y do undercard fighters deserve higher pay?

 there seems to be a sense of entitlement that i don't quite understand



for one, if they don't like it, they can fight in another organization or take up another profession. they are not bound to the UFC



secondly, they add insignificant amounts to ppv buys and gate sales, and some would argue that there should be a direct correlation between a fighter's "value" to the ufc and how much they earn



third, ive heard  this argument that because the ufc makes a lot of money, the fighters should make a lot of money. i dont understand this logic. yes, coca-cola may make billions, but does that mean a truck driver that delivers coke should make bank?



fourth, comparitvely speaking, they make decent money. more money that most undercard fighters in other mma events or in boxing.



that all being said, here is a piece of advice for lower level ufc fighters...if you are worried about fighting only a couple times a year and only making a couple grand each fight--then dont fight in the ufc...fight in smaller shows more frequently, build yourself up and then, if you have what it takes to be championship caliber, negotiate a good contract with the ufc..its senseless to join the ufc when you are an up and comer or a journeyman...the roster is too packed for you to make a good living...if all you care about is saying "i fight ufc" and showing off to girls, fine, but if you want longevity or money, toiling away on the undercard for 1-2 fights a year makes no sense...


I just want to see fighters making enough money that they can live comfortably and dedicate themselves fully to the sport.



It's unfortunate when guys in the world's largest MMA organization have to keep side jobs that eat up time they could be using to become better fighters.

ns_echoes - I just want to see fighters making enough money that they can live comfortably and dedicate themselves fully to the sport.



It's unfortunate when guys in the world's largest MMA organization have to keep side jobs that eat up time they could be using to become better fighters.



 i dont understand....y should they live comfortably? they have the best job in the world..they get to do, what most pay over 100 a month to do...and many only have traned for a few years...

goku -  there seems to be a sense of entitlement that i don't quite understand

for one, if they don't like it, they can fight in another organization or take up another profession. they are not bound to the UFC

secondly, they add insignificant amounts to ppv buys and gate sales, and some would argue that there should be a direct correlation between a fighter's "value" to the ufc and how much they earn

third, ive heard  this argument that because the ufc makes a lot of money, the fighters should make a lot of money. i dont understand this logic. yes, coca-cola may make billions, but does that mean a truck driver that delivers coke should make bank?

fourth, comparitvely speaking, they make decent money. more money that most undercard fighters in other mma events or in boxing.

that all being said, here is a piece of advice for lower level ufc fighters...if you are worried about fighting only a couple times a year and only making a couple grand each fight--then dont fight in the ufc...fight in smaller shows more frequently, build yourself up and then, if you have what it takes to be championship caliber, negotiate a good contract with the ufc..its senseless to join the ufc when you are an up and comer or a journeyman...the roster is too packed for you to make a good living...if all you care about is saying "i fight ufc" and showing off to girls, fine, but if you want longevity or money, toiling away on the undercard for 1-2 fights a year makes no sense...





I agree 100%. Being a pro-athlete is a dream job. It's a dream job because so few people get the opportunity to do it. Chasing that dream is a risk, because there is no guarantee that you will succeed....

The pay is also alot different because MMA is not a team sport, so you are not part of a team that is successful, you are responsible for your own success...and nobody is shelling out money to see Johnny "no name" fight on the undercard...HOWEVER...guys on the undercard have an amazing opportunity, because they are literally a handfull of fights away from making HUGE money and becoming a star.

keeping undercard fighter pay low is good for the competition and the entertainment/business model because it assures that there are constantly going to be guys that are hungry coming upo the ranks that see the light at the end of the tunnel and will be willing to perfom and give 110% to get there...so the guys already at the top cannot get complacent.

If a guy on the undercard were making triple digits, he may not be so motivated to excell to his peak potential.

If everyone can train full time while under UFC contract that will increase the overall quality and further push the max of the top fighters.

Personallly I believe one should share the spoils with all employees, but that's from an ideological perspective and not for everyone. Phone Post

i am not aware of their current payscale, what is it for most?

ziggystardust -  If everyone can train full time while under UFC contract that will increase the overall quality and further push the max of the top fighters.



Personallly I believe one should share the spoils with all employees, but that's from an ideological perspective and not for everyone. Phone Post


 just because you are in the ufc shouldnt mean you should be able to trane full time..that is very difficult to do when some fighters only fight 1-2 a year....like i said, if you are worried about pay, dont fight in the ufc, fight in smaller orgs more often and build yourself up....if you are championship caliber, you will get a fat contract like jake shields...if youare not championship caliber, you shouldnt fight in the ufc

ziggystardust -  If everyone can train full time while under Bellator contract that will increase the overall quality and further push the max of the top fighters.







 

ziggystardust -  If everyone can train full time while under MFC contract that will increase the overall quality and further push the max of the top fighters.



 

why shouldn't they? why should it be only the executives that can be ambitious about their income? why shouldn't the truck driver of coke go for more money? what if he loves his job and wants to maximize its earning potential?

I agree on all points about entitlement and being honest with one's self regrading the profession, but in no way should a person also just bend over and take it... he should be as ambitious as the freaking owners...

Jacinto - i am not aware of their current payscale, what is it for most?

I think more than anything it depends on the fighters agent. Palhares is still getting paid dirt ($7k in his last fight).

