If you’re a fan of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), then you’ll know that it’s the biggest MMA organisation in the world. The fighters have to go through a very tough competition and weeks of training before they step in the octagon. If there’s one thing we know for sure about these fighters is that their pay check can get pretty high, however they can sometimes be surprisingly low.
Have you ever wondered exactly how much UFC fighters are making? Me too. So, I did a little research and became even more surprised with the results than I was before. In this article, I’ll be looking at how much money MMA fighters make on an average per fight basis, with regards to the MMA organisations they fight for.
UFC and MMA fighters’ compensation has come under scrutiny in recent years, with some claiming that it is unfair.
The UFC and MMA fighters’ compensation has come under scrutiny in recent years, with some claiming that it is unfair. The sport is still growing, and many fighters are struggling to make ends meet.
The UFC is the leading promoter of mixed martial arts, and with that comes a hefty pay scale for its top competitors. For example, Conor McGregor has made over $100 million in the UFC while Ronda Rousey’s earnings have been estimated at around $28 million. But those are the exceptions rather than the rule.
According to a report by ESPN, average fighter pay in 2017 was $138,250 per year. That includes both base salary and performance bonuses, but not sponsorships or other revenue streams like movie deals.
The situation differs greatly from organisation to organisation.
The situation differs greatly from organisation to organisation. Some organisations are paying fighters a higher rate than UFC. Bellator, for example, pay more than the UFC in some cases. New organisations like Khabib Nurmagomedov’s ‘Eagle FC‘ will also give opportunity for higher fighter pay due to new market competition.
So how much are pro fighters getting paid?
According to UFC president Dana White, there are around 600 UFC fighters under contract. That doesn’t mean they’re all active or fighting regularly, but it paints a picture of just how big the UFC’s roster is.
The average UFC fighter with at least one fight in 2019 makes $150,000 per year (including sponsorships). There are some outliers as you might imagine: Conor McGregor made $3 million in 2019 even though he only fought once, while Al Iaquinta made $1 million over the course of his UFC career reportedly, which spanned over almost 10 years.
Let’s start by looking at the UFC’s pay structure, which is probably the most comprehensive of any organization.
With the UFC’s recent foray into the mainstream through its new deal with ESPN and Disney, there’s been renewed interest in how much money professional mixed martial arts fighters are making.
MMA promotions are constantly tweaking their pay structures. And fighters can negotiate new contracts with their promotions at any time, often following a strong performance or with the threat of moving on to another promotion.
Let’s start by looking at the UFC’s pay structure, which is probably the most comprehensive of any organization.
Here’s how much fighters made per bout at UFC 200 in July 2016:
Main card (PPV): $500,000 to $3 million
Preliminary card (FS1/FS2): $10,000 to $100,000
Early prelims (UFC Fight Pass): $10,000 to $30,000
The top earners are often the main-event fighters. In this case, that was Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, who each took home a disclosed payday of $500,000. Brock Lesnar reportedly made $2.5 million for his appearance on the fight card.
Here’s roughly how much money fighters in different divisions are making:
Flyweight: $10,000/$10,000
Bantamweight: $10,000/$10,000
Featherweight: $10,000/$10,000
Lightweight: $16,000/$16,000
Welterweight: $20,000/$20,000
Middleweight: $30,000/$30,000
Light Heavyweight: $40,000/$40,000
Heavyweight: $50,000
Here, I will compare and contrast salaries in the top 4 MMA organisations.
The best way to compare MMA salaries across different organisations is to look at average pay per fight. This gives you an idea of how much the fighters in each organisation are earning for each fight, even if the total number of fights varies.
Below is a table containing average salaries per fight for fighters across five different organisations:
$136,000
The UFC has a total revenue of 6.2 billion dollars and is considered to be the most successful MMA organisation.
The UFC has the highest level of MMA fighters; therefore, they can afford to pay their athletes more than other organisations.
$26,000
Bellator is the second biggest MMA promotion in North America and has many big names under contract including Fedor Emelianenko (arguably the greatest heavyweight ever) and recently retired Chael Sonnen (arguably one of the greatest smack talkers ever).
Bellator’s parent company, Viacom, is not a private corporation so we can see how much money Bellator generates from its quarterly reports. In Q3 2016, Bellator generated $14 million in operating income on $30 million in operating expenses. That’s not great
$22,000
The average pay of an MMA fighter will depend on which professional organisation they are fighting for. In general, the organisations that pay MMA fighters more are: UFC, Bellator MMA, OneFC and Glory Kickboxing. This is because these organisations have bigger audiences and therefore have more money to be able to pay their fighters better wages.
Smaller promotions pay less and have less consistent income for their fighters. Those who are not on a full-time roster with a promotion often have to take outside jobs to supplement their income because they must pay trainers, physical therapists and other expenses out of pocket.
Outside of individual competitor’s sponsorship deals (which I’ll talk about soon), UFC fighters have three potential streams of income.
Outside of individual competitor’s sponsorship deals (which I’ll talk about soon), UFC fighters have three potential streams of income. There are base salaries, which are determined by the UFC and typically (but not always) set at $10,000 for non-televised fights and $20,000 for televised fights. Then there is the pay-per-view bonus structure, which is a sliding scale that pays out a percentage of the PPV revenue to everyone on the card based on how many buys each fighter’s fight generates. Finally, there’s the Performance Bonuses. The UFC offers a $50,000 bonus to fighters who win Fight of the Night, Performance of the Night, or Submission of the Night.
The third is sponsorship money.
Sponsorships are a major source of income for most MMA fighters, and the more successful you are, the easier it is to find brand sponsors.
For example, UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw made $350K in base salary at UFC 173. He also took home an additional $120K in bonuses and another $100K in sponsor money. His total earnings for that fight were over $570K!
Sponsorship deals can be worth a lot of money to the fighter, but it’s not always possible to get them. Some of the most well-known MMA fighters have been able to land some really lucrative deals. These include the likes of Georges St. Pierre and Conor McGregor who have both had deals with Reebok in the past.
Conor McGregor has also had a deal with Beats by Dre, which is now worth a reported $50 million, as well as other big names like Floyd Mayweather and LeBron James. McGregor has also made a huge amount through his brand ‘Proper 12‘ and it’s sponsorship with the UFC.
Unlike many other fighting organisations, the UFC is partnered with their own sponsor to make deals with their contracted fighters. UFC fighters are currently sponsored by Venum, which offers fighters a slightly better contract to the previous Reebok deal.
As shown in the article below, fighters receive a fixed rate. Champions are contracted to receive $42.000 per fight, whereas those making there first UFC fight will receive around $4000.
Reebok vs Venum Sponsorship Comparison:
Overall, the pay depends on the promotion, the individual fighters popularity, and the implementation of sponsorship deals.
How much money do professional MMA fighters make?
The average MMA fighter salary is difficult to estimate due to unreliable data from various promotions and sources. However, overall, the pay depends on the promotion, the individual fighter’s popularity, and the implementation of sponsorship deals.
The answer depends on how much money you get from fighting (and winning) in the UFC, and how much money you’re able to earn from sponsorships.
However, there is also a huge disparity of income levels within the UFC. Fighters who are just starting out might make only $10,000 per fight, while the highest paid athletes can make millions of dollars per year.
How much you make fighting in MMA really depends on your status in the organization, and how you perform each time you step into the Octagon.
Thanks for reading!
Looking for a combat sports insurance quote? Fill out our form and one of our team members will be in touch.
For general enquiries give us a call on 1300 477 662 or email team@combatsportsinsurance.com.au