CBC News: Sunday, which is on tomorrow at 10 AM ET, will have a story about how the UFC is making lots of money, but pays its fighters significantly less than athletes in other pro sports. It features interviews with Dana White, who is in classic form, and Randy Couture.
TTT
Thanks for letting us know about it.
Wow Dana White is out of his mind. Would be nice to see the appropriate amount of profit go to the fighters. 5-10% of a shows profit going to fighters is just so crazy...
Anyone got a link to it?
Damn. I thought the OP said 10 PM.
Found a summary:
CBC News aired their look at mixed martial arts on Sunday with host Evan Solomon.
Now before reading this is important to note that this piece has been in development for months and the interviews conducted with Dana White and Randy Couture were done prior to Couture returning to the UFC in September of last year.
The piece centered around the treatment of fighters by dissecting fighter pay in comparison to what the UFC is generating and using the fight between Dana White and Randy Couture from 2007/08 as the backdrop for this story.
White stated that if you are a top level star in the company than you make millions of dollars a year, if you are a mid level talent with upward mobility than you are making hundred of thousands of dollars a year and if you are a low level talent you are still making $60,000 - $80,000 and talent just starting in the company are making $8,000. Couture disputed these numbers stating talent still receiving $3,000 and $3,000 on the under card and cannot fight enough times a year to make that work. Mauro Ranallo notes that 5-7% of revenue goes to the fighters and compares it to 50% plus in other sports.
Solomon then looked at the development of player's associations in other major league sports stating that the average NHL salary is $1.9 million a year while Major League Baseball's average salary is $3 million compared to $25,000 - $35,000 for the average UFC fighter with no benefits. White points out that there are numerous bonuses that are not reported and that there have been times where a guy that makes $50,000 and $50,000 and has a tremendous fight and they write a bonus cheque to them for another $150,000. Ranallo points out a fighter he spoke to who walked away with $4,000 after paying his fight camp and other expenses to prepare for the fight.
Solomon states they made $2.5 million on the gate at UFC 83 in Montreal and cited 5.3 million buys in 2008 on 12 PPV events equaling $253 million, but White would not confirm that. Couture stated that on $253 million, they only paid out $17 million to fighters. White got defensive on this stating his argument that promoters are not allowed to make money because they are then labeled "scum bags" and he is a businessman who is going to make money.
They then took a look at the state of MMA when Zuffa LLC bought the promotion in 2001 noting it was dead and they went $44 million in debt.
They return to Couture who cites that injuries inflicted in training are covered by the fighters themselves and not the UFC. White states that he is not going to get medical coverage for fighters because it would be way too expensive for ultimate fighters. White says the rules they have put together compensate for the lack of a health plan and that there have no deaths in the UFC.
Next is the topic of a fighter's union and White encourages Couture to try and start one, and adding that Couture has his own agenda. White says that baseball has been around for 100 years while this incarnation of the UFC is eight years old. Solomon noted that fighters were hesitant to go on camera and speak against the policies of the UFC showing Matt Serra and Jason MacDonald talking to Solomon but not airing their comments. Couture notes that the UFC controls so much and fighters are scared to speak out.
They finish discussing Couture's return to the UFC to fight Brock Lesnar for $250,000 and $250,000 plus a share of the PPV. They finish on Couture noting that he lost the fight in the octagon and the fight outside of the octagon.
White ends that "this is a war" and that people like Couture aren't going to be smart enough and there will be casualties in this war and no one should enter this thinking they can kick the UFC's ass because it won't happen.
I met and worked alongside Solomon and his crew at the first ECC in Halifax.
One of his producers is a BJJ purple belt, and it was obvious Solomon enjoyed the show.
I think we can probably expect more MMA stories from this show.
The producer is Michael Kearns, aka BeachesBJJGuy. While I hope to see more MMA on the CBC, I would prefer he used his press pass to get into parliament and RNC a few politicians!
Greg, thanks for outing me. You probably should have also corrected fakezaga in that I am only wearing blue around my waist. As for the politicians, I happen to know some are MMA fans -- not sure if that means they could defend the RNC though...
Remz - Wow Dana White is out of his mind. Would be nice to see the appropriate amount of profit go to the fighters. 5-10% of a shows profit going to fighters is just so crazy...
Oddly enough, the other day I read a post about how in comparison to most proffesional sport athletes, the UFC OVER pays.
The UFC is a totally different animal to most other sports as it plays the role of owner, league and promoter.
Baseball (et al) teams make a lot more revenue from ticket sales and pay out a lot less in operating costs since ownership groups typically own the stadiums and have outside companies who pay to broadcast and cover events. They also have a much smaller stable of athletes (who play more than 3-4 times per year) to pay. It's like apples and oranges.
I could go on but I'm sure you get the point....UNLESS Michael needs a writer for his next MMA related story.
I don't agree that fighters aren't making what they should.
I think the boxing pay formula needs to be applied to MMA as they are the two most similar sports in terms of structure.
I wonder what you would get if you compared the salary of the average pro biker in the tour de france vs an mma fighter in the UFC?
Sorry for outing you Mike :) I was willing to let you slide by as a purple belt though...
Mike Russell...wish I had some work to throw to MMA writers like yourself.
Unfortunately, my show has been cancelled and will be off air in the spring.
We didn't tap...but everything is getting fuzzy and going black...
Damn. Sorry to hear than man. Hopefully you have something else lined up.
Thanks Mike. I have a few options, but definitely need to do some serious rolling these days to work out the stress!
Beaches...sent you an email :)