HOw do the UFC work out how much they will pay their fighters...?

[Da muss]

I was just looking at some of the pay-packets on here http://www.mmahq.com/blog/2011/01/04/ufc-125-payoffs-and-layoffs/ and started wondering how the UFC decided what they would pay their fighters.

Does anyone know if there is any definite criteria for how much people will get paid?

Is it amount of time they have been with the UFC? Or how much "pulling power" they have ? Or their win / loss rate ? Or down to good "manager/Agent negotiations?"

Cheers

DM

[dunny]

they use a system a bit like the wheel of fortune, they just spin for it. thats why you dont see john leslie on the telly anymore, he works in the ufc wages dept

[Zanmato]

they use a system a bit like the wheel of fortune, they just spin for it. thats why you dont see john leslie on the telly anymore, he works in the ufc wages dept

haha

i don't think there'll be any tiered system worked out, like if you come in with this many fights and this many wins, you'll get this much... your reputation/name recognition, big fight experience, entertainment value, eventually your win loss ratio/title contention position in the ufc and your manager/agent's bargaining abilities will all go into deciding

[Matty]

I doubt there is any criteria at all - im sure its all down to a simple commercial negotiation.

Influencing factors would no doubt be.....

* Popularity of the fighter with fans
* Ticket/merchandise sales opportunities

Sadly, im sure the skill of the fighter and their ability to mount a title offence is not as important as it should be. Hence why the Brocks of this world get instant title shots, whereas Lytoto Machida didnt get a title shot for ages.

UFC = Biggest shows, not best champions!

[Wendle]

Funny how Frankie & Gray both got their "Win bonus" for the fight when neither of them won!!

[wuzz]

does that mean that Gomi got 50k for a non title fight while Maynard got 52k (is this 52k+ a 26k win bonus or 26k + 26k), and says Edgar got 102k (includes 51k win bonus), so a guy (who beat a great champion in BJ Penn, TWICE) on his 3rd title def got 1k more than Gomi. id want a meeting with the wages guy.

Edit and Greg Soto out till July or "orthopedic doctor can clear him " how bad was it , never seen. (thats near 7 month)

[Wendle]

does that mean that Gomi got 50k for a non title fight while Maynard got 52k (is this 52k+ a 26k win bonus or 26k + 26k), and says Edgar got 102k (includes 51k win bonus), so a guy (who beat a great champion in BJ Penn, TWICE) on his 3rd title def got 1k more than Gomi. id want a meeting with the wages guy.

Your assumptions are correct as far as I'm aware, however I believe Main Eventers also get a cut of PPV figures on top of their basics.

Interestingly, Thaigo Silva & Brandon Vera also earned better basics than the LW Champion with Chris Leban not too far behind!

[Ben CQ]

The UFC are clever as well in that they sign a lot of multi fight deals and, of course, a lot of locker room bonuses are handed out by Dana that aren't registered with the comission.

It's clever really because the UFC understand that the community is so rabid that one huge performance can turn a undercarder into a main carder in a heartbeat but, if they've signed him to a multi fight deal, they won't have to pay them a hugely increased salary.

Look at Rory Markham for example. He knocks out Brodie Farber with that crazy ass kick and then gets jumped straight into a fight with Hardy in the UK on the main card. He didn't get massively more for that but if it was a fight to fight contract you can bet he'd have used that head kick knockout for leverage.

It's when fighters get to the end of their deals that the fun starts. Hence why Hendo destroyed Bisping and then asked for mega bucks from the UFC.

[DoubleJab]

Lighter fighters always seem to get shafted over pay. Lightweight is only 15lb lighter than WW but they seem to get far less on average.

To be fair though, the UFC is a business and to an extent popularity will ensure fighters earn more and thats not really wrong. Brock has earned the company A LOT of PPV revenue, as well as proving himself a much better fighter than his critics ever expected.