Topic: John Cholish
John Cholish retires and criticises fighter payment
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05.20.2013 | 10:33 AM ET
But what caught my attention was what he had to say about the fighter payment. Here's a quote...
"At the end of the day, it's hard. I have great coaches that take time off and travel. They deserve money, as well. To be completely honest, on a fight like this, I'm losing money to come down here. Flights, hotel rooms, food -- and that doesn't even cover the cost of the time I have to pay for my coaches for training. It's funny because people talk about the fighters, but at the same time there's camps and coaches behind the fighters that you don't even see. So if a fighter is having a tough time making ends meet, how do you think his coaches are doing?" - link
Do you guys think the fighters on the lower level even in the UFC get payed enough ? There was a Bleacher Report article (I know I know) not too long ago about the published UFC contract of Eddie Alvarez. Some interesting thoughts/facts from this article....
"As a private company, the UFC doesn't have to report its revenues, cash flow or profit margins to anyone. According to a recent profile in Fast Company, the promotion makes in the neighborhood of $600 million per year, though Fertitta says that number is overstated. The UFC is worth north of $2 billion, making it a more valuable property than even the legendary New York Yankees, Major League Baseball's perpetual cash machine.Yet despite this success, Fertitta told ESPN that in the seven years since the company started regularly turning a profit, they have paid out just $250 million total to the athletes" - link
Do you guys think something has to change to build more talent or just help those guys out that are fighting on the low end of divisions ? I mena I know of several UFC fighters who have jobs or need jobs to pay the bills. Mike Russow, Ivan Menjivar, Robbie Peralta to name a few.
Shouldn't they be as soon as they reach the UFC level be able to pay all their bills and spend all their focus on the fight game?
What ya think Tapology?
" I feel like Davy Crockett on the walls of the Alamo, swinging Old Betsy as the enemy swarmed in with bayonets. Sheesh. Listen you young punks....." - Bill Burgess
Responses
05.20.2013 | 10:50 AM ET
I don't think many UFC fighters are losing money being part of the UFC, this is probably more a matter of poor money management than anything else. Bear in mind that any UFC fighter gets money from sponsors in addition to what the UFC pays them. I think it's sour g****s and/or a sense of entitlement on Cholish's part.
* Edited at 05.20.2013, 10:51 AM ET *
"I don't want to have to do this living. I just walk around. I want to be swept off my feet, you know? I want my children to have magical powers. I am prepared for amazing things to happen. I can handle it."
05.20.2013 | 10:54 AM ET
I do think the UFC should cover plane tickets and hotel costs for the fighter and maybe 1 coach . If your job sends you out of town . you're most likely not covering those expenses.
But anyway I like how they do it . 6-8k per fight for a newbie times 3 fights a year is 18-24k a year .Forgot to mention you usually get paid a extra 6k-8k if you win, more incentive to do good at your job . A lot of people would like to make that money. Plus if you do good at your job you get bonuses that are huge for KOTN , SOTN ,FOTN . and you get sponsorship money. then if you are good at what you do you get a huge bump in pay on your next contract.
I just love how a guy who couldnt cut it complains about pay after he got paid thousands to lose and leaves. Its not like people turned on FX to watch Cholish.
* Edited at 05.20.2013, 10:59 AM ET *
"I'd like to take this chance, to appologize. To absolutely nobody. -Connor McGreGOAT"
05.20.2013 | 11:03 AM ET
Cholish is in the business of eating what he kills, if you don't kill something and drag it back to the cave, don't complain when you're hungry.
"I have not yet begun to defile myself. "
05.20.2013 | 11:07 AM ET
When it comes to money the UFC are incredibly generous in most situations. Bonuses, discreet private bonuses, paying you if you get robbed of a decision and especially paying for your medical bills which was a huge announcement back when it happened. I do think they could raise their minimum pay to maybe 10-15k seeing as these guys train incredibly hard but as it stand no one gets ripped off.
Maybe if Cholish chose between his job and being in the UFC then he wouldn't have this problem. If you're going to half ass an MMA career then don't complain about pay when you lose.
"If you're matched up against me, you better be prepared to give your life...because I am prepared to take it. - Conor McGregor"
05.20.2013 | 11:08 AM ET
Think of it this way; a guy who gets into the UFC and loses 3 fights in one year before getting cut is going to make 24,000 dollars. Plus that fighter has to spend money on providing for himself, paying for his training camps and paying for people in his corner before his fights. That...is ****** up.
The UFC makes way too much money to have employees that ******* struggle to live and need second jobs. They're the highest standard in their sport; their lowest fighters should be making enough to be able to support themselves easily. The UFC's a 2 billion dollar enterprise, they definitely have the money.
@jodybanman The UFC covers two economy class seats for flights and they cover one hotel room for two other people. For champions, they cover an extra flight ticket and an extra person. The rest is on the fighters.
I'm sorry but that's just ****** up. Like it's almost criminal for ****'s sake.
The fighters in the UFC need a union. The UFC's got the 'We are the 99%' **** going on, it's horrible. It's criminal. It's disgusting.
