What benefits do UFC fighters get?

[TriangleMonkey]

1. They're covered for injuries that occur during training, also.
2. The overwhelming majority of jobs in the US require people to fund their own retirement savings. A generous 401K match is only going to pay like 5%, which is not nearly enough to retire on alone for most people. Pensions are largely a thing of the past (as well they probably should be). While not the same for every country, I would say just about any worker in the US should assume that their retirement will be funded through the money they themselves make.
3. Self-contracted people have both Pros and Cons. The Pros involve paying generally lower income taxes than a W2 employee would, as well as getting to write-off a significant amount of work-related expenses.
4. I think its debatable whether they'd be better off.
For starters, most UFC fighters are essentially part-time workers. Don't have to look any further than a guy like Stipe, who works a full-time job while being probably the best HW in the world. UFC fighters are training a lot when they're actually in a fight camp, but most are not spending 40-50 hours a week training while they're not in camp. They can have other jobs.
Moreover, I wouldn't say the average UFC fighter comes from a well-educated background where they're going to find successful employment elsewhere. A lot of these guys would have difficulty finding a "full time job" that would provide significantly better benefits.

Ive always been on board with fighters holding an actual job while they are up and coming. I admire Stipe for what he does and he should set an example to all the other complaining middle of the pack fighters that want generous pay.


At least with a regular job you can work to 65-72 and still generate an annual income. Fighters are considered dinosaurs at 40. Now that would be a shitty time for an uneducated guy to start a regular emoyment.

 

[special_k]

Awesome another thread full of mostly people that don't pay to watch mma complaining about the financial conditions/benefits of fighters

 

[Ares Black]

As real as it gets

Nice

 

[Tito Tapped]

Bonus incentives are written into your contract. The POTN bonus isn't part of that contract and is additional. Does your job give out 50k bonuses? I'd say that's substantial. Cars seems to be another popular gift the UFC gives out to fighters.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

I’m glad this was first response. Great minds think alike.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

Guaranteed hot girlfriend

Guaranteed smesh if you can legitimately say, “I’m a UFC fighter”.

 

[SJP_SevenLaker]

Copyright infringement


Man, that is stingy bullshit. I could see that in a smaller organization but the biggest one? Come on Dana. FFS.

Came for the hot dog brander. Thank you.

 

[Billthebutcher]

they get paid to fight, their name and brand is promoted for free, they are viewed and supported by millions of fans the UFC has accumulated. free food, clothing and lodging, medical covered when fighting, and performance bonuses to name a few. does your job do that?

 

[bdstwin]

Sherdog is turning into a human rights advocacy group and not an MMA forum. its getting weird

 

[SeattleFightFan]

I'm pretty sure the insurance covers injuries during training and contest, and it is not "health insurance" that cover things like going to the doctor for a rash, cold sore medication, colonoscopies and psychiatrists.

I'm also pretty sure that when fighters get treatment, the get billed and then submit the claim themselves and hope it gets paid. Which it usually does, but still, talk about adding to your anxiety.

 

[JustAkidFrom209]

Now it will be Venum coupons. A free buffet is a possibility.

 

[Martialbeef]

they get paid to fight, their name and brand is promoted for free, they are viewed and supported by millions of fans the UFC has accumulated. free food, clothing and lodging, medical covered when fighting, and performance bonuses to name a few. does your job do that?

I was curious I wasn’t making any statements

 

[Credo]

They wish

 

[g*r*b]

Free UFC Fight Pass subscription.

 

[PokerGod23]

I'm pretty sure the insurance covers injuries during training and contest, and it is not "health insurance" that cover things like going to the doctor for a rash, cold sore medication, colonoscopies and psychiatrists.

I'm also pretty sure that when fighters get treatment, the get billed and then submit the claim themselves and hope it gets paid. Which it usually does, but still, talk about adding to your anxiety.

In terms of insurance, you're likely correct. Though as an independent contractor, that's what you would expect... to have to pay for your own healthcare plans. In some cases that sucks, in others you can find better and even cheaper plans than your employer can provide. Especially if you're a relatively healthy person with no preexisting conditions.

UFC's health insurance is basically the equivalent of Workers Comp insurance. You get hurt on the job or training for the job, and the employer will cover you.

 

[PokerGod23]

Ive always been on board with fighters holding an actual job while they are up and coming. I admire Stipe for what he does and he should set an example to all the other complaining middle of the pack fighters that want generous pay.


At least with a regular job you can work to 65-72 and still generate an annual income. Fighters are considered dinosaurs at 40. Now that would be a shitty time for an uneducated guy to start a regular emoyment.

Sure, but my pushback would be... why is that the UFC's problem? Not all industries in this world are designed to create employment for 40-50 years.

Not saying this pertains to you, but I think there's a lot of ignorant people in the public who think that if a UFC fighter "retires" from the sport at 35, that they have no ability to generate income for the rest of their lives, and that somehow the UFC should be responsible for paying them so much money that they never have to work again. I think that's total bullshit, and an almost impossible argument to do intelligently.

