96% of UFC fighters have earned less than $100K

Bisping has earned more than GSP also Anderson Silva and Randy Couture!

MMA fighters as a Majority still lag way behind almost all pro sports in wage terms.

HERES THE TOP TEN

In an interesting article on mma manifesto recently we find out just how much UFC fighters have earned throughout their careers.

OK first let's put what this does and does not include so that I don't get the dumb answers the readers of MMA Manifesto got. These figures include: Earnings from UFC 46 onwards. Only cover reported salaries, fight of the night, knockout of the night and submission of the night bonuses. It does not include "Discretional  Bonuses" Nor does it include any pay per view percentage deals. And of course it does not include Sponsorship Money from any source which could easily outstrip any numbers shown here for the top names in the sport.

Some of the numbers shown are accurate guesstimates because certain athletic commissions don't report fighters salary info, so the numbers were based upon previous and future purses.

The list was updated up to the recent UFC on Fuel in Macau Card - Franklin vs Le.

The list covers some 772 fighters ~ Here's the Top Ten:  

Top of the tree is #1 Chuck Liddell with US$4,320,000

#2 Tito Ortiz $4,075,000

#3 Quinton Jackson $3,240,000

#4 Michael Bisping $3,135,000

#5 George St-Pierre $3,102,000

#6 Randy Couture $3,045,000

#7 Anderson Silva $2,871,000

#8 Brock Lesnar $2,825,000

#9 Rashad Evans $2,697,000

#10 BJ Penn $2,650,000

The obvious question to be asked is how the hell did Brock Lesnar earn only lightly less than Anderson Silva one of the greatest fighter in MMA history?  Lesnar may have made it to Champion, but let's be totally honest he wasn't a good champion, more of a school yard bully who gave up once he got hit back!

Of course the other thing to note is that top Boxers will still earn more than these numbers in ONE fight and often ten times more. MMA may be the fastest growing sport in the world but it is nowhere near Boxing in earning terms. Imagine what Manny Pacquaio earned last weekend!

Of course the other call is that boxers at the lower end of the scale don't earn much. Well people, I know many MMA fighters who live hand to mouth, there is NO money at the bottom of any sport.

At #29 is Brandon Vera the last on the list to break six figures with $1,051,000 That means that 96% of fighters at the UFC have earned less than $100,000.

At #70 is Takanori Gomi on $500,000

At #253 we find Steve Cantwell with $100,000. Below him are those who have yet to break the six figure earnings barrier that's 67% of UFC fighters!

 

At #349 is the joke that was Kimbo Slice on $50,000 it's shocking to find that 54% of the fighters on this list earned less than him!

At #447 is Reza Madadi the last fighter to break $20,000 that means a shocking 42% of the fighters on this list earned less than $20,000.

At #589 comes Wagner Campos with just $10,000 - that means that almost 183 of 772 UFC fighters on this list have earned less than $20,000 that's 23% of all UFC fighters.

However considering the fact that the UFC is the "top of the tree" in the sports terms and that many of the fighters on this list would have been battling for years in small regional events to think that 50% of UFC fighters have only managed to earn $36,000 total, is shocking in the extreme.

For all the coverage that MMA gets, take it from me people your Son would earn much, much more playing almost any other professional sport. 

A soccer player in the fourth tier of the English football league would earn more than 50% of the fighters on this list annually and yet be practically unknown beyond his own club and for every step up the ladder their wages would rise massively, plus think on this there are approximately 4500 spots for professional footballers in England alone, world wide that figure is massive. 

A top professional in the English Premier League would earn in one season more than Chuck Liddell has earned through out his UFC career.

Not to mention what an American NFL, NBA or MLB player would earn annually. MMA fighters are still very much doing it because they love the sport it's not a great career choice for a massive majority of the fighters out there.

UFC on Fox 5 Preview - Pt 2

UFC on FOX 5 Preview – pt. 2

(by The Coffee Boy)

Bout 7: 

Yves Edwards vs Jeremy Stephens

Yves Edwards has fought over 60 professional mixed martial arts bouts, and is one of the more well-rounded UFC fighters around. Coming off of a loss to Tony Ferguson back in December of last year, his fight against the always game Jeremy Stephens will be a true test of his will to stay in the sport.

Stephens is riding a 2-fight losing streak, having won only 2 out of his last 5 bouts. He is definitely in need of a win and while he does possess heavy knockout power, Edwards is well-rounded and dangerous enough on his feet to be able to put away the much younger man. I don’t expect fireworks, but I do expect Edwards to take this fight by decision.

Bout 8: 

Mike Swick vs Matt Brown

Swick is one of the UFC’s babies, coming out of the very first season of The Ultimate Fighter and remembered for his TKO victory over Ben Saunders, and guillotine choke victories over UFC veterans Joe Riggs and Steve Vigneault. After being plagued with injuries for nearly 2 years, Swick made his comeback in impressive fashion by knocking out DaMarques Johnson back in August.

Brown is currently riding a 3-fight win streak, defeating the likes of Chris Cope, Stephen Thompson, and Luis Ramos. While these wins aren’t over the most well-known of fighters, a win over Swick would certainly do him some good to potentially put himself up there in title contention, if he can do it convincingly.

The biggest problem Matt Brown has is that he is rather inconsistent – from 2008 to 2010, he won 3 in a row (including a victory over well-known Pete Sell), and then for the remainder of 2010 lost 3 in a row all by way of submission.  I’m expecting this to be a tough fight for both fighters, but I see Swick coming out hard and fast, knocking Brown out in the second round.

