TUF Finale Fighter pay

[Nutstache]

Time to unionize! Given the difference between what the fighters are paid and what Zuffa must make, I suspect the fighters will be unionized in the next couple of years.

I think the fighter pay is scanalously low, especially when compared to other pro athletes.





MAIN EVENT FIGHTERS

-Kendall Grove: $32,000 (defeated Evan Tanner; win bonus was $16,000)

-Evan Tanner: $25,000 (lost to Kendall Grove; win bonus would have been $25,000)

-Amir Sadollah: $16,000 (defeated C.B. Dollaway; win bonus was $8,000)

-C.B. Dollaway: $8,000 (lost to Amir Sadollah; win bonus would have been $8,000)


MAIN CARD FIGHTERS

-Diego Sanchez: $70,000 (defeated Luigi Fioravanti; win bonus was $35,000)

-Spencer Fisher: $36,000 (defeated Jeremy Stephens; win bonus was $18,000)

-Matthew Riddle: $16,000 (defeated Dante Rivera; win bonus was $8,000)

-Luigi Fioravanti: $10,000 (lost to Diego Sanchez; win bonus would have been $10,000)

-Dante Rivera: $8,000 (lost to Matthew Riddle; win bonus would have been $8,000)

-Jeremy Stephens: $8,000 (lost to Spencer Fisher; win bonus would have been $8,000)


PRELIMINARY MATCH FIGHTERS

-Dean Lister: $28,000 (defeated Jeremy Horn; win bonus was $14,000)

-Drew McFedries: $26,000 (defeated Marvin Eastman; win bonus was $13,000)

-Jeremy Horn: $25,000 (lost to Dean Lister; win bonus would have been $25,000)

-Dustin Hazelett: $24,000 (defeated Josh Burkman; win bonus was $12,000)

-Matt Brown: $16,000 (defeated Matt Arroyo; win bonus was $8,000)

-Josh Burkman: $10,000 (lost to Dustin Hazelett; win bonus would have been $10,000)

-Marvin Eastman: $9,000 (lost to Drew McFedries; win bonus would have been $9,000)

-Matt Arroyo: $8,000 (lost to Matt Brown; win bonus would have been $8,000)

-Tim Credeur: $8,000 (bout with Cale Yarbrough cancelled; win bonus would have been $8,000)

-Cale Yarbrough: $8,000 (bout with Tim Credeur cancelled; win bonus would have been $8,000)

-Rob Kimmons: $6,000 (defeated Rob Yundt; win bonus was $3,000)

-Rob Yundt: $5,000 (lost to Rob Kimmons; win bonus would have been $5,000)


DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $402,000

[Nutstache]

Don't get me wrong, I am a capitalist, and quite a conservative one at that, but the disparity between what the company makes, adn what its employees make is a recipie for disaster.

PS Source: mma weekly.com

[super hot]

Insert comments about here about It's a business and Zuffa is finally making money after all their losses. What about what they make in sponsorships and other payments?

[super hot]

I hate those idiots that say that shit. Fighters need to make more money. Boxers on undercards of PPV events make way more.

[Nutstache]

Compare those numbers to your average MLB outfielder who hits .270, and you will be outraged.

[super hot]

Compare those numbers to your average MLB outfielder who hits .270, and you will be outraged.QFT. Also compare the numbers to what a person who's on the bench for an NBA team. Almost everybody in the NBA makes at least 1 million dollars.

[AMERICAN BONES]

baseball is a multi billion dollar industry, bad comparison

[AMERICAN BONES]

there were only 3 more fights, yet almost doubled the payout of the season 6 finale, so its getting better

[Hektik]

diego made 70k, they dont need more money.

[super hot]

baseball is a multi billion dollar industry, bad comparisonAccording to Dana MMA will be bigger than soccer and football. He should stop opening his fat mouth and open up his wallet instead.

[Torremalku]

-Rob Kimmons: $6,000 (defeated Rob Yundt; win bonus was $3,000)

-Rob Yundt: $5,000 (lost to Rob Kimmons; win bonus would have been $5,000)

Getting paid $5K to get your ass kicked in front of a large audience seems like a raw deal.
The ratio of chance for injury and exposure to pain vs the payout seem drastically unbalanced.

Even if you suffered a mild injury that $5k is hardly worth it.

[gumby]

I remember six months ago you would look at that and see people being paid $2K. Its going up.

[JihadMeAtHello]

Insert comments about here about It's a business and Zuffa is finally making money after all their losses. What about what they make in sponsorships and other payments?

I don't think Peyton Manning's gonna play for 30k a year because he makes 15 million a year in sponsorships... that's such a stupid argument.

[HHJ]

how the fuck you gonna pay kendall more than keith jardine

[gumby]

how the fuck you gonna pay kendall more than keith jardineuhhh, 6 figure contract....remember?

[HHJ]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[HHJ]

the man beat chuck liddell
and the famous forrest griffin
give the techno viking his cash so's he can pay for post wand rehibilitation

[JihadMeAtHello]

uhhh, 6 figure contract....remember?

They don't call it that anymore, i think they're worried they'll get another Kendall as champ. I hope Amir doesn't fizzle out, he's a cool dood

[gumby]

They don't call it that anymore, i think they're worried they'll get another Kendall as champ. I hope Amir doesn't fizzle out, he's a cool dood
What do you mean they don't call it that anymore? I heard them say it over and over in the preview for the fights.

[JihadMeAtHello]

What do you mean they don't call it that anymore? I heard them say it over and over in the preview for the fights.