The ONLY benefit that I think is debatable is essentially lifetime healthcare coverage that encompasses injuries that occur through combat. Basically, if I need 5 leg surgeries a decade after I retire because of injuries sustained in the Octagon, I think its reasonable to expect the UFC to pay for that. But I do not, by any stretch of the imagination, think its reasonable to think the UFC should have to pay for your colonoscopy at 50 just because you fought for them 15 years ago and have provided no value to them since.

I think fighter pay is reasonable. I think not offering them all encompassing healthcare coverage is reasonable. I think not offering them some lucrative pension is reasonable.

 

[TriangleMonkey]

Sure, but my pushback would be... why is that the UFC's problem? Not all industries in this world are designed to create employment for 40-50 years.

Not saying this pertains to you, but I think there's a lot of ignorant people in the public who think that if a UFC fighter "retires" from the sport at 35, that they have no ability to generate income for the rest of their lives, and that somehow the UFC should be responsible for paying them so much money that they never have to work again. I think that's total bullshit, and an almost impossible argument to do intelligently.

The ONLY benefit that I think is debatable is essentially lifetime healthcare coverage that encompasses injuries that occur through combat. Basically, if I need 5 leg surgeries a decade after I retire because of injuries sustained in the Octagon, I think its reasonable to expect the UFC to pay for that. But I do not, by any stretch of the imagination, think its reasonable to think the UFC should have to pay for your colonoscopy at 50 just because you fought for them 15 years ago and have provided no value to them since.

I think fighter pay is reasonable. I think not offering them all encompassing healthcare coverage is reasonable. I think not offering them some lucrative pension is reasonable.

Totally can agree the UFC is NOT responsible for the things you mentioned.

 

[PokerGod23]

they get paid to fight, their name and brand is promoted for free, they are viewed and supported by millions of fans the UFC has accumulated. free food, clothing and lodging, medical covered when fighting, and performance bonuses to name a few. does your job do that?

No. But then again, there's a few things my employer does do...

1. Provides full medical, dental, life insurance, etc. benefits, all at extremely reasonable costs, that cover me at work and outside of work. It's not just Workers Comp insurance, which is basically what the UFC's is.
2. Get paid every day for the work that I put in, and generally speaking, its not really "tiered" based on whether I "win or lose" or even my performance. I can be extremely average at my job or even below average and probably keep my job. There's risk of termination, but that exists in the UFC also.
3. I don't get punched in the face for a living, nor do I train to inflict bodily harm on somebody else. And somebody else's livelihood and compensation isn't tied to how well they beat the crap out of me.
4. I get paid more than probably 80-90% of UFC fighters, on both an annual basis and on a lifetime basis.
5. My employer has numerous performance bonus pools that I can qualify for. They're not the same $ size of the UFC, but they're also much easier to obtain.
6. I don't get the "meals and lodging" argument. They only pay for those for when you're actually traveling for a fight, like promoting, fighting, etc. They're not paying for mortgages or daily meals for those guys to live on.
Most companies you know pay for travel expenses (including meals, lodging, etc.) for a worker who's traveling to do business for the company. That's not a unique perk to the UFC at all.

 

[Fioretti]

No. But then again, there's a few things my employer does do...

1. Provides full medical, dental, life insurance, etc. benefits, all at extremely reasonable costs, that cover me at work and outside of work. It's not just Workers Comp insurance, which is basically what the UFC's is.
2. Get paid every day for the work that I put in, and generally speaking, its not really "tiered" based on whether I "win or lose" or even my performance. I can be extremely average at my job or even below average and probably keep my job. There's risk of termination, but that exists in the UFC also.
3. I don't get punched in the face for a living, nor do I train to inflict bodily harm on somebody else. And somebody else's livelihood and compensation isn't tied to how well they beat the crap out of me.
4. I get paid more than probably 80-90% of UFC fighters, on both an annual basis and on a lifetime basis. I wouldn't take a paycut to have food and lodging paid for, because those costs, on an annual basis, still wouldn't get me below what UFC fighters make. And those costs are only covered during training, so far less than 50% of my annual expenses on those items.
5. My employer has numerous performance bonus pools that I can qualify for. They're not the same $ size of the UFC, but they're also much easier to obtain.

Would you mind stating what you do or how much you make? It would help to understand the above comments and make an actual comparative analysis.

 

[PokerGod23]

Would you mind stating what you do or how much you make? It would help to understand the above comments and make an actual comparative analysis.

I'm an Accounting Manager (CPA) for a mid-size tech company. I'll just say my total compensation (salary + bonus) is north of $100K a year, which is more than what most UFC fighters are going to make fighting for the organization.

It really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things though. I make more than most of their fighters (though likely work more hours), have significantly better benefits than they do (I basically have everything they have, plus more) and do it with almost no personal risk of injury or long term impacts of my job.

There's two things they have that I will never have in my line of work:
1. Fame/popularity
2. The ability to make a gigantic more amount of money, pending how good they are at their job.

They have a much, much, much higher ceiling in current earning capacity. I also have a considerably higher floor.