Floyd Mayweather is set to earn a guaranteed $32 million according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (via Dan Rafael tweet). This amount is a record eclipsing $30 million due to Mike Tyson in his 1997 fight with Evander Holyfield.
Miguel Cotto will earn $8 million and a portion of the PPV share. This will be the most Cotto will have made in his career.
In addition to his $32 million, Mayweather will receive an additional amount from PPV and other revenue generators from the night. You may recall he earned up to $40 million in his last fight against Victor Ortiz.
Dan Rafael also reports the salary figures of the undercard released by the NSAC:
-Saul “Canelo” Alvarez – $1.2 million
-Shane Mosley – $650,000
-Jessie Vargas – $125,000
-Steve Forbes – $40,000
-Deandre Latimore – $55,000
-Carlos Quintana – $23,000
Payout Perspective:
The release of Mayweather’s salary is topical considering we’re debating the privacy of fighter pay in the UFC. We only bring this up but realistically cannot compare Mayweather or Cotto’s salary to that of a UFC fighter. But, it’s interesting to look at the other salaries on the card. Certainly, this is a big card and cannot be compared with a regular boxing card or a regular UFC PPV, but it shows that boxing can payout its fighters.
“…..but realistically cannot compare Mayweather or Cotto’s salary to that of a UFC fighter.”
Why not?
An interesting thing to find out would be what Floyd or his promotional company paid in production costs. Golden Boy Promotions or HBO could probably answer that if anyone here has contacts there.
Because this is not your typical boxing match. Cotto never made this much money before and never will again. Boxing has been around 100+ years. This event made more money than a UFC event. UFC spreads the money out to more of the fighters on the card and also invests in the sports future which boxing doesnt. There are a few off the top of my head. Im sure i can come up with more.
These are two completely different business models. How many people would show up to watch or buy a PPV with out the UFC Brand attached to it? VERY few. Some of the cards with the names on them wouldnt get $20K buys. Even the best cards with names build by the UFC would be lucky to get 100K buys without the UFC and that is the biggest stars. But even they used the UFC brand to build their name. So its pretty obvious the fighters need the UFC brand. Now lets look at the expenses that it takes to have the UFC Brand. They pay the production of the event, the advertising, book the fighters. Sign the fighters to contracts. The UFC has a HQ that cost money. They have a huge staff that costs money. Team of lawyers that cost money. They are always trying to grow the sport in other countries that start off losing lots of money. The UFC assures these guys have a sport and a career and create the fanbase. Without the UFC the sport wouldnt exist like it does today. Jon Jones wouldnt have any name value and would be fighting for peanuts. Boxers take all the money when they headline because it is their name that is selling. They build that name off beating other names. UFC fighters are piggybacking the UFC name and couldnt do anything without the brand.
Brock Lesnar fought his first MMA fight in LA under the K-1 Brand. They could only sell 2,000 tickets to the event that had Saku, Royce Gracie, and Brock Lesnar among others. It sold a reported 35,000 buys. 8 months later he fights in the UFC and the event sells 600,000 buys. So even the ever popular Brock Lesnar needed the UFC brand and marketing muscle to be the draw he was in MMA.
UFC on FOX DIaz v Miller…. Averages a Dismal 2M viewers!!!!!
I was looking at an orange… and it was WAY more orange than an apple!!!!
Apples just can’t compete with oranges and will NEVER be nearly as orange!!!
Hilarious to see the Fox UFC card absolutely BOMB!
The Ultimate Fighter on Spike used to do better numbers than
UFC on Fox Diaz vs Miller…
UFC – Fox Deal is in trouble in every aspect!!!
Thank you very much BrainSmasher. That makes total sense now.
Sorry to be so long winded. But a short version would be “Boxers have the ability to bleed every cent out of their sport and the UFC doenst allow their fighters to do the same”.
Here’s a shorter way: “Mayweather is the PPV king.”
That still has nothing to do with the pay of each sports fighters. Boxers get more money because they are responsible for the success. That isnt the case for MMA fighters. MMA and the fighters themselves were built by the UFC. When MMA fighters can start out in the minor leagues and rise to stardom without ever fighting in the UFC they will be able to demand boxing purses. But they cant without the credibility of having the UFC brand attacked to their name. It legitamized Brock Lesnar as a fighter and it would be almost impossible to grow without the UFC. Like i said the sports are just two different business models. I doubt the MMA fighters would rather cut out the UFC and spend 100 years fighting for peanuts to get boxers money. Im sure they are happy with a quick rise to the top as a sport so they make a lot of money.
Does anyone know where i can find the payout for the FULL card?