EDIT: I just wanna say that if anyone has the time, read the ZUFFA contract sent to Eddie Alvarez. I was disgusted at how awful and vicious those contracts are, let alone how people keep signing with them. The UFC contracts are not for your fighting career, they're for your life.
EDIT AGAIN: It was the 'lucrative' ZUFFA contract, not one of the contracts given to the lower guys. Imagine how much worse those are, it makes me sick to my stomach.
EDIT FOR A FINAL TIME: Totally didn't notice that die posted a link to it, to be honest I didn't even read the opening post. My bad.
* Edited at 05.20.2013, 11:28 AM ET *
"الله أكبرl"
05.20.2013 | 11:10 AM ET
Anik the UFC does need a union. Badly.
* Edited at 05.20.2013, 11:13 AM ET *
"We are all human, it's time to prove it."
05.20.2013 | 11:10 AM ET
I dunno how accurate that is and I dunno how much a fighter gets payed for his first fight in the UFC on sponsor money but I doubt he can make a good living fighting 2 or 3 times a year on that.
I'm also not complaining about the stars of MMA they get enough, it's about the guys who just get started.
" I feel like Davy Crockett on the walls of the Alamo, swinging Old Betsy as the enemy swarmed in with bayonets. Sheesh. Listen you young punks....." - Bill Burgess
05.20.2013 | 11:13 AM ET
" I feel like Davy Crockett on the walls of the Alamo, swinging Old Betsy as the enemy swarmed in with bayonets. Sheesh. Listen you young punks....." - Bill Burgess
05.20.2013 | 11:20 AM ET
If you're on the UFC roster then obviously they think enough of you that you deserve to fight at the pinnacle of the sport. The pay should show that.
"We are all human, it's time to prove it."
05.20.2013 | 11:24 AM ET
If a company makes a compelling product, people will buy it. The better the product, the more buyers, then more compensation.
Same rules apply to fighters when you think about it.
"I have not yet begun to defile myself. "
05.20.2013 | 11:24 AM ET
TOXINS
05.20.2013 | 11:26 AM ET
I forgot what the split is now in the NHL after the new CBA but last season, 57% of the revenue went to the players. In the NBA and NFL, I believe the number is around 50%.
In 7 years, the UFC's made approx. 4.2 billion and they've paid out 250 million. That is a total of 16.8%.
Borderline criminal.
EDIT: Also, why do people bring up potential locker room bonuses? Those only occur if the UFC feels like giving it. The basic floor of the UFC's fighter payments should be enough for a fighter to support themselves without working other jobs.
* Edited at 05.20.2013, 11:27 AM ET *
"الله أكبرl"
05.20.2013 | 11:30 AM ET
His last payment was 15,000 he has 18 fights in the UFC btw.
* Edited at 05.20.2013, 11:33 AM ET *
" I feel like Davy Crockett on the walls of the Alamo, swinging Old Betsy as the enemy swarmed in with bayonets. Sheesh. Listen you young punks....." - Bill Burgess
05.20.2013 | 11:32 AM ET
"He told me he was going to **** me, but was disappointed in himself when he could not get hard."
05.20.2013 | 11:44 AM ET
"I'd like to take this chance, to appologize. To absolutely nobody. -Connor McGreGOAT"
05.20.2013 | 11:44 AM ET
Fair enough but are they independent contractors? Don't they work for the UFC? I have no clue what I know is that 4800 isn't much when you only get this 2 times a year...
" I feel like Davy Crockett on the walls of the Alamo, swinging Old Betsy as the enemy swarmed in with bayonets. Sheesh. Listen you young punks....." - Bill Burgess
05.20.2013 | 11:48 AM ET
Darren Uyenoyama: $12,000 lost
Ramsey Nijem: $14,000 lost
Lorenz Larkin: $23,000 lost
Darren Elkins: $24,000 lost
Jordan Mein: $16,000 lost
those guys were all on the same card with Nate, you are wrong...
" I feel like Davy Crockett on the walls of the Alamo, swinging Old Betsy as the enemy swarmed in with bayonets. Sheesh. Listen you young punks....." - Bill Burgess
05.20.2013 | 11:51 AM ET
Benson Henderson: $78,000 (includes $39,000 win bonus)
def. Nate Diaz: $50,000
Josh Thomson: $95,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Nate Diaz: $15,000
source is MMAjunkie not bleacher report
"I'd like to take this chance, to appologize. To absolutely nobody. -Connor McGreGOAT"
05.20.2013 | 11:52 AM ET
The problem is that the UFC, instead of paying their fighters like the elite athletes they are, choose to pay UFC fighters just enough to be considered more 'generous' than the other competitors in the market. I mean c'mon guys, look at the Nazi **** Bellator pulls.
"الله أكبرl"
05.20.2013 | 12:00 PM ET
Most athletes are overpaid. They make a living doing what they love. If they don't love it MMA is not for them.
"It does not make sense that humans deliberately malfunction. - Upgrade"