Finding the Money Fight

Although the UFC is the premier and most recognized MMA organization in the world, sometimes fighters have to take different avenues to get financial stability or to reach their true value as an athlete.

Photo creds: LowkickMMA.com

Not many casual MMA fans know there are other successful fighting organizations outside of the UFC. Not many people know, although the UFC is the most recognized and highest premiered, that other organizations are starting to compete with the star power that the UFC has to offer. Organizations like Bellator, ONE FC, Professional Fighters League, and World Series of Fighting to just name a few, are starting to pull some big-name fighters from the UFC leveling the playing field of every organization. It’s not because of the spotlight or the fame, but because of money. You wouldn’t think being a professional athlete you’d have to worry about money, but that is where the UFC loses its relationships with fighters and it’s becoming an ever-growing issue.

There have been stories of fighters who have had to sell gifts and personal items of theirs just to get groceries or pay for rent as professional athletes. Let that sink in.

Everybody wants to be on the biggest stage with the biggest names if you play any sport. It’s just that simple. That is what the UFC offers; the biggest venues, with the biggest stars of MMA. It’s been that way ever since the sport started up just a handful of years ago. Now, with how rapidly it is taking off, more and more star power is climbing the ranks and into the UFC. For the time being, with no other organization to compete with the UFC and its popularity, there is no balance or layout for how fighters should and shouldn’t be treated. That is where the issue comes to play. With the sport growing, fighters feel they should be paid respectively to where they are in the sport, and quite frankly, a large majority make pennies on the dollar compared to the amount of work they do. It’s a rising issue that all athletes in the UFC try to stand for.

With no other organization the size of the UFC, there really isn’t much for them to argue against. They get paid whatever they get paid and that is that. There have been stories of fighters who have had to sell gifts and personal items of theirs just to get groceries or pay for rent as professional athletes. Let that sink in. With hundreds of fighters on roster, it is hard to pay everyone what they feel they deserve, hence why pay structure is decided on success – belt holders make the most and it goes down the lower in the ranks you are – but to have fighters struggle to live everyday lives is something that shouldn’t be an issue for a sport of this size.

In recent light of these financial issues within the UFC, this is where we see these smaller competitors of the UFC come in to play. Offering sometimes double what certain UFC fighters are making, these organization are able to ‘steal’ some high-profile fighters from the UFC once their contracts expire just based off pay alone. Some of these athletes are willing to trade the large platform and bigger venues for the green bills, a.k.a. money. Just a few years ago these organizations were nearly looked at as ‘semi-professional’ fighting organizations because the talent level couldn’t compare. Now, in 2019 there are numerous star athletes testing other fighting promotions to get what they feel they deserve. Remember, this is their job and how they provide for their families. Although they do spend months training for fights, these individuals only fight a handful of times a year, so they must make their money last. Just recently the UFC has had arguably the most prolific fighter in the sports history get shipped to another organization because of financial complications. That should tell you something about the situation. Demetrious Johnson (pictured above), a longtime UFC Flyweight champion held numerous records within the UFC for things like most consecutive title defenses, consecutive wins, and held the belt for nearly seven years. Yet this fighter felt he would be more appreciated and have a higher worth in another fighting promotion. He is not alone either, ever since 2016, the UFC has seen former champions, top ranked athletes, and even fan favorites all opt to leave the UFC for the chance to make more money. With the payout structure widely unknown from fighter to fighter and a roster of 500 plus all trying to make a living, it can really lead to some feuds within the organization.

Sometimes it’s not all about the fame of being a professional fighter, but more or less just trying to survive.