In a recent article with Mike Sager of Esquire Magazine, Dana White estimates that 18 fighters make more than a million dollars in the UFC:
White estimates that eighteen of his ultimate fighters earn in the millions per annum. Many others make in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. New guys make fifty to seventy-five, “depending where you are in the pecking order.”
Payout Perspective:
The UFC typically gets a lot of flack for the disclosed pay figures that only factor in a portion of each fighters take-home purse, so most fans are likely surprised that as many as 18 fighters are making a million dollars or more per annum. That’s a number that’s likely only going to increase as the UFC moves forward.
I can understand where both sides are coming from. The fans see all the money and success that the UFC has had come its way in the last few years, then compare it the disclosed payouts for certain events, and conclude that the fighters are getting shafted. However, those payouts represent only a portion of the take-home purse and there’s a lot more to running the organization and growing the sport than what the public reads about. Yes, the UFC has had a gross margin of around 30% in the past, but that doesn’t factor in the operating expenses the company is paying on a yearly basis to fund its massing marketing and lobbying efforts to a.) build the UFC brand, and b.) regulate and expand the sport.
The UFC is not operating in a mature industry where it has the luxury of relying on goodwill to manifest into a full-blow marketing and promotional campaign led by dedicated and subservient media. The reality of the existing situation is that the UFC still very much is in a position of having to do these things itself.
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Might be a fun exercise to guess as to who MMAPayout.com readers believe is making that much money. The title holders are obvious – all of them making over a million per fight – but it’s a little tricky after that. If you’re stuck, look closely at the LHW division as there is a host of talent there making good coin.
Couture
Rashad Evans
Franklin
Forrest Griffin
Matt Hughes
Jackson
Lesnar
Nog
Ortiz
Penn
A. Silva
W. Silva
Those I am certain of as all get a cut of the ppv. Not sure what others might hit seven figures. Mir might at this point.
B.J. Penn
Georges St Pierre
Anderson Silva
Lyoto Machida
Brock Lesnar
Chuck Liddell
Tito Ortiz
Rampage Jackson
Randy Couture
Frank Mir (who always had suspicously small official paydays (45k) surely gettin a cut somewhere else)
Forrest Griffin
Rashad Evans
Matt Hughes
Wanderlei Silva
Rich Franklin
Big Nog
& not sure when this interview was conducted but maybe Henderson made just about $1million
Maybe Shogun eclipsed $1million for 2009 as he made $150K base for his three fights, and I think has a $100K win bonus. He won KO bonus @ ufc 97, and fight of the night at UFC 93. Throw in sponsorships (BadBoy, Nutrabolics) and maybe he’s there.
Be aware that the “base” you see in athletic comission disclosures is not often the real base. Many fighters have sub-letter agreements supplementing their base.
At the same time, I’m positive White is including sponsorships in these numbers.
i think dana white is a lying sack of shit GSP is the only guy who make a mil per fight. sponsers, what fukin sponnsers in the economy, someone needs to get the real numbers from this company with all the BS thats posted on these internet sites. lesner make 500k base plus a microscopic percentage on ppv. maybe hes only other guy to do a mill
Joey,
The UFC ppv scale was made public during the Couture dispute. Virtually all of the fighters that have been listed above get a cut of the ppv. With that, all of them clear a million a year and almost all made a million per fight. Lesnar and GSP both made in the range of 4 million for UFC 100. Penn had three fights this year that made him at least one million.
Joevizz correctly added GSP (how did miss him??) and Machida to the list of guys that get a cut. Unless a ppv does under 400k, those guys end up in the seven figure range for a single fight.
Michael,
If you include sponsorship money, I am pretty sure the overall number would be closer to 25. I think 15 or so do a legit million plus a year.
I would say there is not 18 UFC fighters who make 1 mill every year. So we are talking about 18 in 2009 and probably half are different from year to year. 18 may be exaggerated a little. Dana may be including guys who are paid enough to Break the barier if they fought enough say 3-4 times per year or if they won their fights and got the win Bonus. This maybe a little play on words from Dana. Here is who i think the last 18 to make 1 mill in a year.
Brock
Randy
Chuck
Tito
Hughes
GSP
Penn
Anderson Silva
Rampage
Big Nog
Cro Cop
Evans
Franklin
Forrest
Thats 14 and i have doubts about some of them like Evans. Hazelette won a few sub of the nights and made around 250K and has some sponsors but i know he didnt get close to a million or even a half million. Maybe Shogun depending on his endorsements. He got his machida fight doubled. This along with the Coleman fight put him near half a mill.
Jeremy
Where do you get your info about the Couture fiasco? I followed it and never heard which fighters exactly got PPVs cuts. Last i did here though was only 6 fighters at the time got PPV cuts. Couture, Chuck, Hughes, GSP, QJ, and Forrest. Since then i believe Silva, Tito, Brock, and Penn have been added. BUt i dont think Franklin or Wandy get PPV cuts. They are to poor of Draws to get them a PPV cut. Wandy isnt even a headliner.
