http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/5/2...cholish-now-lobbying-for-ufc-to-raise-fighter John breakdowns his pay versus his expenses.
Absolutely no mention at all of endorsement money? Maybe if he had an agent out there getting him names on his shorts, shirts, and banner he could offset his expenses. If he doesn't like the way Zuffa compensates it's employees he's free to go elsewhere to ply his trade. Zuffa knows that guys will take what they offer to get in the door. As far as I know the contracts that new fighters (without reputations) and TUF grads get are etched in stone and are not negotiable. That's the power they have. Overall I agree that the fighters should be making more. The gate for the show could go to the fighters on top of their pay. The UFC could scale it as an incentive for guys to get on TV (be exciting). Provides an incentive for guys like Jon Jones who don't think it's their job to sell tickets (it is). UFC 159 (live gate $2.7-million) Main Events Jones/Sonnen $500,000 each Bisping/Belcher $250,000 each Televised Undercard Nelson, Kongo, Davis, Magalhaes, Healy, and Miller $100,000 each Televised Preliminaries Khabilov, Medeiros, OSP, Villante, McMann, Gaff, Caraway, Bedford $50,000 each Untelevised (Facebook) Preliminaries McKenzie, Garcia, Siler, Holobaugh $25,000 each Still $100,000 kicking around to give to SportsTwo to freshen up the site.
10 k to show, 10 k for the win should be the min pay. accommodation and travel should be covered by the ufc for the fighter and 2 of his trainers. speeds- endorsement money is irrelevant to ufc fighter pay. endorsement can fluctuate from show to show (i.e. a fx show versus facebook fights).
Cholish had an endorsement contract with SafeAuto insurance and another with Jaco clothing. He didn't bring those up. Maybe it's not our business? It's easy for us to make up minimum wages and ways of compensating the fighters more fairly but it's pure fantasy. As long as the guys think that the UFC is the only show in town, the UFC does whatever it wants. A fighters association could help. Strange how Randy Couture was all about one when he was in between UFC stints then never spoke about it again.
