UFC Flat Salaries + Bonus 2011 - 36 Fighters totaled > $200k

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2011 UFC Flat salaries plus bonus totals per fighter for those interested

1 Tito Ortiz* $1,495,000
2 Michael Bisping* $850,000
3 Jon Jones* $785,000
4 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira* $750,000
5 Vitor Belfort* $620,000
6 Lyoto Machida* $604,000
7 Frank Mir* $575,000
7 Rampage Jackson* $575,000
9 Mauricio Rua* $565,000
10 Donald Cerrone $494,000
11 Junior dos Santos $485,000
12 Rashad Evans* $480,000
13 Anderson Silva* $475,000
14 Wanderlei Silva $470,000
15 Cung Le $420,000
16 Brock Lesnar $400,000
17 Forrest Griffin* $400,000
18 Georges St-Pierre* $400,000
19 Alistair Overeem $385,714
20 B.J. Penn* $375,000
21 Nate Diaz* $364,000
22 Frankie Edgar* $339,000
23 Cheick Kongo* $330,000
24 Dan Henderson $320,000
25 Chris Lytle* $310,000
26 Urijah Faber* $305,000
27 Clay Guida $301,000
28 Nick Diaz $275,000
29 Johny Hendricks* $270,000
30 Diego Sanchez $260,000
31 Randy Couture* $250,000
32 Martin Kampmann* $247,000
33 Jose Aldo* $225,000
34 Gleison Tibau* $224,000
35 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira* $210,000
36 Ross Pearson* $200,000

Interesting that 10 out of the top 14 were LHW.

Full List here

http://www.mma-manifesto.com/ufc-fighter-salary-database/salary-main/2011-year-in-review-ufc-fighter-salaries.html

UFC 100 on its own turned over 1.6 million buys at $45 plus a $5 Million gate in Vegas = $77 Mill !!

Total fighter flat salaries and bonuses for 2011 = approx $40 Million

On paper UFC 100 alone could have covered every salary and bonus for 2011.

Bottom line.. IMO it seems they could pay fighters an awful lot more and attract more people into the sport.

Reckon first time UFC try outs should be getting 15/20k for turning up and risking torn ACLs and broken legs especially after putting in the work pre-UFC to get that far... they should be rewarded well for getting that far as they may not proceed any further if they lose so it would really push guys to aim for that level when they know they're gona get a decent pay day form day 1 in the UFC... considering their costs, risks, expenses, trainer/camp cuts etc..

Debates been going on for years but when you really see the sheer figures and you see that the UFC prob turned over upwards of $200-300 Million in 2011 then you see they're paying pennies and making serious bank off the backs of a lot of mid/low tier poorly paid high risking fighters who broke their hole coming up to that level. Sure they paid the top 15 guys serious cash but not the rest who fight just as hard and usually more often on cards. Night Bonuses are just a sugar coated topping on a cheap ass Organisation IMO.

El Guapo!

I don't get it. What's the obsession with fighter pay??
The UFC is a private company. They're in it to make money and they are doing that very well. They pay their fighters what they feel is appropriate and the fighters have been accepting that pay. Fans complain more about the salaries than the fighters do. It's crazy!
It's also well publicised that they pay undisclosed bonuses all the time too. And plenty of fighters have said the UFC treats them very well. They recently brought out the insurance for the fighters which was a major step and no other big organisation does that.
If the pay was that bad then surely the fighters would be the ones up in arms about it.
And yeah there's a big gap between the pay of fighters on a lower scale compared to the big guns, but that's the same in every sport. All fighters are aware of this when they sign up so it's obviously not that big a deal. If the top guys are earning crazy money then that's an inventive for the lower guys to work hard and try become the best. It gives them something to aim at.
At the end of the day, people know what the pay is like when they get into the sport. They generally do it for the love of the sport. If they don't like the pay then they can always do something else.
Yeah it's interesting to know what the salaries are and I like when they're released, but I wish people would stop complaining about it.

adamski8

Plus fighters sell their own the shirts, shorts etc. Receive money from sponsors, some have their own gyms, do workshop, can make workout dvds etc etc.

Also ufc has a lot more expenses that just fighters salaries. They have other staff, renting areas etc etc. Very strange that some fans but very few fighters have a problem with this issue.

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I see your logic but it's your opinion man... there's a counter to everything you say that goes something like: You don't complain about the company that's paying you or may pay you in future certainly when you're not a top fighter or ever will be which is 95% of all UFC fighters ever on their books. Also the interest 'some' have in the salary situation derives from watching the only other big combat sport - Boxing and how much boxers were paid through the years i.e. 10/15/20 Million for one single fight where the boxer had all the chips in the bargaining process and the promoter/cable network etc had absolutely no swing with the fighters - if they wanted the fight? they paid the price... millions upon millions and they still made a huge profit eventually.

