UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Strickland

The official Tapology discussion thread for the event!

It seems pretty clear that the UFC needs to be publicly shamed for their abysmal pay structure. You can argue all day that people like Buys are just terrible with money and it's not entirely the UFC's fault. But nah, they shouldn't get a free pass. The UFC has the money to pay the entire money double, if not triple, what they are currently making. As well as increasing all post-fight bonuses to $100k. That all seems drastic but if you look at the numbers, they could literally do that and still be doing just fine as a company. The only problem? The suits would be making a few million a year instead of tens of millions. 

The minimum yearly salary for an NBA player is about $900k. The players get 50% of total revenue, give or take a percentage or two. There is under 500 players in the league. The minimum yearly salary in the NFL is about $500k, maybe a little less or a little more at this rate, and the players also get around 50% of total revenue. There's around 1,700 - 1,800 players signed to the NFL currently. The minimum yearly salary in the MLB is somewhere between $550k - $600k, again the revenue is split near 50/50 with the players. About 800 players or so total. I believe the minimum yearly salary for an NHL player is about $650k, give or take. There's about 650 or so players in the league. The players actually get more than 50% of total revenue. 

Now obviously these companies make way more money than the UFC does. But if you actually compare the percentages and whatnot with the UFC, there's literally not an argument against the UFC robbing these people or much deserved money. 

I'm pretty sure the minimum guaranteed fight purse for a UFC fighter is around $10k. Now assuming they can get three fights per year, which isn't always the case, that's only $30k per year. For a "professional athlete" fighting in the biggest promotion in the world. The same promotion that is worth $10 billion. The same promotion that just signed a multi-million dollar deal with that Crypto company in which the fighters get ZERO PERCENT of that money, but are forced to wear it on their shirts before and after they fight. They split 17% of revenue with the fighters and that is ******* pathetic. At least Dana White is living large, that big red tomato. 

This is why I never feel any guilt streaming a UFC card. Every PPV could sell 5 million PPVs. The fighters would still get a fraction of that. This company shouldn't be supported by people as much as it is. 

* Edited at 08.02.2021, 12:54 AM ET *

Go to Ryan Benoits Instagram and check out his leg. 

My bad mike I scrolled right over that. 

I by no means give them a free pass. Its completely ****** how much they are paid to fight. 

At the same time she signed the contract. That's on her at the end of the day. 

I think her husband should be more embarrassed by her comments and financial situation than anything. I'm sure some of us are married in here or been with significant others long enough. As a man I feel it would be embarrassing as hell to know that my wife is broke as **** and struggling and I'm not doing **** to make it any better.  

Yes i get it that her husband is also chasing his fighting dream as well. 

You know how many men put their dreams aside and do what it takes to make sure their family is taken care of? 

The pay problem will never change because there will always be someone who will step in to do it for a dollar less. 

* Edited at 08.02.2021, 9:52 AM ET *

Agreed with your sentiment about fighter pay. A good way to support the fighters is to buy the products they sell directly (like tshirts). 

or their only fans lol Which I have a feeling Buys would not be broke if she had one 

I don’t know if it’s an act. Strickland has admitted to saying crazy **** to get stupid fan’s attention (paraphrasing his words). It seems to be working. He might just be saying whatever is at the top of his mind knowing people will lose their minds and click on it. I followed him on social media before the Sanchez controversy and he has been the same. 

Crazy **** is one thing, but talking about killing someone in the ring - which is, regrettably, quite possible - is out of bounds. That **** isn't funny.

@HiDefff of course! Didn't mean to sound like I was targeting your comment specifically. Was more speaking generally. Middle Easy posted a thing on Twitter basically saying the minimum amount a UFC fighter should make per fight is $50,000. A number they could easily afford - but the replies were all people basically saying "Nah, you know nothing about business, this would make the UFC less money," so I was more directing my comment at people with that mindset. 

Of course the UFC would make less money! And I'm not sure why any fan should care. They wouldn't be struggling financially in any way shape or form. The NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB could also make more money by giving their rosters 17% of the total revenue - but that'd be unethical. 

Idgaf if Dana White makes a little less money every year. The fighters need more money, that's all. 

