For example, lets say the UFC does decide to pay a fighter an agreed salary, on the stipulation that they must fight twice in that year. They dont necessarily have to fight to earn this money because if their opponent pulls out last minute, theyre still entitled to the show money because they made weight and are ready to fight. So, despite it not being directly linked to a fighter being paid, the popularity a fighter gains by being part of the UFC is priceless and leads to a lot of money made in the future if done right. A lack of long-term commitment allows the UFC to raise and lower fighter salaries frequently. In the rest of this post, Im going to cover these questions and more to explain how fighters are paid in the UFC. Alistair Overeem has a net worth of $10,204,500. Although in an interview with Dana White in July 2019, White advised that Cris Cyborg was paid a base wage of US$500,000 in December's UFC 232 card in 2018. These are mostly social media endorsements as theyre quick and easy and companies are looking to leverage the fighters large online following. The UFC's minimum is $12,000 per fight, with a win bonus of another $12,000. Take away the top 11 and the average earnings of UFC fighters in 2021 drops to $125,180, which is the other 594 fighters. Tier Two pays between $80,000-$250,000 per fight. You show up, you get paid. Average UFC salary for an UFC fighter in 2021 is $160,022 (in 2020 it was $147,965). However, a fighter may choose a shorter contract for less optimal conditions, with the hopes of renegotiating a better contract when their current one ends. While there are over 700 fighters in 2022, in 2021 605 UFC fighters had a full year of earnings and the average earnings were $160,000, up from $148,000 in 2020. PPV events showcase title fights and the biggest fights all on one card, for which the UFC charges $74,99 each time. Askarov was coming off a draw against Brandon Moreno, and so had yet to win a fight in the UFC. At the same time, they have the opportunity to earn raises much more frequently than they would with longer-term contracts. Heres a table showing the 30 highest earning UFC fighters in terms of career earnings. Heres a breakdown of the payments fighters earn for each UFC fight: With this deal, UFC fighters get a slight pay increase from the previous Reebok sponsorship and its said the proceeds are going to the athletes, but it removes the ability for athletes to be individually sponsored, which is one of the best ways athletes from promotions like Bellator can make good money. This was done because McGregor had won all three fights by knockout, and the UFC couldnt risk losing their next superstar to another promotion. Type above and press Enter to search. That's how you do business. Irish Whiskey Launched in 2018, McGregors Proper No 12 generated $1 billion in sales in its first year. One reason that these fighters can be so underpaid is that such a high percentage of their pay is through bonuses. In short, the Ultimate Fighter six-figure contract is only worth $150,000 over 9 fights, and worth $300,000 if the fighter wins every fight. The best examples of this are, Chael Sonnen who is huge on Youtube, Conor McGregor with his business ventures, Michael Bisping becoming a UFC commentator, and Paige Vanzant who is now earning a lot more money with BKFC due to her initial fame gained by fighting for the UFC. Fan Bonus of the Night: As part of the UFCs sponsor with Crypto.com and limited to PPV events only (numbered), $60,000 worth of Bitcoin is allocated to the three best fighters on the night, as voted for by the fans. Female MMA referees get $6,000 annually (or $1,000 each bout with a $3,500 incentive for PPV events). Josh Emmett. This usually comes up in the post-fight press conference, after a fighter just had a huge win. Press Esc to cancel. For each fight on the contract, theyre paid the same base earnings depending on which of the three tiers a fighter belongs to; low, medium, or high. McGregor would respond to take a look at his new contract, and the two would begin to argue about knowing the numbers that their fights generated. The average household income in the U.S. is around $25,000 per year, and 19% of the UFC roster made less (116 fighters to be precise). Two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) for each pay-per-view buy over 600,000 buys. Instead, they are paid on a per-fight basis, based on the terms negotiated in their contract. UFC 118 UFC 135 (4 fights) 1 fight paid $30,000 to show and $30,000 to win, next three paid $33,000 to show and $33,000 to win. Sometimes, one person will get two bonuses and receive an extra $100,000. UFC FN:19 UFC 111 (3 fights) Paid $24,000 to show and $24,000 to win. The companies most involved with sponsoring individual UFC fighters are Monster Energy, Modelo, Crypto.com, and Guaranteed Rate, all current UFC sponsors. This number, however, is skewed by the top earners in the sport. How Do UFC Contracts Work? