While the UFC gets a lot of crap for low fighter pay, nobody mentions...

[BJpencil]

They do that so fighters will fight rockem sockem Diego Sanchez style. It's their way of controlling fighters. It's pathetic when fighters (grown men) are begging Dana for a bonus. It should be illegal. It's the reason there are no Pernell Whittakers in this sport.

Also probably why Dana didn't want Ben Askren. Dana hated Fitch. He doesn't like or want to pay big money to boring fighters. They want to build stars and have fans drooling over fights.

 

[Wariowokecancel]

they shouldn't even have those "bonuses" because there's no tangible qualifications to being able to gain it. it's just given out to the most popular fighter most of the time.

what they SHOULD be doing is giving finish bonuses. there will be a lot less point fighters if they knew that they'd get a guaranteed 50k for finishing someone.

What a goddamn load of fucking NOOBs here.

First off, official bonuses have existed forever.

Second off, the UFC had finish bonuses but changed them because the ACs were complaining about possible fight fixing. If you are being told it’s better to KO, that’s affecting the fight.

Goddamn, zero knowledge.

 

[Wariowokecancel]

Finish bonuses would be perfect

Noob. Who did you buy your account from or do you just have horrific memory?

Knockout of the night bonus?

Submission of the night bonus?

 

[GBJohn]

As was pointed out earlier, there’s no set criteria for bonus payouts. All too often, bonuses go to top card fighters when there was someone on the prelims who subjectively deserved it more. That $50k doesn’t mean all that much added on to main event money, but it makes a huge difference for someone who just fought their heart out for 12/12.

 

[jhonathan90]

@Crom Cruach real sports have teams, teams have stadiums, stadiums have fans. Fighters just train fight but bring little else to table in most case. We need to know if it true less than 15 percent goes to fighters because then I will be disgusted.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

I’m surprised so many fans complain about fighter pay. Top performers make millions, and fungible performers make enough to pay for the basics. Similar to any other profession. The profits that Zuffa made were the payoff for taking a gamble on a totally undeveloped industry, eating losses, and turning the thing into a “real” sport. I don’t begrudge fighters doing what they feel they have to do to pursue their interests (including organizing), but there are no good guys and bad guys here, it’s business.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

What a goddamn load of fucking NOOBs here.

First off, official bonuses have existed forever.

Second off, the UFC had finish bonuses but changed them because the ACs were complaining about possible fight fixing. If you are being told it’s better to KO, that’s affecting the fight.

Goddamn, zero knowledge.

i never said official bonuses didn't exist before, so i don't know why you're telling me that.

don't get what any of that has to do with fight fixing. you're not being told it's better to finish someone, all it does is reward the fighters who do, hence, it's called A BONUS.

the argument makes no sense either way because exciting fights also get bonuses, so why isn't everyone fixing fights to make every fight KZ vs Leonard Garcia type of fights?

 

[CRuck1980]

How much are you getting paid to shill for the UFC?

If the UFC paid enough fighters wouldn't have to fight for bonuses which are just crumbs compared to what athletes in other sports get.

They're not as valuable as the athletes from other sports. The comparison doesn't make sense

 

[Congo66]

If they took the 200k and split it between the bottom of the card then there wouldn't be any low paid fighters.
It's annoying when they give it to the main/co-main guys who are already making good money too.

A lot of the time it's the UFC matchmaking that determines who get the bonuses too and not the actual performances.

 

[Just Creed]

Noob. Who did you buy your account from or do you just have horrific memory?

Knockout of the night bonus?

Submission of the night bonus?

Lol i love your guns blazing approach. I mean every fighter gets a bonus if they finish the fight. I can see how you misunderstood my post, not sure why you had to throw an insult but that's what usually happens when stupid people are confused; they get mad.

 

[Crom Cruach]

@Crom Cruach real sports have teams, teams have stadiums, stadiums have fans. Fighters just train fight but bring little else to table in most case. We need to know if it true less than 15 percent goes to fighters because then I will be disgusted.

What can I say. It's widely reported that the UFC spends less than 20 percent on the fighters.

Remember we are talking % here and not dollar amounts. Of course Tom Brady and Lionel Messi should be paid more than Tony Ferguson.

Also worth remembering that in Soccer NFL etc the players got just as fucked over by the owners until they organised unions in the 60's and 70's.

 

[mahavishnunj]

Top performers make millions, and fungible performers make enough to pay for the basics.

I thought this was a fake word until I looked it up. You deserve a bonus.

 

[jhonathan90]

@Congo66 that is a amusing way to look at it, but not for lower card fighters right

 

[piropiro]

UFC pay is low by other sports standards, however we often compare it to sports that have tens - or hundreds - millions of spectators and endless numbers of major sponsors.

MMA remains a niche sport, however fast growing it has been (IMO now stalling or even regressing a little) ... and among niche sports it pays very well, with the UFC being undoubtedly the best paying organisation.

So is the UFC pay too low for generating big profits and getting brain damage? Probably yes. Is it too low in relation to other niche sports or other MMA organisations? Absolutely not.

 

[Luthien]

What they should do is have a guaranteed in contract bonus for a set amount if you finish your opponent.

 

[Luthien]

Also they should add a system like twitch where the fans can donate cash in real time to the fighter in the cage.

 

[Grr]

They do that so fighters will fight rockem sockem Diego Sanchez style. It's their way of controlling fighters. It's pathetic when fighters (grown men) are begging Dana for a bonus. It should be illegal. It's the reason there are no Pernell Whittakers in this sport.

Thumbs up for mentioning Sweet Pea.

 

[acannxr]

what they SHOULD be doing is giving finish bonuses. there will be a lot less point fighters if they knew that they'd get a guaranteed 50k for finishing someone.

It's the win money that makes fighters hesitant to take risks, because that's 50% of their purse. Eliminate show/win money and just give fighters a guaranteed amount, and I'd bet that finishes would go up.

 

[Loiosh]

Finish bonuses would be perfect

I think those are a huge mistake.

The object of a match is to win, not to finish, although typically finishes are more satisfying for most people.

Monetizing type of win artificially alters the sporting event.

 

[Loiosh]

It's the win money that makes fighters hesitant to take risks, because that's 50% of their purse. Eliminate show/win money and just give fighters a guaranteed amount, and I'd bet that finishes would go up.

That's a really interesting idea.

It's counter-intuitive, but something to think about.