Also, another thing I'll point out which is relevant imo, is that Bellator MMA gives their fighters above 45% of their total yearly revenue. This is a company with way less reach and money than the UFC. They make less money than the UFC does, but they pay way more fairly than the UFC does all things considered. 

It's wild that the UFC hasn't budged on fighter pay at all over the years despite public backlash. And it's even more wild that when Dana White basically lies through his teeth and says "Nah, we couldn't afford it," a vast majority of the fanbase just buys into it and will defend him and the company until they're purple in the face lol. 


One more thing I will say is of course you'll never see the Conor McGregor's or the Israel Adesanya's of the world complain about fighter pay. They make a lot of money from the UFC and much like guys like Bisping & Cormier will go to bat for the UFC no matter what happens. But if you wanna be super truthful about the situation, even the guys like Conor McGregor who the UFC pays millions are probably underpaid considering what they bring to the UFC - especially a few years back.

It's not just the random meh fighters like Cheyanne Buys who should be making more money than they currently are. The highest paid fighters in the UFC are still getting paid much less than they are actually worth. It just looks like a great pay day because it's being compared to people who make $30k/$30k per fight if they're lucky.

the problem with that 17% is that 12-13% of it goes to the McGregors, Khabibs, Etc. If you took out the top say 10 earners and just used the rest of the rosters payroll im willing to bet that % is down to around 5-6% which is just nuts. Yea I'll never understand the defending of Dana White.  

His point is not to say funny things, it’s to get a reaction out of people. And he its working. And he will continue to say out of bounds things like McGregor because we all engage with it. If the public stopped it wouldn’t work. 

you had the perfect response to that Cheyenne Buys ... reaction to getting 50K and claiming she is broke or 15k in debt from loans. Dont blame the UFC--   sounds like a personal problem to me... 
looks like coconut milk cream in that glass... put a little agave, coconut meat -- Boom ! good for ya

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD !!

90% or more are in some kind of debt.... credit cards, loans, medical bills, tax liens, etc  
You can get 15 million dollars but in debt in 3 years if you dont manage your money correctly.   Thats why UFC fighters do get paid ... plus the smart ones who understand those 3 letters allows you opportunities that others of smaller promotions don't get ...Marketing power !!! 

PVZ is an example of getting tons of money ever month from Onlyfans or her own website... from showing a little skin.  Nobody would care about PVZ getting naked because she would be like any other girl stripping in night clubs... if she never fought in the UFC.  She gained popularity and huge fan base -- parlayed into other endeavors. 

When people criticize the UFC on fighter pay -- why not criticize Bellator and every promotion out there ?

UFC pays a lot of money for a lot of things that they will not get in other promotions.  
Do you know really -- how much it costs for the UFC to put on shows in Arenas ? to put up fighters in hotels and to make sure fighters are safe with security and to assist with their medical bills ?

What does it mean to get 50,000 dollars but have to pay medical bills that total up to 12k for  surgeries. Then you have to pay taxes on half that... then you pay also trainers.  Some fighters are stupid enough to sign contracts with a gym to pay them so much money with stipulations that include like bonuses. 
Thats the stupidest thing -- you should never sign a deal like that. Bonuses should not go to your manager or your trainers.  Its extra money for your performance !!

And for anyone trying to compare UFC to NBA or NFL pay structure.... just stop it !!! 
Thats silly !! 

the structure of the company and how advertising works  is different with each one because there are Collective Bargaining AGREEMENTS and other business aspects -- that UFC does not do !! 

 And always those getting bigger chunk of the pie from their performances  SHOULD GET IT  for being outstanding in their respective sport or arena. 

JUST STOP IT WITH THE NON-SENSE TALK 
*** UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE PAPERWORK OF THE LOGISTICS OF HOW MUCH IT REALLY TAKES TO RUN THE COMPANY AND THE REVENUE IT BRINGS IN  -- 

* Edited at 08.03.2021, 10:00 PM ET *

first thing first, I think the production cost excuse is all ********. UFC is a billion dollar company, The production cost would not be that much, It a fight company, Not a MCU movie with CGI and ****. Next Bellator pay is at least 40% of the profit like most sport, Every other promotion can run at at least 40%, UFC can to obviously do it, But the UFC doesn't want to because why would you. It completely ****** how half the roster of the UFC have second jobs. My sister ex boyfriend used to play professional footy and mostly played for the second team or was injured, And that was his full time job. Geoff Neal had a job while being in the top 10 in a division that matters, That completely disgusting that the UFC let that happens.