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As a result, many UFC fighters have no sponsors other than Reebok. Who receives PPV bonuses and when seems primarily up to the discretion of the UFC. Payouts per fight range from an initial $10,000 to $3,000,000. Although undisclosed, in a class action lawsuit against the UFC and Zuffa (parent company), details about the UFCs PPV system emerged. Longstanding UFC fighter, Ryan Bader, was also vocal against the Reebok deal and claimed he lost between $20,000 to $65,000 per fight because of it. Like with their contracts, fighters receive additional compensation based on their level of prestige. If it did, please consider checking out other posts on the site, such as those on the Martial Arts History page. UFC's Fighter Pay Structure Fighters will receive a 'Show' bonus and a 'Win' bonus, and each of the two bonuses are typically the same amount. This is a price a promotion might be willing to pay when looking at a fighter with start potential. Thanks for reading! But why arent the fighters paid on salary? The report also notes how UFC made fighters "play along" under the threats of being "blacklisted." Cung Le says he was paid $5,000 for every episode in which he was the coach in the TV . The fighters between 6 and 10 UFC gigs get $6000 instead of $5000, while entry-level fighters get a $500 bump. Fines are technically another way to make money in the UFC. Anderson Silva has a net worth of $8,732,000. That means if a fighter pushed for a three-fight contract, but they looked unimpressive in their fights, the UFC now holds the negotiating power, and may even release the fighter based on their performance. They dont include PPV points as the majority of fighters never see these, and they also dont include discretionary bonuses and other miscellaneous payments which well soon discuss in this article. Promoting their product or service with UFC fighters are typically nutrition, crypto, clothing, sports equipment, gyms, coaches, drink, and food companies. The contract allocates: That said, most fighters wont receive such a payday. PPV points are usually reserved for champions and popular fighters. Lastly, I wanted to clear up any information about contracts related to The Ultimate Fighter show. (2021 Earnings), What Is the UFC Apex? For example, in the Johnson fight, Nate Diaz had a $20,000 win bonus, so his actual base salary was $40,000. When that happens, this fine will usually go to the other fighter. UFC fighters receive a 'Show' bonus and a 'Win' bonus, and each of the two bonuses are typically the same amount. Do UFC fighters get paid a salary? However, after Diaz choked out McGregor and became a superstar, he renegotiated his salary. Usually, the more popular the fighter, the higher it is. Discretionary bonuses, or locker room bonuses, are extra payments on top of UFC bonuses such as Fight of the Night and are between $4,000 to $25,000 each fight, while the average was $5,000 in 2020. 1,108. For example, a fighters base payment may be $25,000 to show, and $25,000 to win, meaning theyll earn $50,000 if they win and $25,000 if they lose. The UFC mostly pays their athletes through contracts. They typically get paid from $80,000 to $250,000 per fight. Fighters whove been vocal about their displeasure with anything the UFC has done have seen their discretionary bonuses cut substantially or completely. $7,135,000 for Michael Bisping. How much do fighters get paid for a match? Brendan Schaub was one of the most vocal UFC fighters against the Reebok deal, claiming he was making upwards of $100,000 per fight with outside sponsors and after the Reebok deal he was earning $10,000. How do the contracts work? How, then, are UFC fighters paid? According to Tapology, Nate Diaz got a $20,000 base salary in his fight against Michael Johnson. For example, take Justine Kishs alleged prize after soiling herself in the Octagon. While $160,000 is the average, this is brought up a lot by the biggest 11 earners, who are far ahead of the pack and earned between $932,000 and $8 million in 2021 (without PPV). You can find a complete record of UFC bonus winners on their official website here. If you add in sponsorship cuts and, assuming the fighter qualifies for it, pay-per-view points, that figure changes. Despite making $180,000 in each of his last WSOF fights, Marlon only made $140,000 in his first UFC win. . The three tiers are low, medium, and high, with the lowest earning between $10,000 and $30,000, and the highest tier raking in between $500,000 and $3,000,000 per fight. Of course, renegotiations can happen even for fighters who havent completed their contract. As long as the fighter shows up to the fight and makes the appropriate weight, the fighter will at minimum will receive their show bonus, ensuring that they will still get paid even if they lose.