UFC fighters say low pay simply brutal

It can certainly be argued both ways. However, surely this should apply to these guys too;

That would seem "fair and equitable" to me...... Once they know the numbers - both revenue & expenses - then they can negotiate in good faith (?)

Cheers,
Ian

 

Of course the Feds are stepping into something that has no bearing on the government, another waste of taxpayers money... Most of the guys in the UFC make a good living. They train, eat and fight and don't have to deal with a regular job each day....

 

I've been railing about this for years...UFC is asking for trouble IMHO. It's not so much the pay scale, it's the fact that fighters don't even own their likeness.

I know some low level fighters, and knew UFC Champ Frankie Edgar's father (we worked together), so I have some idea of the inner workings. The UFC is loyal, but if they start attracting this kind of attention, they will lose.

Not suggesting a union, but they had better lose the closed ranks mentality. Once the Feds start to poke around them - and they are with the Strikforce acquisition - they will be sorry.

 

Hey, It's my car, i paint it any color I want! If they don't like it, Let them leave!!!!!

 

I am often astonished at how little some of the under card fighters make, especially compared to other sports. The reality is that no one is putting a gun to these fighters' heads to fight in the UFC. They choose to fight for a living, and they also choose to fight for the UFC. If a union tried to form, I'm sure the UFC would treat it like any other business would.

 

If these guys don't like it, they can simply return to the loading docks that would have been the natural career trajectory. Frankly, there's a lot of guys who will take the 6-10K to lose a fight. That's still a GOOD hourly rate for actual performance.

 

If you base it on fight time alone, then yes. There is, on average, 3 months that go into preparation for a fight, and there are also trainers, coaches, etc that get paid from the fighter's purse. So what is left that goes in the fighter's pocket ends up being very little. An active fighter will fight only 4 times per year.

 

While there pay is low, anyone that makes it on TV has sponsors. I do not know what they get from the sponsors, but I understands its significantly more than the purse for the undercards fighters.


Mark

 

I have heard Anderson Silva and GSP make 10X from there sponsors what they make in a fight....

 

Understood, but that's not the issue. The issue is more about the fighters likeness - in the UFC, you do not own that.

Legal precedent was established when laws were put in place to regulate boxers' pay - it stated that the one thing the boxer owned was his persona...UFC prevents that by contract.

They also do a lot to prevent fighters from securing sponsorship without first coming through them. It's not that well documented, but it happens.

 

I assume you are right, but I was only commenting on the the undercard fighters who are not paid a living wage.

I read a very interesting article on this not too long ago. All sponsors who's logos will appear on TV have to pay the UFC for that right. If I remember right, that right costs about $50k a year. The author of the article said the fighters actually prefer this procedure to sponsors not being regulated since many of the fighters were not getting paid by their sponsors after the fights. This way it assures the sponsor has the money and is serious.


Mark

Edit: Here's the article:

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/09/13/the-truth-about-fighters-and-sponsors/

 

Correct, although that impedes securing "in kind" sponsorships. I actually had an opportunity to sponsor Frank Edgar in his first BJ Penn fight (I declined like a dummy) - and one thing we discussed was providing product in exchange for sponsorship.

A small outfit like my home biz would never be able to pay the $50K.

I can see the upside, but it still seems like control from my perspective.

 

'seems like' ???

 

The full Lorenzo interview was fair, ESPN just spin it for their disdain against UFC... http://youtu.be/ck0Lb8pDmVg

I could see fighters at the bottom instilled with fear, given I think the executives are fearless businessmen. But still, they're in the repeat business and not trying to cut corners...