In an interview with South Korean MMA web site, CorMMA, Featherweight challenger Chan Sung Jung said he will be making $20,000 to show and $20,000 to win in his upcoming fight with Jose Aldo on Saturday, August 3rd. Jung aka The Korean Zombie was a replacement for Anthony Pettis who was injured.
The Korean Zombie’s pay highlights the issue of pay which has been a popular trend. In comparison, Featherweight champion Jose Aldo made $120,000 to win and $120,000 to show in his last event at UFC 156. Its expected that Aldo will make as much for the event.
KZ also stated that he would not be making any PPV points despite being in the main event.
How much fight money are you receiving for this fight?
I will be making 20,000 dollars to show, and another 20,000 dollars if I win. I do not get any PPV points. After 2 more fights, I will be able to negotiate my contract. Hopefully, I will be in a good position when that happens.
KZ’s pay actually represents an increase in his fight pay. At UFC 140, he received only $5K/$5K but did win a $75K KO of the night bonus. In his last fight, he made $17K/$17K as he beat Dustin Poirer on May 15, 2012.
Payout Perspective:
The one interesting note from KZ’s interview is that he said he let his girlfriend borrow $11,000 and jokingly said he “wasn’t nervous at all” in doing it. At least KZ has a sense of humor. He was very honest in the interview and the fact that KZ is getting outpaid by his opponent by at least $100,000 is eye-opening but not surprising. KZ was a replacement for Anthony Pettis. The last official reported payout for Anthony Pettis was at UFC 136 where he made $10K and $10K in October 2011. There were no official salaries released for his last two fights against Joe Lauzon (Feb. 2012) or Donald Cerrone (Jan. 2013). So, we may have seen the same discrepancy as well.
Sad and unfair. so much for the exciting guys getting good pay days. Even if he gets sub or fotn bonuses he is only as good as his last fight.
HE has abosulte control over what he is paid. HE accepted that contract. Which I feel is a good one considering the position he is in. I don’t feel he is that great of a fighter. That said. He lucked into a title shot and has a chance to prove himself and get that payday Aldo has.
What he has going for him is he is exciting and Dana White is a big fan of his. That assures he will have job security. Which means when you have had a loss or two. They give you a warm up fight. He will also be put in a position to succeed. Just like he is seeing now. Because Dana likes him. He moved to the front of the line when there was a few guys in the running. You cant look a gift horse in the mouth when you are given a title shot and all the riches that come with it if you win. Then bitch when that opportunity doesn’t come with more money.
Ask Ricardo Lamas if he will take the title fight for 20/20. If the Korean Zamboni doesn’t want the shot. There is many who do.
How much advertising money is he getting since he is the main event? Sounds like he is getting a lot of media attention. That is $$$. Not to mention even if he loses. Just stepping up and the exposure he will get will get him much more when his contract is up.
I actually have more respect for Zomb because he is honoring his contract. Just as I had even more respect for Franklin when he did it as Champion. He admitted he signed the contract and he will honor it. You cant ask more of a man than that.
And here it is…the pr spin….
5k? That’s really low….lol…..good info….people should know all the aspects of the business…as I said before fighters would now talk openly about the low pay and more fighters would follow….good for Korean zombie now we know it’s not only weidman getting shit money fighting a champion….the most surprising is that he has no ppv share….cheap promotion hahaha
Yes. absolute control as in getting paid something vs nothing. And if you don’t like it there is another sucker who will work for less. the standard dana white mentality
That’s called the real world. Only bitches like you live in a fantasy world. That’s why you take to the internet to bitch about someone elses money rather than have a sack and say the same thing to your own boss. You try and live vicariously through others and think they get fantasy rules you wish you got to live buy. Sorry, but that’s not how it works. Supply and demand. Unless you bring something special to the table. You are easily replacable by dozens of others with just as an impressive record. After all, if boxing has taught me nothing it is that a nice shinny record is all that matter…
Hahaha…why are you so angry? Because with all your hype efforts ….the UFC is being exposed as a cheap ass organization…..
Dana cries
I live in the real world. and someone has to question the rotten system. Do you live in alabama, in a trailer, surrounded by confederate flags bs? Your strict adherance to a system which keeps you from getting ahead would lead me to believe so. I bet you voted for romney.
“HE has abosulte control over what he is paid.”
That is a flat out lie. He can say no to what he is given but he does not have control over the figures. That’s what happens in a monopoly.
“What he has going for him is he is exciting and Dana White is a big fan of his. That assures he will have job security.”