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'martialartsinsider_com-box-4','ezslot_1',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-martialartsinsider_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'martialartsinsider_com-box-4','ezslot_2',106,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-martialartsinsider_com-box-4-0_1');.box-4-multi-106{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. Using the above numbers, for the UFCs highest selling PPV event, UFC 229, there were 2.4m buys, which means Conor McGregor earned $5.1 million in PPV points (200k + 400k + 4.5m = 5.1m). However, the average UFC fighter earns $56,804 a year according to BloodyElbow.com, meaning the average fighter is paid about $28,402 per fight, assuming they fight twice a year. However, the two would continue to banter, this time about business and their fight numbers.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'martialartsinsider_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_9',114,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-martialartsinsider_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); You should think about this because you may need a job in a little bit once you spend all that money. There are also various smaller ways UFC fighters are paid, and these are: These payments are mostly undisclosed and the total amounts arent known, but they definitely add up and contribute. At the lowest level of competition, UFC fighters are often paid 10k/10k, thats show and win money. This usually occurs when the UFC has a rising prospect, who they cant risk losing to another promotion. To make up for that, Reebok pays the UFC, which in turn pays each fighter an amount based on how many fights theyve had in the UFC. Pettis earned $155k to show, while Holm and Cerrone each earned $200k. Formerly, bonuses were paid via Submission of the Night and Knockout of the Night, but these were discontinued in 2014. Ok, so we get why the fighters arent paid on salary. The average annual family income in the United States is roughly $25,000, while 19% of the UFC roster earned less (116 fighters to be precise). This simply means that rather than the fighter receiving their money all at once after the fight, they can receive the money split up over time. This is why youll see a lot of fighters agree to fight an opponent who missed weight. If youve been a UFC fan for a while you may have noticed fighters talking about the pay in their contract, negotiating their contract, or other things like that. However, the outside promotion will have to pay a hefty fee to the UFC for breaching the contract. Sumo wrestlers get paid anywhere between 1.1 to 3 million ($9,500 to $24,500) a month if they are ranked. From 2014-2021, the UFC famously partnered with Reebok as their official clothing sponsor. However, his UFC contract resulted in a pay decrease! This can either be an online or physical business. Yes, and no. RELATED: Jorge Masvidal Has a Lot of Questions About the Ethics of How UFC Pays Its Fighters. His last matchup was against Calvin Kattar, and he will fight Yair Rodriguez next. Unfortunately, he will have to fight out his contract to fight with another promotion. What's Up With The MMA Media Bashing Dana White? Each UFC fighter is considered an independent contractor, and they're free to negotiate with the UFC on the base pay. How much do beginner UFC fighters make? The second years pay is $16k and $16k bonus, and the last years pay is $22k to show with a $22k win bonus. Martialartsinsider.