Most undercard fighters get $6k $6k to win. Not great IMO. I think $10k should be the absolute floor since these guys seriously risk their health while they're putting on a show. Plus like someone already said it is basically impossible to train full time on that money especially since lots of these guys have families. Phone Post

goku - 
ns_echoes - I just want to see fighters making enough money that they can live comfortably and dedicate themselves fully to the sport.



It's unfortunate when guys in the world's largest MMA organization have to keep side jobs that eat up time they could be using to become better fighters.



 i dont understand....y should they live comfortably? they have the best job in the world..they get to do, what most pay over 100 a month to do...and many only have traned for a few years...



I'm not talking about living a life of luxury. But they should be making enough money that, if they're responsible, they can provide for themselves and their loved ones and not be choking on debt.

so you think that a world class fighter for the top organization in the world deserves as much credit as a truck driver for coca-cola? wow, I really hope this is a troll job.

The UFC cant be compared to other organizations anymore, it is in a league of its own and it should act that way; paying all of its skilled athletes enough to live comfortably. Not just scrape by to be cut months later with absolutely nothing to show for it. Even practice squad guys in the NFL are making more and they arent even dressing on game days. The undercard guys need to train the same, and carry the same risk as the guys in the main event. If your going to step in a cage and fight one of the best fighters in the world, you should be compensated appropriately. Im not saying pay them millions, but $5,000 is not enough.

OP, you should take a fight sometime, then multiply everything you did for and during that fight by 100 and then you might have an idea what these guys go through just to entertain you. its sad that the way you repay them is to come on the UG to tell them to stop bitching about being poor while in the premier organization in the world.

If anything the undercard UFC fighters should not be getting paid any where near the same as other orgs...like Strikeforce who some say is the B league to the UFC.

The UFC wants the title of major league of MMA then everyone in the UFC should get paid more then the other orgs... I think if undercard figthers were making $15-$20k per fight there wouldn't be too much complaining. Strikeforce doesn't even do ppvs and their low end guys make close to the same as UFC low end guys.

blueheron20816 - so you think that a world class fighter for the top organization in the world deserves as much credit as a truck driver for coca-cola? wow, I really hope this is a troll job.



The UFC cant be compared to other organizations anymore, it is in a league of its own and it should act that way; paying all of its skilled athletes enough to live comfortably. Not just scrape by to be cut months later with absolutely nothing to show for it. Even practice squad guys in the NFL are making more and they arent even dressing on game days. The undercard guys need to train the same, and carry the same risk as the guys in the main event. If your going to step in a cage and fight one of the best fighters in the world, you should be compensated appropriately. Im not saying pay them millions, but $5,000 is not enough.



OP, you should take a fight sometime, then multiply everything you did for and during that fight by 100 and then you might have an idea what these guys go through just to entertain you. its sad that the way you repay them is to come on the UG to tell them to stop bitching about being poor while in the premier organization in the world.
im sure all they do is for my entertainment....

 

using team sports to compare fighter pay is retarded...tell me how much a losing horse gets paid in horse racing...there is a reason that combat athletes have always been considered "prize fighters" ...think about that term for a minute...

I agree with the sentiment, but I still think undercard fighters should get paid more than they currently are.

goku -
ziggystardust -  If everyone can train full time while under UFC contract that will increase the overall quality and further push the max of the top fighters.

Personallly I believe one should share the spoils with all employees, but that's from an ideological perspective and not for everyone. Phone Post

 just because you are in the ufc shouldnt mean you should be able to trane full time..that is very difficult to do when some fighters only fight 1-2 a year....like i said, if you are worried about pay, dont fight in the ufc, fight in smaller orgs more often and build yourself up....if you are championship caliber, you will get a fat contract like jake shields...if youare not championship caliber, you shouldnt fight in the ufc

The UFC will hold events so frequently in the future that there should be 2-3 fights/year available for all healthy fighters.

At the same time there's a very real risk that the frequency of events will lead to a watered down product. Full time training for everyone is a way to work against that. Phone Post

ns_echoes - I just want to see fighters making enough money that they can live comfortably and dedicate themselves fully to the sport.



It's unfortunate when guys in the world's largest MMA organization have to keep side jobs that eat up time they could be using to become better fighters.



 Fighters aren't employees.

They're independant contractors.



They have the option of fighting other places until they've built a name for themsevles.

(Thus getting more money)


The holier than thou attitude is astounding. The same guys that brown nose and rub the nutsack of a fighter that posts on the UG, balk at their right at fair pay?

100 years ago industrialists gave the worse, most dangerous jobs in America to CHILDREN. If it was likely you'd die, be maimed or get sick, the job was advertised for kids. And that kid earned less than half of what an adult earned. They were seen as expendable. Years later, with the advent of child labor laws, adults went into those jobs. They too died, suffered and worked for peanuts. Then we got labor unions and legislation to protect them.

We learned over time that any industry that was profitable enough to sustain itself should be expected to pay its workers fairly and ensure reasonable work conditions. If are an employee, and not an employer, you reap the benefits of this thinking and the lives of workers lost over history. You take for granted what others thought would never be possible.

But you would deprive a fighter the same rights? Some of you don't sound like fans at all. You sound like enemies of the sport.