Payouts for Nick Diaz vs. Frank Shamrock
via MMAJunkie:
Nick Diaz: $39,950 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Frank Shamrock: $369,790
Gilbert Melendez: $49,890 (no win bonus)
def. Rodrigo Damm: $9,190
Scott Smith: $49,940 (includes $25,000 win bonus)
def. Benji Radach: $16,940
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos: $18,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Hitomi Akano: $1,450
Brett Rogers: $39,940 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
def. Ron "Abongo" Humphrey: $3,205
Luke Rockhold: $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus)
def. Buck Meredith: $1,540
Eric Lawson: $9,950 (includes $2,000 win bonus)
def. Waylon Kennell: $1,950
Raul Castillo: $7,890 (includes $3,500 win bonus)
def. Brandon Michaels: $1,500
James Terry: $3,940 (includes $2,000 win bonus)
def. Zak Bucia: $1,500
Shingo Kohara: $940 (no win bonus)
def. Jeremy Tavares: $940
Total Payout: $634,415
Attendance: 15, 211
Gate: $750,000 approx.
11 months ago
Eugene Schelfaut
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Not to bad...
For the new and improved Strikeforce, if it wasn’t for Frank, they would made a nice chunk of money, but they still should have broke even.
by kyfm621 on Apr 14, 2009 8:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
With all the 39,950 type numbers makes u think they are saving a few bucks here and there lol. But seriously way to overpay a fighter! No disrespect to Frank but i think hes worth in the 150k range.
by Rensokuken on Apr 14, 2009 8:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Frank is an incredible local draw, and has done some of the best non-UFC television ratings. I believe he was worth every penny. They signed this deal hoping he might win and then they could get him and Tito, a match that would have easily justified the salary. It didn’t work, but it was a good bet.
They also get a rights fee from Showtime, the gate is not the only money they make. My impression is that the rights fee is in the 400-500k range. Given the low amount they had to pay for the arena (since their investors own it), and the fact that Showtime covers production, I think they broke even at worst or made a little money. For a first show in this day and age it’s not bad at all.
by Michael Rome on Apr 14, 2009 8:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Do you know any of the details of Frank’s deal? I’m assuming his purse is tied directly to the live gate.
by smoogy on Apr 14, 2009 8:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I know of his old deal, which was already pretty high. I assume it’s a base + percentage. The deal he had in elite was a base + % of the PPV, which obviously doesn’t apply here, maybe they reached a deal where they’d apply a percentage to attendance. However, I’m not sure, because under his old deal he made 200k first year as base, 300k second year, 400k third year. I assume this counts as the second year.
by Michael Rome on Apr 14, 2009 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Woah, so this could be Shamrock’s base pay only?
Frank said that he and Cung split half of the gate for their fight, if I recall correctly.
by smoogy on Apr 14, 2009 9:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If they took the deal directly from Elite, then yes, it could be his base pay. But I never saw him say what you said, that makes a lot more sense given the gate and Strikeforce’s history with Frank.
by Michael Rome on Apr 14, 2009 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why does a Shamrock loss rule out Ortiz-Shamrock?
After all, Ortiz too is coming off a loss, to Machida. And before that, a draw with Evans and another loss to Liddell. That’s worse than Shamrock’s record of 1-2 in his last 3 fights, against Renzo, Baroni and Le.
Sure, a fresh loss detracts from the luster of a grudge match, but not always. Take Liddell vs W.Silva, with both fighters coming off not 1 but 2 consecutive losses each: to Jackson and Jardine for Lidell, to CroCop and Henderson, for Silva. Another example is Serra vs Hughes. Serra comes off a loss to St-Pierre while Hughes tries to recover from two losses, to Alves and St-Pierre.
by klown on Apr 15, 2009 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Honestly, I agree, but Coker explicitly ruled it out at the press conference. Maybe they’ll change their mind.
by Michael Rome on Apr 15, 2009 1:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Franks last big pay day
I hope he can save it and it doesn’t go to debt…
whatever happened to his TV show?
by banter on Apr 14, 2009 8:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Akano only got $1450? Is that including the money she’s supposed to get from Cyborg?
by asmiley420 on Apr 14, 2009 8:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
She got paid a bunch in extra bonus from Strikeforce to take the fight, and it doesn’t appear to include the amount from Cyborg, since that alone would be higher.
by Michael Rome on Apr 14, 2009 8:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Whatever extra she gets she earned it.
by who me on Apr 14, 2009 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
With the heart she showed ill sent her $100 if i knew her address. Thats like me lasting 2+ rounds with Lesnar.
by Rensokuken on Apr 14, 2009 9:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They should start an Akano fund :)
Seriously, if you can’t make weight you should not get a win bonus.
by zeroword on Apr 14, 2009 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No wonder she was holding out to go on with the fight, it’s not like she was losing a lot if she didn’t fight and she had a ton to gain.
by ufc4 on Apr 14, 2009 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Even if it doesn’t include the “backroom bonus” to agree to this gross mismatch, or the money fined out of Cyborg’s purse, it’s still disgusting that Akano’s initial pay was $1,450.
by klown on Apr 15, 2009 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No one’s forcing her to fight for that much?