Read: He takes a lot of punishment and Dana is willing to let him keep on taking it for the chump change he’s paid.
“Supply and demand.”
That is absolutely correct. The UFC controls 90% of the demand for MMA, and there are thousands of fighters offering their labor, hence, the UFC is in a position to pay guys 20/20 for a main event title fight.
If the demand for MMA were split across more promotions, or if the supply of labor was constricted, fighters would get more.
Thank goodness viacom gobbled up bellator before zuffa could. hopedully if wsof does it is by a different conglomerate.
Diego,
If there was more promotions there would be less demand. Why do you think All the major sports leagues in the US exploded AFTER they merged? The public doesn’t have the attention span or the desire to follow two different leagues with different ways of doing things and rules. The leagues also compete with each other and never are able to bring any fans in because they are defending against each other rather than growing. Football would not be as big as it is today if the NFL and the AFL were both still around. Same for Basketball and the NBA and ABA. That Is what is hurting boxing right now. Lack of structure. It is fractured into to many small groups. So if you want to carry boxing. You can only get a piece of it through a promoter. So network TV said to hell with it long ago. That also meant fans couldn’t follow it either. If someone wants Football. They go right to the NFL. One stop shopping. Same with NBA, MLB and they can currently do with with the UFC to a lessor extent. It is the only way to grow and bring in the fanbase.
Diego,
He does have control over the figures. He has a an agent who is responsible for negotiating a better deal. I can name you many fighters who are paid much more than I or anyone else even felt they would get. Like Mike Pyle, Noons, Cerrone, Munoz, Boetch, Leben, Kongo, Guillard, etc. All making 40-70K just to show. None of them have beat anyone that meaningful or went on some huge run. All of these guys are getting about twice as much as the going rate or what they would typically get. Their agents negotiated for more. Zombie has some leverage. He either didn’t use it or he signed a very long deal to have job security. Either way it IS his choice. IF his pay was so awful and causing his life to suck the way fans make it out. He never would agree to keep getting in the cage for that amount. Im sure he had a big smile on his face when he signed it.
Don’t compare leagues to the UFC…UFC is one owner and fighters under it….you can compare UFC to your favorite wwe……hahaha…..so was wrestling better when wcw was its rival?that you can compare with the UFC business model…..
Truth,
It isn’t the system that keeps people from getting ahead. It is peoples own failures that hold them back. You want to look at a lazy welfare bum and say the system Is screwing him. I see someone who could “make it” if he got off his ass and did what those who did make it have done. This system or any good system for that matter should never reward failure as if it was a admirable quality. Society is like a giant competition. You have to out work, out think, make better decisions, and be more creative than everyone else to rise to the top. If you finish last in every aspect. How can that person honest deserve more than those who worked harder, smarter, and took all the risk? People like to romanticize the “poor” people. They just didn’t get a fair shake, never had a chance, screwed by the system, etc. You are so out of touch with why they are in the situation they are in. I used to be very very poor. I have seen what it takes to get out and what it takes to stay out of poverty. I also see why those are in and never get out. It has little to do with the system. Im sure you love your Obama. All he has done is traded well paying middle class jobs for low class minimum wage jobs. He created a bunch of Wal Mart employees as he kills Mining jobs. He gives government handouts that are spent in minimum wage paying stores that creates even more minimum wage jobs. While the stock holders and company partners stock holders get richer and richer. Creating an even larger gap between the rich and the poor as he kills the middle class and keeps the poor at the bottom and growing larger and larger. After all those are the ones who voted him and his party in. He needs you to never have anything so he has something to promise you to get your vote. If he brings the poor into middle class. He can no longer manipulate you. Like the Dems always try to do with such tricks like raising minimum wage. What has it ever done beside cause inflation, anger higher paid skilled workers, and kill small business? That’s right. It tricks poor people into give you their vote thinking they will get more money.
Right. Bs i didn’t read what you wrote. but its safe to say i disagree with most of it. if i were to poke holes in everything you write i would have to write a book. Oh and those fighters you mentioned should be making more than 40k base. way more. nfl and any legit league has a collective bargaining agreement as well as agents. but white takes the walmart stance on unions.
The KZ comes from a nation 50M people. A hot bed for martial arts and martial arts tradition. He is the premier combat athlete of that country. In Australia a nation of 25M the average salary of an Australian Rules pro player is over 180K per annum. What is Aussie Rules football.? THE UFC is the best FIGHT organisation in the world hands down.The UFC does not pay title contenders Pro Athlete wages period. Disgraceful.