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC AssociatesProgram, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a meansfor us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Junior dos Santos has a net worth of $7,110,000. The UFC, the number one MMA league, is the most popular combat competition in the world. What Are the Job Responsibilities of MMA Agents? Askar Askarov (right) was signed to the UFC with a common entry-level contract: $10k to show, with a $10k win bonus. Firefighters Earning in 2021. Thats $90,000 to show up, and another $90,000 if he won. If a fighter agrees to fight against the fighter who missed weight, theyll receive 15 or 20% of the 30% docked purse, while the commission sanctioning the event will receive 10 or 15% (depending on the commission). Diaz choked out McGregor and became a superstar, theyre mostly reserved for the most popular fighters, Conor McGregor gets about $25,000,000 a year, Jorge Masvidal Has a Lot of Questions About the Ethics of How UFC Pays Its Fighters. Highest-paid UFC fighters While $160,000 is the average, this is brought up a lot by the biggest 11 earners, who are far ahead of the pack and earned between $932,000 and $8 million in 2021 (without PPV). According to Frenemies on Maori Television, there are backroom bonuses, which is money the UFC pays the fighters behind closed doors. In the UFCs eyes, having lower-tier fighters on base pay and win bonus pushes the fighter to win the fight and double their money, therefore creating more entertaining fights. Winners on The Ultimate Fighter, such as Colton Smith from TUF 16, earn a six-figure contract with the UFC. This is averaged across all fighters, so the likes of Conor McGregor skew this significantly. Even during the pandemic, UFC 251 was reported to do 1.3 million pay-per-view buys. That means that a fighter has the potential to double their fight . Champions and fan favourites can earn more than $500,000 per fight. When it comes to pay, UFC fighters have a different experience than other athletes. According to MMA Junkie, if your opponent misses weight, then theyll be fined a portion of their salary. The UFC makes sure the contract has the best clauses for the company by leveraging its position as the biggest MMA promotion in the world. Bigger names can earn upwards of $100,000 by featuring on the main card and even $500,000 or higher on the main event. White gave a more structured answer to the New York Post. The fight generated 4.3 million PPV buys, smashing the UFCs record of 1.6 million PPV buys for UFC 202 in 2016, Diaz vs McGregor 2. According to Tapology, Nate Diaz got a $20,000 base salary in his fight against Michael Johnson. With stars like McGregor gaining so much wealth, UFC fighters have the chance to earn millions. But why arent fighters paid on a salary basis? Mid-tier UFC guys can make 25k-50k per fight on average. PPV points have been affecting UFC fighter pay for a long time, massively changing the salaries given to the athletes. Secondly, What is the lowest paid UFC fighter? The first years fights are worth $12k show plus $12k win bonus. UFC on Fox 7 Paid a flat fee of $15,000 win or lose. With the UFC continuing its surge into the stratosphere while taking MMA to heights comparable with the worlds biggest sports, are you wondering how much UFC fighters are paid and whether its in line with the UFCs revenue-breaking numbers year on year? After Conor McGregor beat Diego Brandao at UFC Dublin, he was given a new contract in recognition of his ability and future potential as a star. For example, this was the case for Russian flyweight Askar Askarov at UFC 246. However, before going pro, a fighter has to prove his worth on the amateur circuit and attract the . How Much Do UFC Fighters Get Paid? Four people get awarded a bonus, and each bonus pays $50,000. Each fighter signs a contract for a certain amount of fights, and they are paid a fixed amount of money each time they step inside the Octagon. However, there are amateur MMA competitions paying out a percentage of ticket sales depending on how many the fighter sells; likely to be between $100-200 per event. Askarov faced UFC veteran Tim Elliott, in what was his second fight with the UFC. The UFC is less public about the discretionary bonuses it pays certain fighters. Much like how UFC ring girls make most of their money from their online endorsements, the amount they earn is based on the number of followers they have. For polled fighters who were featured in the main event or featured in marketing on a pay-per-view, which represent approximately 10% of all fights in the UFC, the mean average $511,760 and the . Full accidental health insurance to cover training or fight-related injuries up to $50,000 per year. So a first-time UFC fighter who wins his or her debut will make at least $24,000 for that fight. This is the majority of UFC contracts, while some higher-tier fighters earn a flat fee regardless of whether they win or lose, depending on the contract negotiations before each fight. At the end of the day, the UFC only