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
by Mike Fagan on Apr 15, 2009 3:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep she is the one who agreed to it, of course she might of been paid in a signing fee to avoid US taxes for all we know too. One thing we all should of learned by now is that these athletic commission payout list never tell us the true story on fighter pay.
Still for what she had to go though in that mess she deserves all she can get out of it.
by who me on Apr 15, 2009 3:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Strikeforce Payout
I hope Kimbo Slice isn’t getting 6 figures. Please don’t make Elitexc mistakes,in over paying hasbeens, and never was guys.
by TERRENCEFROMSOUTHEAST on Apr 14, 2009 8:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Shingo Kohara: $940 (no win bonus)
def. Jeremy Tavares: $940
Wow! These guys would make more money selling blood plasma instead of training! I know they get sponsor money, but this seems ungodly low. And how does someone end up with a contract for $940 a fight, with no win bonus? Weird.
by cmsove on Apr 14, 2009 8:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Don’t forget this was Kohara’s debut.
http://www.fourouncestofreedom.com
by Beer Monster on Apr 14, 2009 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
940$ seriously? Those guys would need to fight twice a month.
by spectaa on Apr 14, 2009 8:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Let’s go with that. $940 × 2 fights per month = $1,880.
$1,880×12 = $22,560
No way. That’s a ridiculously low amount of money. No fighter could live off so little. And that’s working off the assumption they’ll fight 24 times a year. Now imagine how little these guys actually make.
I wonder how much they receive in sponsorship money. It can’t be much considering the fact that they’re on the Strikeforce undercard.
by cmsove on Apr 14, 2009 9:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They cant. Fighters at that level work other jobs.
by Michael Rome on Apr 14, 2009 9:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Being on a Strikeforce undercard isn’t making it in the sport it’s local guys trying to get experience and a shot at getting on the real show.
by who me on Apr 14, 2009 9:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I have to wonder at why Scott Smith and Brett Rogers are making more money than Nick Diaz.
by who me on Apr 14, 2009 8:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Most of these contracts were just transferred over from Elite. I imagine these questions are more easily answered once you realize that.
by Michael Rome on Apr 14, 2009 9:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh I figured they were transfered over but that is part of what made me wonder about that, I thought EliteXC was crazy about Nick Diaz.
by who me on Apr 14, 2009 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m sure part of it, particularly in regards to Rogers, is weight class. Decent heavyweights tend to make good money simply because they are so scarce. Lightweights (which is the weight Diaz was fighting at when he signed that deal) tend to make next to nothing unless their name is BJ Penn.
by Steve4192 on Apr 15, 2009 7:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It still seems odd though. Wasn’t one of Noons’ major points of contention that he didn’t want to get paid less than Diaz because he was the champion. And he got 60k for his last fight with elite xc.
Maybe the main thing to take away from this is that these numbers are useless.
by Phildo on Apr 15, 2009 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Its also brutal to think of how many guys (and girls) would have beat Shamrock on that night and got paid pennies in comparison.
I dislike Matt Hughes.
by MonkeyCHops on Apr 14, 2009 9:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, but then think how many people would be there to see it if Frank hadn;t been fighting, then it makes alot more sense.
by ufc4 on Apr 14, 2009 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Tito Ortiz will be the new Frank Shamrock…
Fighting bums for a payday… and if they run out of bums – he’ll try to find guys 2 weight classes below his and will probably still get his ass kicked – following franks legacy to a “T”.
by mmalogic on Apr 14, 2009 9:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Cant blame him. Bottom line is Tito likes the spotlight, winning, and money. You can tell he’s not like GSP or Anderson, being the best fighter in the world isnt the most important thing to him. Strikeforce should be able to provide him with what hes looking for.
by Michael Rome on Apr 14, 2009 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sounds like wishful thinking. I think Cung Le vs. Tito Ortiz has more big money potential than the Shamrock fight ever did, if they market it correctly.
by smoogy on Apr 14, 2009 9:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Would Cung come up to 205 or would Tito cut off a leg to make 185? Doesn’t seem like a practical fight, no?
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
by Mike Fagan on Apr 15, 2009 3:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I assume Cung would have to come up. He’d be way overmatched, and he’s not really great at promoting fights.
Ironically, Frank/Tito would still do huge business. You can easily rebuild Frank, he is great with pre-fight promos, and the fight would still draw casual fans.
by Michael Rome on Apr 15, 2009 4:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
he is great with pre-fight promos
If you mean the little viral videos and such, yeah those were cool. But I can’t be the only one who thought that the heat and trash talk for this one didn’t really materialize.
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR
by Rundownloser on Apr 15, 2009 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
With the exception of Cesar Gracie, what ‘bums’ has Shamrock fought during his comeback? Renzo Gracie, Phil Baroni, Cung Le, & Nick Diaz are hardly what I would call ‘bums’.
by Steve4192 on Apr 15, 2009 7:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think Cyborg and Akano should have to switch salaries.
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." - Sir Winston Churchill
by FlyByKnight on Apr 14, 2009 9:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Akano got paid much more than what was reported here.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Apr 14, 2009 9:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Of course, one can now imagine the offers friday night.