In the UFC situation in the context of the very recent big-time growth of televised MMA ppv success Dana has ALL the chips and him and the Fertitas make all the cash and pay a tiny amount to MOST fighters who make up the MAJORITY of the 20-30 cards annually and in that context yes they are cheap bastards and the fighters , it would blatantly seem, deserve more money, especially the >80% of guys who will never make the serious bucks and yet fill the cards month in month out. I agree MMA in almost every situation bar the top 10 promotions in the world is just not an earner and that most fighters on those cards in the few hundred MMA nights in the world every year are certainly not in it for the money BUT the end goal for those many many fighters who honestly believe they can reach UFC card level, if not necessarily be champion material, is to fight at UFC level and be well paid for it as they are directly making an organisation and 3 particular individuals many tens of millions of dollars every year off the backs of poorly paid low tier UFC fighters who as I say make up most of the cards all year round... so there really is logic both ways mate.

and I have also seen fighter quotes where theyre saying they were well treated and had their sons operations taken care of and this and that... but funny how that's very usually in the case where that particular fighter has made them freakin millions over the years like Forest Griffin, Bonnar and other non-championship material sluggers who entertain us and are well paid for it.

El Guapo!

The difference between boxing and mma is the mma guys actually work for the organisation. The UFC is their employer and they get paid a salary from that employer. With boxing, they are not employed by the promoter. The promoter will try to get them on their fight card and to do so they'll have to negotiate pay, therefore if the boxer in question is a big draw, they'll have the bargaining power and will be able to command a higher purse.
When the mma guys sign a contract with the UFC, it states what their pay will be for the each fight. It's at this stage that the fighter and their management will have the opportunity to negotiate the contract and try to get a better deal. The contract will only be signed when all parties are happy with the final draft.
Therefore you have to assume the fighters are happy with the contract at the time of signing, and they realise that if they perform well and are offered another contract they will then be in a good position to renegotiate the terms and pay, moving them up the scale.
I just don't get why some fans get so irate about it though. The fighters are happy, the UFC is happy, and together they put on a show which people are happy to pay for. It's win win. If there are any disputes over pay, then that's their business and you can be sure they'll be quick enough to speak up for themselves.

Mr. CooL ICE

Be like Nutella wrote: »

I see your logic but it's your opinion man... there's a counter to everything you say that goes something like: You don't complain about the company that's paying you or may pay you in future certainly when you're not a top fighter or ever will be which is 95% of all UFC fighters ever on their books. Also the interest 'some' have in the salary situation derives from watching the only other big combat sport - Boxing and how much boxers were paid through the years i.e. 10/15/20 Million for one single fight where the boxer had all the chips in the bargaining process and the promoter/cable network etc had absolutely no swing with the fighters - if they wanted the fight? they paid the price... millions upon millions and they still made a huge profit eventually.

If you are gonna compare UFC to boxing, then you may as well compare the salary of unknown fighters on the undercards instead of just the main card fighters, along with the number of fights at any given event.

I can't find a source right now, but I recall reading that boxers on the undercard of championship bouts receiving as little as $500. Compare that to the lowest paid fighters of recent events who get around $6000

Be like Nutella wrote: »

and I have also seen fighter quotes where theyre saying they were well treated and had their sons operations taken care of and this and that... but funny how that's very usually in the case where that particular fighter has made them freakin millions over the years like Forest Griffin, Bonnar and other non-championship material sluggers who entertain us and are well paid for it.

How about quoting somebody who went 1-2 and got cut? Sean McCorkle doesn't seem to mind:

"During my three fight stint with the UFC [they] paid me exactly 150% what they were contractually obligated to pay me," McCorkle revealed. "That is without a KO/Sub/Fight of the night bonus of any kind. That is even though I lost two of my three fights."

"Now I realize I'm going to get hit with 'you're just kissing the UFC's ass because you want back in,' and that's fine," he said. "Because if I said negative things about them, it'd be 'you're just mad that they cut you, so you're trying to settle the score.' I lose either way, so I might as well be honest."

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Dean09 wrote: »

Therefore you have to assume the fighters are happy with the contract at the time of signing

nope... don't agree

Professey Chin

Be like Nutella wrote: »

nope... don't agree

Why?

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LordChessington wrote: »

How about quoting somebody who went 1-2 and got cut? Sean McCorkle doesn't seem to mind:

dude - he was 9-0 with 7 first round finishes that included Mark Hunt- he was a valuable commodity... not to treat him well was bad business.