makes money until the fighters show up to fight. Despite being 2-2 in his last four at the time, Masvidal beat Darren Till and Ben Askren in impressive fashion, raising his stock as a fighter. Like any sport, however, not every contract is worth the same. As many of you know, the entire premise of the show revolves around the fighters earning their chance at what the show calls a six-figure contract. The vast majority of boxers aren't good enough to be even a club fighter. As can be seen, the general structure is to pay a fighter the same amount for 3 fights before a new contract is signed or theres a negotiation for the upcoming fight. Fighters who establish themselves in the division can expect to gain upward of $80,000. How much do amateur UFC fighters get paid? In this article, I'll focus on the earnings . This is easier to do and more can be made if the amateur has a large online following and more tickets can be sold. Each UFC fighter is considered an independent contractor, and theyre free to negotiate with the UFC on the base pay. However, Singers report during the class action lawsuit found PPV points are given to champions and sometimes to former champions, and arent generally given to challengers. It makes more sense for the UFC to pay a flat fee of $300,000, rather than offering a $200,000 base and $200,000 win because high-tier fighters are normally the best and most dominant fighters who mostly win. But then, how do the contracts actually work? Like any sport, however, not every contract is worth the same. You get a paycheck six years down the line for the Aldo fight because the numbers aren't great, rightfully so. Fighters receive 10% per the merchandise rights agreement of their contract for all merchandise sales involving a particular fighters name. Theyll also receive fight week incentive pay, likely between $4,000 to $6,000 if they have under 10 UFC fights. Is it Possible to Learn Boxing On Your Own? In 2018, 187 fighters in UFC earned six-figure salaries - 37% of UFC fighters earned less than $45,000 that year, which was less than the average US household income at the time. Two dollars ($2.00) for each pay-per-view buy between 400,000 and 600,000 buys. Documents showed that Alverezs contract provided a bonus directly attached to PPV ticket sales. (Fully Explained), 18 Best UFC Trash Talkers Of All Time (2022 Ranked! Theyre payments made to fighters who delivered on the card at Dana Whites discretion, which is why you often see fighters approaching Dana after fights to get in his good books. The next way fighters are paid is via UFC bonuses. UFC 202 Paid a flat fee of $2,000,000 win or lose. While Reebok remains their official footwear partner, the UFC now works with Venum as their official apparel partner. Using the UFC as a stepping stone to build a huge online following is the best way to then sell a product or service to this following and earn a large amount of money outside of the UFC. It largely depends on the contract theyve signed with the UFC and many other factors. The median income for UFC fighters in 2018 was $68,000, while the average was $138,250. UFC Champions and fighters with the biggest fan bases receive the best type of contract, the highest Tier: ranging from $500,000 to $3,000,000 per fight. This is very low compared to the NFL, NBA, and NHL, whose players receive roughly 50% of total revenues, and one of the UFC's biggest competitors, Bellator, pays roughly 44%. Pay-per-view points are not included in the . MMA referees at the entry level get $250 per match (about $14,500 annually). Some UFC contracts are different based upon the fighter, in which some get paid a show fee, and a win fee.. while some are only paid a show fee, and no win fee even if they won. An average Muay Thai fighter in Thailand makes between 10,000 and 15,000 baht per fight. Firefighters in the United States will earn an average hourly wage of $21.36 in 2021. When a fighter signs with the UFC, there is a negotiation for their initial contract, based on their ability, performance outside the UFC, and how popular they are. In the contract articles that discuss pay, the UFC will also specify whether the fighter will receive a win bonus for their fight, and if they will be receiving pay-per-view points, adding to their potential earnings. This is on top of his $3 million flat fee base pay, bringing his total to $8.1m. In the Pettis fight, though, Diaz didnt have a win bonus in his contract, so he just got $250,000 for fighting. It would also be very difficult to enforce any contract stipulations if the fighters were to get paid on salary. And