

Average vs median. Median eliminates all the top boxers making ridiculous amount of money that MMA fighters can only dream of.

The real question is , will there be a day when boxers start wanting to go to MMA for money, and when do you think that will be?

Another 15 years or so

boxing is declining in terms of viewership. It’s usually 1-2 big fights a year.

mma growth continues to get stronger and stronger. Kids now being born will train more for MMA than boxing , IMO, thus making the mma pool even deeper.

 

[Sticko]

Biggest PPV of all time or close to it, MayMac…. Under card guys fighting for $5k and under. View attachment 920060
You will regularly see under card boxers fighting for $200-800.

It’s hard to compare directly to UFC, but in MMA you see that also in regional fights.

It’s gotten to where people just say “UFC pays shit”. They don’t. They pay more than any other MMA promotion. What the real knock is that the UFC pays a shit percentage of their overall earnings to their fighters.

That is wild. I will say, of the two bouts on that card where somebody is getting paid $5k or less, one is a women's bout. Not to justify it but women's boxing is notorious for having dogshit pay. That fight also started at 2:50pm while the main event probably started at 10pm. I'm not sure who those guys are in the really low-paying men's bout.

What's also wild to me is that Yordenis Ugas only got $50k as someone who would go on to win a world title and defeat Manny Pacquiao.

 

[eiyuu]

Well yeah, you're comparing the UFC, an organization, to the entire sport of boxing. The UFC has a minimum salary and an increase in income based on continuing to fight. If you're fighting at the bottom tier of the UFC you may not be making much but you're doing better than a no name at the bottom of some random boxing card.

Thing is no one complains about fighter pay in Bellator, ONE Championship, etc.

It's always UFC fighter pay.

 

[markys00]

You wanna control for ranking or drawing power or you just like making useless comparisons?

Also lol at comparing median salary to average salary when you have Conor skewing the average so much.

You are a moron. Sorry, but it's true.

 

[blaseblah]

Thing is no one complains about fighter pay in Bellator, ONE Championship, etc.

It's always UFC fighter pay.

Because they are nowhere near as profitable as the UFC and still pay a significantly higher portion of their revenue to the fighters. The UFC is supposed to represent the highest level of the sport. Pretty sure ONE doesn't even turn a profit.

 

[eiyuu]

Because they are nowhere near as profitable as the UFC and still pay a significantly higher portion of their revenue to the fighters. The UFC is supposed to represent the highest level of the sport. Pretty sure ONE doesn't even turn a profit.

And that's why TS is using the UFC since everyone complains about UFC fighter pay

However, if you want to compare org to org, we can put average UFC fighter pay against average boxer pay from Top Rank Boxing, Golden Boy Productions, Mayweather Productions, etc. I don't think the numbers would be much different.

 

[SuperAlly]

Awesome seeing the butthurt this is causing the fighter pay groupies on here, which lets be honest is 98% of sherdog

 

[blaseblah]

And that's why TS is using the UFC since everyone complains about UFC fighter pay

However, if you want to compare org to org, we can put average UFC fighter pay against average boxer pay from Top Rank Boxing, Golden Boy Productions, Mayweather Productions, etc. I don't think the numbers would be much different.

Feel free to show us the numbers. I don't have that information and I'm not going to speculate.

 

[Osiris3657]

Do boxers have to hire jujitsu, kickboxing, judo, sambo and wrestling coaches as well?

"have to hire"

No, they don't. I'll let you in on a little secret. There's these things called MMA gyms. You pay a flat rate and train with the wrestling coach, the BJJ coach, the striking coach. They are not hired and paid individually

All the shit you just mentioned? That's excessive and not necessary

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

Less brain damage too

Me and you get paid much more by the Admin to post and make daily appearances on here and spread good energy. Lots of Skittles and catnip for us