“We’ll give you triple your pay!”
“Thanks a lot, this could cover 2 months rent.”
Strikeforce is operating a business in a very tough environment, salaries are low because they have to be. The amount Frank made adds another dimension to the Carano debate on what she’s worth. Gina is far more valuable than Frank, but she’s a woman. They need her to get a CBS show, and she is the crucial ingredient to their most lucrative fight. She should be making this much per fight at least. Will she? My guess is no.
by Michael Rome on Apr 14, 2009 9:20 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Reading the responses i was thinking the same thing, comparing Kimbo and Gina, just trying to think if they paid Frank this much what would they get? Wow, what would Tito get? I know for a fact hes after a huge payday.
by Rensokuken on Apr 14, 2009 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
On the other hand
Frank could fight for anyone. Strikeforce is the only major MMA company that employs female fighters.
by Phantom Of Krankor on Apr 14, 2009 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I would pretty much guarantee Carano won’t make that much. If you guys think Diaz was underpaid here think about how Gina was making only $25,000 per with EXC. I agree she’s worth more than Frank but there’s no way she get a raise of over $300,000 a fight. My guess is she gets somewhere between $150 and $200K.
by ufc4 on Apr 14, 2009 11:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Intuitively, that still seems way too high to me. Where else is she going to fight? She can always sit out, but she misses out on the exposure, endorsements, etc. I would guess she makes a base between $50k-80k and shaded towards the low end.
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
by Mike Fagan on Apr 15, 2009 3:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
She could fight in Japan, take a myriad of acting offers on the table, or fight her contract and go to the UFC where they’ve made it clearly obvious they want her. The thing is, Gina has a ton of money and wants to fight Cyborg. I suspect that will be the main factor in finishing this deal.
I’d say the only reason it sounds intuitively too high is because she has been so underpaid in the past. To put it clearly, Strikeforce’s only hope of getting a CBS show in 2009 is signing Gina Carano. What is that worth to them? It should be a lot. I think she’ll probably end up signing for something like 100,000 per fight + other benefits, such as freedom to do a number of projects without giving up a cut like elite demanded, and a number of other non-fight issues that have very high value of their own.
by Michael Rome on Apr 15, 2009 4:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m pretty sure that female fighters in Japan make diddly-squat. Hence the reason why experienced fighters like Takahashi & Akano have been willing to fight Cyborg for a hill of beans. I know Roxi Modafferi has to work a full time job to pay her bills despite being one of the top five 135 pounders in the world.
by Steve4192 on Apr 15, 2009 7:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Disproportionate Payouts
Someone should do a Fanpost on Disproportionate Payouts for dudes who lose bad to guys that get paid a lot less money. Exhibit A:
Nick Diaz: $39,950 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Frank Shamrock: $369,790
Has there been a more Disproportionate Payout in MMA? Maybe Kimbo vs. Seth Petruzelli?
"It's like a flying knuckle sandwich." --Rogan
"And many men have eaten it." -- Goldy
by thetakeover on Apr 15, 2009 12:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
but to be fair that seth was a late replacement..
i think the biggest difference in payouts was chuck liddell vs keith jardine..
by Anton Tabuena on Apr 15, 2009 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m lazy, but I’m sure the reported numbers on Liddell/Jardine are more one-sided.
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
by Mike Fagan on Apr 15, 2009 3:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mir-Lesnar is also up there.
IIRC Frank was making around 40/40 and Lesnar was in the 250-300 range.
by Steve4192 on Apr 15, 2009 7:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Chuck got 500k, jardine got 7k to show 7k to win.
by Anton Tabuena on Apr 15, 2009 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Jardine said the UFC “took care of him” but yea as far as athletic commission reports go that was about the worst as Keith Jardine was still on his TUF contract at that time.
by who me on Apr 15, 2009 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
uhh both guys get paid big bucks.. i dont think you can categorize that with chuck/jardine, shamrock/diaz, etc..
by Anton Tabuena on Apr 15, 2009 8:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you could probably even consider that as one of the highest salaries on a fight..
probably next to chuck vs tito and close to chuck vs randy..
by Anton Tabuena on Apr 15, 2009 8:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm sure they did both get paid well.
But Randy was getting in on the back end, ie. PVP money…so comparatively whatever Lensar was getting was probably dwarfed by Couture’s take.
by Razreshat on Apr 15, 2009 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Brock gets a back end PPV cut too.
by Michael Rome on Apr 15, 2009 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Karma is a B. Seth ruined EliteXC and Nick destroyed the home town hero.
by Dropkick434 on Apr 15, 2009 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
For starters, I sure do hope Akano was paid a heckuva lot more than reported here. Then again, I don’t see her getting ten times the reported amount – and even if she did, she’d still have earned less than Santos.
The real problem is that Santos came in GROSSLY overweight and still made the win bonus. Yeah, she did win, but I wouldn’t exactly call it fair and square. If you can’t make weight, you should be forced to kiss your bonuses goodbye.
by lhasafi on Apr 15, 2009 1:18 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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