I havent even mentioned the fact that Marlon lost his first fight, for which he was only paid 70k. Heres how it works: The UFC wants a longer contract, because they can keep a fighter for a longer period of time, under the same conditions. All UFC fighters are eligible for performance bonuses and fight of the night bonuses, if they or their fight was picked as so, during an event. Joe Lauzon to the [] Not long ago, UFC lightweight Paul Felder launched a GoFundMe camaign to help cover the costs of flying his coaches to Brazil, where he'll fight Francisco "Massaranduba" Trinaldo later this month. Its impossible to rank every UFC fighters income through sponsorships; the majority of deals arent public knowledge. UFC 196 Paid a flat fee of $500,000 win or lose. In the article, you can see the many clauses that the UFC includes in their contracts. Fighters know what they'll be paid upfront, and receive a set amount of money for showing up to the match. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Events regularly garner millions of pay-per-view. Female UFC fighters earned only 41% of the amount that male MMA fighters did in 2020. One US dollar equals roughly 30 baht so that's between $300-450 per fight. So it only makes sense that the fighters actually get paid when they do show up. The combined haul falls just a few million short of the $1.06 billion record set in 2018, the 12-month window in which boxer Floyd Mayweather earned $285 million, almost all of it from his 2017 pay-per-view . Twelve. Amateur MMA fighters often fight for free as theyre looking to gain experience until theyre good enough to become professional by signing for an MMA promotion. Combat Museum says a UFC referee can make about $500 for refereeing a single fight. When a fighter gets PPV points, it just means a small percentage of the money that audiences pay for a UFC pay-per-view fight will go to the fighter. Do UFC fighters get paid per round. These include deals organized by the UFC itself and individual sponsorships. According to the MMAGuru, the average pay for UFC fighter in 2020 is $155,000. For example, if they fight and lose, theyll earn $10,000, but if they win theyll earn $20,000. Fighters just entering the UFC stand to make between $10,000 and $30,000 per fight. So, how much do UFC fighters get paid? Generally, he states, fighters receive a check that ranges from $4,000-$25,000 if they delivered. While more specific than Fertitas explanation, White hardly gives a concrete answer to how he pays bonuses. Growing an online presence, fighting three or more times a year, winning UFC bonuses, and increasing the total amount of UFC fights massively increase a fighters earnings. On the other hand, lower and middle-tier fighters earn the same for at least 3 fights and dont have the ability to negotiate pay before each fight, unless the UFC initiate a renegotiation and offers them a flat fee. The average of all the UFC fighters collectively was $138,250. Payment to fighters works nearly identically under either deal. While their hourly pay ranges from $32.21 to $11.06, most Firefighters' salaries recently range from $16.59 (25%) - $26.20 (75%) all across the United States, according to a source. While you might think that only the winner would be paid, both fight . Because of this, fighters cant rely on long-term stability in the sport. So, overall, a UFC fighter earns a minimum of $14,000 if they lose, and a minimum of $24,000 if they win. However, if Conor McGregor is an example to go by, deals can come with quite a hefty payday. And where does the contract model come from? Per ESPN, heres what fighters made from the Reebok deal and currently make from the Venum deal: For the sports best-known fighters, individual ventures prove incredibly lucrative. Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device, ensuring that they will still get paid even if they lose, A fighter may not be able to control their spending habits, and is trying to avoid spending all of their money at once, A fighter would rather have their money be spread out to resemble a 'normal salary', A fighter may want to spread their earnings over several years to better deal with taxes (not needing to pay one large amount upfront). If the lowest amount of money a newly signed UFC fighter can earn is $2000 with a $2000 victory bonus, that's already a good $4000. So, how else do fighters earn on top of their base payment? Theyll also lose bonuses they wouldve won, such as for Fight of the Night. Elias Theodorou was released from his UFC contract after a single loss, despite having won his previous two, a