I thought they just called it a multi fight contact now and did away with the six figure part... you could be and prolly are right though.

[JihadMeAtHello]

Beastman took a massive paycut as well, he was paid either 25 or 50k to lose to Rampage last year.

[Bang Bang]

do yoooouuuuy want to be an ultimate fighter?

[finnegan]

I hope they keep the disclosed pay low (the taxable kind) and the off the books pay high (the free kind). Off the record bonuses are part of the business. I know of a promotion that pays 200-300 to amatuers fighters off the books, after they've fought (thinking it was for no money, and technically not for the fight, for "misc. travel expenses" or something like that.)
An example of some hidden payouts:

-One of the the pros on Sherdog just made his UFC debut a couple of PPVs ago. He was obviously on the pre-lims, and his fight didn't get televised.
A 2" x 4" spot on his walk out shirt goes for $500.
Imagine what any of the main card fighters charge for a 2"x 4" space on their shirts, let alone space on the flag or fight shorts.

-The UFC fully covers all medical costs incurred as a result of the fight.

As a fighter, I'd much rather have a low official pay and a lot of under the table bonuses. Less to declare at tax time for everyone.

[Bang Bang]

but it makes way for many law suits

[California Giant]

-Rob Kimmons: $6,000 (defeated Rob Yundt; win bonus was $3,000)

-Rob Yundt: $5,000 (lost to Rob Kimmons; win bonus would have been $5,000)

Getting paid $5K to get your ass kicked in front of a large audience seems like a raw deal.
The ratio of chance for injury and exposure to pain vs the payout seem drastically unbalanced.

Even if you suffered a mild injury that $5k is hardly worth it.
I like how the dude that won the fight only made a k more than the one who lost.

[JihadMeAtHello]

I like how the dude that won the fight only made a k more than the one who lost.

It's worse when the newcomers beat mid grade fighters and get paid 8k compared to the losing fighter's 24k.

[California Giant]

It's worse when the newcomers beat mid grade fighters and get paid 8k compared to the losing fighter's 24k.
Or jardine vs chuck. 30k compared to 250k or something outrageous

[JihadMeAtHello]

Or jardine vs chuck. 30k compared to 250k or something outrageous
Yeah, that would piss me off

[finnegan]

but it makes way for many law suits
RE: Randy's off the books bonus checks.

[super hot]

I hope they keep the disclosed pay low (the taxable kind) and the off the books pay high (the free kind). Off the record bonuses are part of the business. I know of a promotion that pays 200-300 to amatuers fighters off the books, after they've fought (thinking it was for no money, and technically not for the fight, for "misc. travel expenses" or something like that.)
An example of some hidden payouts:

-One of the the pros on Sherdog just made his UFC debut a couple of PPVs ago. He was obviously on the pre-lims, and his fight didn't get televised.
A 2" x 4" spot on his walk out shirt goes for $500.
Imagine what any of the main card fighters charge for a 2"x 4" space on their shirts, let alone space on the flag or fight shorts.

-The UFC fully covers all medical costs incurred as a result of the fight.

As a fighter, I'd much rather have a low official pay and a lot of under the table bonuses. Less to declare at tax time for everyone.

How is it less to report? According to the IRS you are required to declare all forms of income. I'm pretty sure these companies will be sending them 1099-MISC forms at the end of the year. IRS is cracking down on companies deductions.

[Decommissioner]

How is it less to report? According to the IRS you are required to declare all forms of income. I'm pretty sure these companies will be sending them 1099-MISC forms at the end of the year. IRS is cracking down on companies deductions.

IRS can kiss my ass.

[super hot]

IRS can kiss my ass.
And they will stick it in your ass.

[Mickey]

If Chuck was on that card he would have made more than all of the fighters combined.
That is pretty sad.

[Shogun Marcus]

How is it less to report? According to the IRS you are required to declare all forms of income. I'm pretty sure these companies will be sending them 1099-MISC forms at the end of the year. IRS is cracking down on companies deductions.


I don't know any bartender or waiter who claims all of their tips. And I'm sure the fighters claim the money them make off of sponsors.

[AMERICAN BONES]

If Chuck was on that card he would have made more than all of the fighters combined.
That is pretty sad.

and the number of viewers would have prolly tripled

[finnegan]

How is it less to report? According to the IRS you are required to declare all forms of income. I'm pretty sure these companies will be sending them 1099-MISC forms at the end of the year. IRS is cracking down on companies deductions.

Not sure about larger promotions, but at the smaller shows its basically run by cleaned-up carnies. Everything is cash, at least around here. I'm sure its all illegal as hell, but then again, these are the same guys who kept MMA going when you could get thrown in jail for simply promoting an event.

I know a couple of the local promoters who used to fight, literally, on the banks of the Ohio in old school bare knuckle NHB matches for the bar crowds. Luckily, a couple of them were cops, so no one ever got busted. One of them said on a bad night, he'd make $500-1000.

[finnegan]

Hmm. Let me put it another way.
Most guys can't do MMA full time. They have to hold down a job and train when they can. I, for example, would fight literally anybody for $5000, with a chance of another $5000 to win, and possibly an $80,000 fight, KO,or sub of the night bonus as long as my medical was covered.
Fedor needs a KO? Call me up. I'll do my best to beat him, but even as I'm sitting in the ER getting a CAT scan, I'll have a smile on my face knowing I walked away with $5000 dollars for doing something that I'm currently paying to do.
(BTW, I, like 80% or more of MMA fighters, make less than 30,000 a year in my job).