I think the minumun pay should be 50k, No win bonus, so the lower fighter don't have to have a second job, Also the top fighter should be payed way more. Conor McGregor shouldn't be payed 30 million, He should be payed at least 100 million Or whatever boxer like Canelo, AJ and Fury get paid, Fighter like Adesanya  and Kamuru should be payed 30 million, Not 1-5 million, Every champion and fighter like Holloway and Robort Whiteker should be payed at the very minimum 5 million dollars. UFC can easily do this, but don't

Last note, The UFC should get sued for the rebook/venom deal and also USADA as that is illegal, UFC fighter are indepented contracter, That mean no uniform or random drug testing, UFC fighter should be employee where uniform and drug testing are legal, But you also have to pay every fighter the mimumun wage, And the UFC would hate to do that, The UFC got away with breaking the law to take away the only good money the fighter made in sponsoships

@FireFist 

You are objectively wrong on all aspects. 

"When people criticize the UFC on fighter pay -- why not criticize Bellator and every promotion out there ?"

Because you're being silly and looking at the outright pay and that's the wrong outlook here and shows you objectively don't really understand how business works. A smaller promotion paying their fighters 47% of revenue is more commendable than a bigger company - the biggest company in the field - paying their fighters 17% of total revenue. 

"UFC pays a lot of money for a lot of things that they will not get in other promotions.  Do you know really -- how much it costs for the UFC to put on shows in Arenas ?"

Completely irrelevant. It costs a ton. But every sports organization deals with this. Boo hoo. Let's not pretend this company isn't worth $10 billion. Their job is to spend this money to make their company work. No fan or fighter should give two ****s about that side of the coin, at all. It is statistically provable that the UFC could double post-fight bonuses and pay the entire roster more than double what they make right now, and the UFC would still be fine financially. Nothing about the company would change.

"And for anyone trying to compare UFC to NBA or NFL pay structure.... just stop it !!! 
Thats silly !! "

Again, you are completely wrong. Nobody is saying the UFC should pay their fighters equal to what the NBA or NFL pays their guys. But they should be giving their fighters the same % of revenue that those companies are, and right now there's about a 30% difference between the UFC and the NBA/NFL - and that is completely ******* ridiculous.

You don't have any good points. Nothing you have said disproves anything anyone has said about the UFC's ******** pay structure. People like you don't actually understand how businesses and revenues work - and that's OK. But if you'd do basic number crunching and researching, this is all super obvious. 

The point is not that the UFC should be paying on par with other much bigger sports properties. The point is that the percentage of profits they share with their fighters is abysmal and that literally every other major sports entity is far, far more fair with their pay structure. There are companies out there that will settle for barely breaking even to make sure their employees are paid appropriately, meanwhile the UFC is out here collecting 85% of profits when they could run a successful business by cutting off 30% of that and giving it to the actual people who matter - the fighters. 

Stop defending big corporations. It is actually ridiculous. This is all without talking about the multi-million dollar crypto deal the UFC signed recently, in which the fighters get a 0% cut of that money, btw. Please do some research before defending a company that is worth a literal $10 billion.

* Edited at 08.04.2021, 2:57 AM ET *

If Rockhold signs on to fight Strickland next, he is going to be KO'd no question about it. Luke has no chin and Strickland just set an all-time record for most strikes landed at middleweight. Hard to think of a worse matchup

I don't think it's any coincidence that Sean has an issue with Orlando Sanchez (RVCA) and then all of a sudden the minute he's free to sign a contract he's matched up with the new guy at RVCA to fight. 

@hideff I think it's more that Strickland knew Rockhold was looking for a return fight in a main event, and he wanted to KO a former champ so he timed the callout well. I guess he could want to humiliate the gym too though

Couldn't watch half the fking card, so of course every favourite's winning! I've bet now, so it all ends here boys.

??? Wrong UFC thread. How'd you even get here?