Do MMA Fighters make big money?

[Super V]

Like boxers?

[Reavant]

the main event guys make six figures

[YOUR Hero]

Lidell was driving around in a Lamborghini.

[YOUR Hero]

BUT

They aren't making the monster money top named boxers do, even though the PPV buy rates are getting to be just as big.

[Kris P Lettus]

Prolly will make as much as boxers one day..

[Rob]

the main event guys make six figures

They make more than that. Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Quinton Jackson, Matt Hughes and Mirko Cro Cop have all made over $1 million in the last 12 months. At least 4 of those guys made that in one night too.

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

Yeah I was gonna say six figures seems a little low

[Rob]

They make a specific 6 figure sum minimum. Basically meaning if they sold no tickets, no PPV and no merch, they'd make that sum. Most fighters have win bonuses (usually not the main eventers though) and there are always bonuses from 25-30k for best fight, best KO and best submission.

[ct2k]

I think MMA guys will make more and more but I imagine it is going to peak eventually just like Boxing did, there just isn't a big enough sustainable market for fighting for more than a few guys to make huge money imo. Boxing has only been a worldwide megasport in regards to very specific fighters and generally the heavyweight division. Fact is, casual fans don't care about technical skills, which is why the Mayweather/DeLaHoya fight will have done very little to address boxing's decline, MMA is the same, it has its exciting fights and its megastars, but it also has a lot of grappling and lets face it, average Joe hates grappling.

[Rob]

I think you are dead wrong. Boxing would still be doing huge business if fighters didn't get overly greedy and promoters didn't do under table deals for top 10 rankings and cuddle their fighters all the time. Also there are no grudge matches anymore and boxing gyms around the world are closing due to lack of new talent. I just moved the fucking middle of nowhere in the West Midlands and I must have seen 10 jujitsu or MMA gyms/clubs in a 10 mile radius. Ton in London now too. All the guys on the F4W boards are saying the same about their cities too including a massive influx in California and Nevada.

Boxing stars are also no longer in the papers and the bigger stars aren't approachable to fans in the slightest. You can party with all the UFC guys at after parties and everyone who meets MMA guys usually has great things to say.

[ct2k]

Boxing does most of the big business it always has, the difference is the heavyweight division is terrible, and most casual fans only care about the HW and a few fighters from wherever they're from.

[ct2k]

Also I think the main point remains, there is a limited market, MMA like boxing will never be mainstream like football or basketball purely because it just isn't that easily accessible, if you're already a fight fan its pretty easy to get accustomed obviously. But again like boxing I think it'll get megabig for very particular fighters and certain fights but otherwise remain middle of the road in real popularity (and thus money) terms, the megastars will make a fortune and the rest will make a comfortable amount.

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

Its a totally different thing though, you can't really compare MMA or boxing with traditional sports such as football, basketball etc. You don't order the Superbowl or the NBA Finals on PPV, hell you don't even need cable to watch the championship games/playoffs (most of the time anyway) unless you are an NHL fan (Outdoor Life Network 4 life) where as for the "Superbowl" of UFC you usually need to drop about 40 dollars.

I do think you are right though, there is a limit to who the UFC can appeal to but that's a pretty fucking big market. I've only met one person in my life who said they would rather watch a boxing match then a UFC match, and I am pretty much surrounded by huge sports fans and discussions about things like these are the norm.

[Rob]

Nobody under 40 who has seen 2 or more UFC shows since Zuffa bought the company would pick boxing. Even my Dad who is in his 50's and has ZERO clue about MMA would pick it because he says it at least tries to make stars. I still remember how he saw Raw for 5 minutes one night as someone was coming out and straight he said he should be the world champion because of music, titantron, crowd reaction and charisma - it was Chris Jericho.

[Jordan]

Also MMA is on TV EVERYDAY. Pride, UFC, Bodog,, IFL, WEC, etc... are on TV all the time. Usually about 6/7 days of the week you can watch at least an hour of MMA if you want.

[mrslackalack]

The big time boxers are insanely rich (De La Hoya, Mayweather, Hopkins etc) It seems Golfers get the most insane amounts of money though adversting and marketing like Tiger and Phil do.

[Rob]

Golf attracts a different audience though - people with more money than average folk.

[VonErichLives]

Nobody under 40 who has seen 2 or more UFC shows since Zuffa bought the company would pick boxing. Even my Dad who is in his 50's and has ZERO clue about MMA would pick it because he says it at least tries to make stars. I still remember how he saw Raw for 5 minutes one night as someone was coming out and straight he said he should be the world champion because of music, titantron, crowd reaction and charisma - it was Chris Jericho.

even over 40.

I go to a friends to watch the UFC and we play poker before and sometimes during.

The older crowd (50's) all get hooked on the UFC matches and comment on how boring boxing is...

boxing downfall is a combo of many things... UFC may peak at some point, but it's far from doing that.

[IC Champion]

They work a full year to make a million or two and a boxer like Maywheather makes 10 million atleast for one fight.

[Rob]

They work a full year to make a million or two and a boxer like Maywheather makes 10 million atleast for one fight.

How many fighters outside Mayweather and De La Hoya make seven figures a fight? None. When 2 fighters are drawing a crowd and PPV numbers, they will always make millions. Problem is that is drying up. Take Jermaine Taylor for example. This guy couldn't draw flies with two hand fulls of shit and yet is one of the biggest names out there.

[mrslackalack]

Yeah I agree Rob, I even think they are trying to promote Taylor VERY hard in boxing and it just hasnt worked. I think hes been a very LUCKY fighter as well. I thought he lost the first Hopkins fight, the Winky Wright fight, and even his last fight against Cory Spinks (although HBO tried to make it look like Taylor won, every other site thought it was too close to call)

[Apocolyptik1]

Yea Rob is right on with statistic's, but everyone is also forgetting about endorsements and such that these UFC fighter's are also starting to recieve because of its success. I think that I read somewhere that Chuck made as much money with endorsements because of the success in UFC as he did with actual fights. That interview was around the time of his 2nd match with Couture, and its gotten bigger since then. The big names are making millions.

[Rob]

Chuck definately made more with endorsements than fighting in 2005.