I reckon they're not sharing enough of the pie is all. 6k to get in and have a leg broken by a fellow UFC level fighter who took 7 years of training and the cost and time of fighting grass roots promotions while probably working as well doesn't make sense when the company is turning over hundreds of millions. IMO and I'm sure there's many who'll disagree for various reasons the UFC needs to be paying 15/25k to a new fish first fight.. and I'm not sure I'd buy the 'most don't do it for the money' stuff really either... some Irish lads are coming up training full time and earning little cash with hopes and dreams of bigger promotions down the line.. I'd say they'd have somethin to say about money not being very important... and if it's bad for men it's worse for the girls.. there's high profile female fighters out there who would be rich if they were men but who have to do a few hours here and there when they could be training... anyway... yee disagree that's cool.. I just look at the figures and think - cheap ass Fertittas! (who are worth $1.3 Bn each)

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The Great Chinholio wrote: »

Why?

coz it's their only chance... they'd do it for free. That don't mean it's right though. I'm saying what 'I' think they should be paying out... not what an average first fight UFC new fish is willing to accept - because the average first fight new fish is NEVER EVER GOING TO a)win many fights and b)earn any serious money from it... ever let alone challenge for a belt ever... so I'm saying don't cheap out on them - they MAKE your cards... they fill your cards and fill those ppv hours up... they're the core of your business... your marketing creates the interest in the sport/the spectacle... and your card fillers do most of the work.. and you cheap out on them? doesn't seem fair.... to me

Mr. CooL ICE

Be like Nutella wrote: »

I'm saying what 'I' think they should be paying out... not what an average first fight UFC new fish is willing to accept

Well I wish I was being paid more in my job. However, I'm not valued at anything more than what my current salary, so why should my company pay me more?

Be like Nutella wrote: »

so I'm saying don't cheap out on them - they MAKE your cards... they fill your cards and fill those ppv hours up... they're the core of your business... your marketing creates the interest in the sport/the spectacle... and your card fillers do most of the work.. and you cheap out on them? doesn't seem fair.... to me

Even at $6k for their first fights, the new guys on the undercard aren't making any money for the UFC because nobody really is going to be tuning in to see them specifically (except the likes of Wonderboy, etc). UFC will make their money from the fighters that draw in fans; GSP, Silva, Sonnen, et all. The undercard fighters are literally just fillers, and at $6k min a fight, are paid more than they should be entitled to.

El Guapo!

You say the UFC should be paying $15-20k for a debut fighter?? That's crazy money to pay them.
Look at it this way. Most would start off on $6k to show plus another $6k to win. That's 12grand if they win. Plus if they put in a good performance there's always the chance of an "Of the night" bonus and maybe even an undisclosed bonus. That's decent money in my opinion. Alright you're not gonna buy a new gaf from it but it's a decent wage, an a hell of a lot more than boxers get on their debut.
And to say that the fighters ARE getting into it for the money is a mistake too. Yes of course they all will have dreams of making it to the top and earning a fortune, but they know what it's like starting out and they know they have to perform and work hard to get there. They're under no illusions of making millions in their first few fights.
Also, you could bet your house on it that the UFC are the best paying in the business. That's where the good money is and the fighters know that.

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LordChessington wrote: »

Well I wish I was being paid more in my job. However, I'm not valued at anything more than what my current salary, so why should my company pay me more?


Even at $6k for their first fights, the new guys on the undercard aren't making any money for the UFC because nobody really is going to be tuning in to see them specifically (except the likes of Wonderboy, etc). UFC will make their money from the fighters that draw in fans; GSP, Silva, Sonnen, et all. The undercard fighters are literally just fillers, and at $6k min a fight, are paid more than they should be entitled to.

If you think that your employer is the best judge on how much you are worth that's unfortunate for you... I remember going for a project job once in a company and being offered X and because I knew I was worth Y i asked for Y and got twice what X was and they were more than happy to pay it in the end because they had a budget and was in a dept managers interest to come in as low as possible which had absolutely nothing to do with what I was worth or my value so I don't get your point there.

I know of course the big fights make the PPV numbers I'm not stupid I'm pointing out that all those other 'cheap' fights are what fill the cards both for the actual seated audience who pay big money in (UFC get 3m/4m gates nowadays) and for those that watch undercards or first couple fights on main card which are usually a moderate step up... the actual value of those fights and therefore fighters is massive.. and in fact it's been those fights who have saved cards more times than we can count in the last couple years where there's been at least a dozen poor UFCs and at least 5 or 6 awful UFC's that were saved because of some war between lower card guys (who hopefully got their bonus). My opinion is simply that the company has all the bargaining chips and therefore arbitrarily awards the 6k's or the 8k's to first time fighters based on the fact those guys can't bargain and won't bargain and the fact that the organisation makes hundreds of million directly off those guys who make up the majority of ring time in any given year makes that company a cheap ass company in my view... that's all... I said this post was for those interested... not for those interested in griping at those interested : ) but you have your view I have mine.. the bottom hundred guys on that list who fought in 2011 should have been paid more... Joe Silva picked em and decided they were 'worth' 6k/7k and sent them on their way.. the fact is that the difference between paying them 6k or 15k is nothing to the UFC relatively speaking to annual turnover and profit margin but it IS a huge amount to the guys fighting.

I'd say the measly 3-5 Million annually it would cost to bump up first timer salaries to 15-20k would pay for itself in PR, would give the company a better image and would create further interest/competition in reaching UFC level i.e. push even more fighters currently winning at grass roots level to step up and go full time training etc..