decision likely due to his lackluster fighting style. However, its impossible to know what the average endorsement deal pays because of this. The fighter will usually accept even under less than optimal conditions, simply due to the UFCs size and reputation. These figures include the fighters base pay, win bonuses, UFC bonuses, and fight week incentive pay (Venum pay). This charge and the heightened views PPVs get, generate the UFC the most revenue. So as already mentioned, UFC fighters on not paid a salary, but are instead paid a lump sum per fight. All You Need To Know, Top 15 UFC Commentators of All Time You Need To Know, The Ultimate Guide to Muay Thai Elbow Strikes, One dollar ($1.00) for each pay-per-view buy between 200,000 and 400,000 buys. How do UFC contracts work? Basically, any fight where a fighter feels their stock has risen and they are deserving of higher pay, contract discussion comes up. For those of you keeping score at home, thats a $40,000 pay cut! This is why you have fighters hyping fights by trash-talking, trying to get more fans interested in buying the PPV, and ultimately getting themselves a PPV cut, or a higher PPV percentage. The lowest-paid UFC fighters earn between $10,000 to $30,000 as show money which they can double if they win. There were 17 champions in 2021, which includes interim and undisputed champions. Its just that the higher-tier fighters have more leverage when it comes to all of the above. This development stirred up debates about fighter pay, and raised many questions as to what expenses the UFC actually covers for its fighters. For these negotiations to be in the fighters favor, they must have had an impressive run on their previous contract. On the other hand, theyre not usually given to fighters who won $50,000 bonuses as the UFC also considers of the night bonuses as discretionary bonuses, and wants to keep payments shared. Finally, fighters can capitalize on endorsements through the UFC themselves or their own brand deals. These are all the ways UFC fighters are paid directly by the UFC for fighting. How Many Times a Year Do Professional Boxers Fight? I get it in a chunk. One fighter can earn all the bonuses on offer, and earn over $100,000 extra. A dispute between the two organizations ended up in a disclosure of his UFC contract. Prior to signing with the UFC, Eddie Alvarez was a Bellator champion. Tier One fighters are paid between $10,000-$30,000 per fight. In 2022, who are the top ten highest-paid UFC and MMA fighters? Why Do Fighters Put Vaseline On Their Face? Forbes lists Conor McGregor as the worlds highest-paid athlete. Finally, well explain how brand deals impact fighter salary. For a short answer, how much do UFC fighters get paid? UFC Fighters Receive a Low Revenue Percentage Payout. UFC fighters are only paid after they have actually fought.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'martialartsinsider_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_6',105,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-martialartsinsider_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Fighters will receive a 'Show' bonus and a 'Win' bonus, and each of the two bonuses are typically the same amount. Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection. According to UFC expert Dr. Roger Blair, most UFC contracts last no more than one year and eight months. They get paid by the fight, after they have paid gym expenses, managers, promoters, sparring partners, fees, and trainers. Each fan gets three votes, with $30,000 going to the winner, $20,000 to the runner-up, and $10,000 to third place. The UFC will agree to pay a fighter X amount of dollars per fight, for 40 months and/or until the fighter fights out the number of fights in their entire contract. When he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor had a base salary of $3,000,000 and $40,000 from the Reebok sponsorship. UFC on Fox 5 Paid a flat fee of $50,000 win or lose. Lets take a look at a few intricacies of how the UFC pays fighters within those contracts. Do UFC fighters get a base salary The NFL's in 2021 was just over $11 billion, or 11 times as much. And, of course, the more popular the fighter, the more endorsement money theyll make. Endorsements are lucrative for UFC fighters, but theyre mostly reserved for the most popular fighters. The business also sells merchandise: hats, t-shirts, hoodies, and jackets which help boost sales. It also means only one fighter takes their full earnings, so overall the UFC is paying out less than if they were to pay everyone a flat fee. There are two categories