I did not say the Couture situation said who got what, but it did show the ppv scale. Joey suggested that the ppv cut was tiny when it often brings in extra millions per fight.
Rich Franklin gets a cut. Prior to his last contract signing, he mentioned that. One thing to keep in mind is that the ppv money is based on the success of a show. If the show does not do big numbers, the fighter does not get a ton of money.
Wandy has headlined, or co-headlined, three of the four UFC bout he has had. If you look at the cards Silva was on, all have done well. Obviously the German card was weaker, but all of the European cards are weak draws. Four bouts for 2.5 million ppv buys. Not bad.
It is my understand that Rashad’s new contract brings him a cut. Obivously nobody knows exactly who gets what, but most the of regular headliners get a cut. Those that don’t often end up with large bonuses for those fights. Mir does not get a cut (at least not as of the last Lesnar fight) but almost certainly picks up bonus checks for those fights. Dave Meltzer has repeatedly stated that pretty much any headliner/co-headliner takes home extra money.
I gotta think Frank made at least a million last year. Between endosements and a cut of the PPV he should have eclipsed the seven figure mark…. And where is Hendo and Besping on the list….. The count has got to get a huge cut of the european ppv’s. He is the biggest name from acorss the pond…. As for Dan you know he crushes the endorsements and has headlined/ co main evented two events last year….
OK i misunderstood jeremy. I still dont think Wandy gets a cut. I know Franklin didnt before this current contract. Not sure now. It is also important to note that Randy was on the biggest PPVs and his share was only about 1 million for each PPV. Some of these guys dont have Randy Couture value. So there is a good chance they got a smaller % cut. Add to that they are not drawing in the PPV numbers Randy was. That puts their PPV cut MUCH lower than the 1 mill per Randy was getting. I also read somewhere the UFC added clauses that may take PPV cuts from some fighters under X circiumstance. Like if you lose, are not a main/co-main event, etc.
I am very skeptical that there are 18 who make the 1 million a year and that includes all their income not just from the UFC.
Brain,
The ppv scale is pretty much the same for all of them. The bigger draws get more because those shows do better. Randy got an extra million for the Sylvia and GG fights as each did 500-550k buys. He made well over two million for the Lesnar fight because of the increased buyrates.
Nobody is getting pref treatment. If you draw, you make a ton. If not, you don’t. That is why Anderson Silva has been picky about his fights in the last year. The Forrest bout made him more than ever before and actually made him more than many previous years overall.
Regarding Wandy, I know he has some at least some of his fights. I would not be shocked if there are clauses that state you only get a cut if you are headlining or co-headlining. But I am all but certain that a loss does nothing to that money. They want guys going all out, not playing it safe to secure the money.
It’s not that hard to imagine at lest 18 guys making 1 million over a year (he did not say per event). Dana usually says it like it is. With the bonuses and other monies these top stars get with 2-3 fights per year a million is very attainable. I don’t however think all the fighters listed above are getting PPV cuts. Possibly guys that hold the titles, after they renegotiate, but definitely not guaranteed. I would expect that Randy, Chuck and Tito were somewhat of exceptions to get the PPV cut. Maybe Brock, BJ and GSP have been added to the list as for the rest they are probably on a per event basis.
MMA Guru,
Pretty much all of the above guys get a cut of the PPV. A few are speculation, but most are confirmed through public comments or ones made privately.
Most regular headliners get a cut at this point. It has become a standard part of the main eventer contracts. Even guys like Huerta and Hendo have been asking for it.
I for one believe that shit. Man you think these guys would put up with all this crap if it was not for some good money! Go for it guys make your millions. I know i support ya with ordering LEGALLY all the ppvs and buying MMA stuff all the time. FTW i make over 75, 000 dollars a year, i can afford it! Enjoy and support your families!!
And i dont fight, i work at a hospital, I dont care i Am still wearing the Tapout, WEC, UFC gear and clothes!
Those are a lot of assumptions based on the info leaked during Randy Gate. THe PPV cut could be different per fighter and we would never know. I dont know what makes you so sure. MMAPayout wrote about Anderson and others wanting to piggyback Lesnars would be year end fight. If it happened would it be fair for Silva to get the same pay as Brock who brought everyone in? Of course not. So as you can see there is problems and reason to think it could have been addressed.
Randy gate is the only solid info we have. The rest is rumors and speculation from fans and media. Heck we dont even know PPV buys let alone how much people get of them.
Brain,
Regarding ppv buyrates: The estimates out there is generally solid. For example: When the Couture numbers came out, they were about the same as the estimates from Dave Meltzer.
Agree but those numbers come from people outside Zuffa who have that info. Contract info is privy to Zuffa and the fighter and neither are talking. I have never heard anyone other than Randys cut % or anyone elses cut PPV % pay to say there isnt fighters who get a different %. So i dont see how anyone can say there is only one PPV %. There is nothing to base that on.
I know that at least two guys that have the same agent get the same percentage. I don’t remember what Randy Couture got exactly, but these guys have a sliding scale where they get more money as the buys go up.