Bout 9: 

Rory MacDonald vs BJ Penn

MacDonald is a beast – there’s no doubt about that. He represents the new breed of fighters, the kind of mixed martial artists that up-and-comers should seek to be. With only one loss on his record, to Carlos Condit who made a late comeback, he is riding a 3-fight win streak and looks unstoppable at this point, being able to out-strike and out-grapple anyone who gets in his way.

Penn is undoubtedly one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. The question remains, and it’s almost cliché – does he still have it in him? Winning only 1 of his last 5 fights, he may very well be past his prime (despite him strongly suggesting otherwise). He has world-class Jiu Jitsu on his side, and better-than-average boxing in MMA. Will it be enough?

Honestly, I predict this fight to be a one-sided beating, with MacDonald dropping the bombs on a helpless BJ Penn. While it would be a good comeback story, something a movie could be made out of, I just don’t see a scenario where BJ Penn doesn’t get absolutely destroyed. A late comeback submission, perhaps? Possibly. But I wouldn’t put my money on it.

Bout 10: 

“Shogun” vs Alexander Gustaffson

Shogun was one of the best to come out of Pride, back in their glory days, and is a former Lightheavyweight Champion. He is always a pleasure to watch, possessing lightning-fast striking and a ton of heart. That said, however, his victory over Brandon Vera makes one wonder how much he still has left in him. He did not look his usual self, and despite being a heavy favorite, it took him 4 rounds to put Vera away. Was that heart on Vera’s part? Maybe. But it’s more likely that Shogun is slowly on his way down.

Alexander Gustaffson, like Rory MacDonald, is one of the new breed of fighters. He can strike, he can grapple, and with 5 wins in a row, a win over Shogun could very well catapult him into title contention.

This fight has ‘Fight of the Night’ honors written all over it. It’s a tough one to call, and I’d rather keep my mouth shut then look like a fool come this weekend.

Bout 11: 

Benson Henderson vs Nathan Diaz

Benson Henderson is a true warrior, having beaten some of the best lightweights the UFC has to offer such as Clay Guida and Frankie Edgar. His spirit is never lacking, his technique is sharp, and his gas tank is always full. He has the wrestling advantage going into this fight, and the ability to absorb shots taking in minimal damage, something that could come in handy for him against Diaz.

Diaz, since dropping back down to the lightweight division, has been on an absolute tear. He walked right through Takanori Gomi, both out-striking him and then submitting him by switching from a triangle choke to an armbar. He put on a boxing-clinic against the tough-as-nails Donald Cerrone, managing to pull Cerrone into his own world. And then he pulled Jim Miller into his own game, effectively out-boxing him and eventually putting on a nasty guillotine choke to secure the victory.

Henderson is the favorite here, and deservedly so. That said, Diaz has looked spectacular lately, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he could pull off a late submission. This fight could honestly go either way, so don’t blink.

Hanif Zainal Malaysias Newest Pro MMA Fighter

Hanif Zainal Malaysias Newest Pro MMA Fighter

Published on May 31, 2012 by The Sandman in Legend, NEWS

(What?! Another story from The Sandman? I’m like a mother fucking London bus, I tell you.)

Hanif Zainal ~ Legends Newest Signing and One of Malaysia’s Own

After Hanif Zainal’s first fight, people were eager to find out where this talented youngster trained. They asked him of course; and his answer was straightforward, “at a field near my house”.

You see Hanif isn’t just any MMA fighter. This is a Malaysian kid who grew up practicing Tae Kwon Do and started training MMA with his friends by mimicking Youtube videos. “ I would memorize a move then call my friends, teach them and roll with them,” he said.

Literally from the backyard to the big leagues, Hanif is now signed to Legend FC after only three professional fights (2-0-1). “I’m partly scared to be honest because of the bigger pressure there is. But I’m also happy and excited to finally get a chance to be on the big stage,” said Hanif.

He’ll make his Legend debut against Philippines’ Diego Cuenca at The Grand Hyatt Macau on 16th June at Legend FC 9. Despite only three fights under his belt, Hanif will be the more experienced fighter in the ring as his opponent will be making his professional debut. Hanif’s not taking anything for granted though.

“Although he has no professional record, he has been on tour with BJ Penn and he might be a really good fighter.

“I know he’s got a very good ground game; he received his purple belt in BJJ last year and I bet he’s improved even more by now.

“I’d definitely try to keep the fight standing. One thing I know for sure is not to mess with a BJJ practitioner on the ground.” he said.

Hanif has been working hard at Muayfit and also with the Wangsa Maju Warriors to prepare himself for this fight.

“My training is going on well with the help of the fighters at Muayfit and my other gym. My training has only changed with a few additional trainings with my boxing coach Piotr (Leib),” he added.

Originally a lightweight, Hanif is making the switch to featherweight which he believes is a weight class more suitable for him at this early stage in his career.

“It is something new for me (having to cut weight) but I have to get comfortable with it since I would have faced bigger opponents if I stayed in lightweight. That is what i don’t want early in my career.”

Hanif has a few idols in featherweight division such as Mark Striegl, The Korean Zombie Jung Chan-Sung and Jose Aldo. In MMA as a whole however, he looks up to Carlos Condit. He remarked, “Condit and GSP will be like a chess match. He’ll come up with some way to beat GSP; he always does.”

What is in the future for Hanif? UFC, maybe?

“I’m looking to dominate Asian MMA for now. Make my name well-known and keep on improving, move to a bigger league and make Asia proud.”

—-

Since The Editor and The Coffee Boy have been on my back to cover something other than SFL I’ve decided to add a little bit of UFC predictions section at the end of fighter interviews. So I asked Hanif…

Rich Franklin vs Wanderlei Silva at UFC 147

“I’m not too sure about Rich Franklin but I know Silva is gonna come up aggressive as he always does. So I guess it will be Silva winning it by knockout in the first round.”