of bonuses, and well take a look at both. The average earnings of UFC fighters in 2021 were roughly $150,000, which is earned through an average of 3 fights per year, making the average earnings $50,000 per fight. But what exactly does that mean? It also shows how once Diaz became a high-tier fighter, he could negotiate before each fight, whereas lower-tier fighters are kept on the same payment for at least 3 fights before new negotiations. UFC FN:15 TUF 9 Finale (3 fights) Paid $20,000 to show and $15,000 to win. I meant to discuss the fact that a fighters contract specifies a certain number of fights, and the amount to be paid for those fights. This payment is determined by a number of factors, which are: When signing a UFC contract, fighters usually sign for a minimum of 3 fights, but the contract can range from 1-8. The UFC partners with clothing brands to sponsor uniforms and supply fighters with extra wealth. But, the UFC is the biggest MMA organization, so refs who work UFC events get paid the most. Typical contracts with the UFC will be for about six fights long. UFC 263 Paid a flat fee of $250,000 win or lose. The average UFC fighter earned $147,965 in 2020, up from $146,673 in 2019. Not to be confused with win bonuses, performance bonuses are awarded after a fight card ends. For their fight, Askarov was paid $20,000, which includes a $10,000 win bonus. Because of this, its unknown what that number looks like and likely varies from fighter to fighter. The average wage for a firefighter varied . That's not bad, considering it was done during a pandemic without fans. Heres a breakdown of the many ways male and female UFC fighters make money. The expected lifetime earning for the MMA fighters is $1,419,432. @BloodyElbow. Thus, the fighter accepted less optimal conditions for their three-fight contract, but holds the majority of negotiating power at the end of it, and can now get a contract with much better pay. This isnt concrete as there arent UFC contract guidelines, but it appears to be general UFC practice and negotiation. Also bring back the 10 minute first round, shows who the better fighter is cleaner5 minute breaks is BS and stops the flow of the fight. Companies that want to form a long-term relationship with a UFC fighter will have them sign a contract, where theyre paid a certain amount for a certain amount of endorsements or length of time, rather than a one-off thing. According to Bleacher Report, this made Reebok the exclusive sponsor for UFC fighters during fight night. If the competitor appears for the fight they will be paid a base rate salary. He was born on 4th March 1985, in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The UFC won't have fans in the stands in Brasilia or Las Vegas, but the competition will go on and more importantly to the fighters, they'll get paid in a sport that usually provides no. The fighters with 16-20 UFC appearances will get $16 000 instead of $15 000, while those with 11-15 appearances get $11 000 instead of $10 000. TUF 18 Finale UFC on Fox 17 (3 fights) 1 fight paid $15,000 to show and $15,000 to win, 2 fights paid $20,000 to show and $20,000 to win. Fighters are also eligible for UFC bonuses that can be awarded at the end of the night, if the fighter has an outstanding performance. Reports from several sources with knowledge of the contract have confirmed that about $9 - $10 million dollars is the cost of renewing the contract annually. Base pay also includes a win bonus, which usually only applies to fighters who dont have a high base pay. There are 3 different bonuses a fighter can earn every time they fight, and these are: Performance of the Night: $50,000 each paid to two individual fighters who put on the best performance of the night (can be separate fights). Fight of the Night: $50,000 each paid to the two fighters who put on the best fight of the entire card (1 fight only). MMA is now more popular than ever and is getting more attention than boxing.. Most UFC fighters will not make millions of dollars per year. As an example, heres how Nate Diazs earnings have changed throughout his career: UFC FN: 11 13 (3 fights) Paid $15,000 to show and $15,000 to win. ), Dana White Blackjack Gambling (His Part-Time Job), $1 for every PPV sold between 200,000 and 400,000, $2 for every PPV sold between 400,000 and 600,000. The last way UFC fighters are paid is via fight week incentive pay. For his first two fights, Marlon was paid just 70k/70k! George St-Pierre has a net worth of $7,037,000. Here are the UFC featherweight rankings for 2022: 5. 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