WEC 47 Salaries: Joseph Benavidez Top Earner With $29K Payday
by Nick Thomas on Mar 8, 2010 4:13 PM EST
in MMA News
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According to the Ohio athletic commission (via mmafighting.com):
Televised Card:Plus the WEC 47 bonuses of $10,000:
Dominick Cruz ($9,000+$9,000=$18,000) def. Brian Bowles ($12,000)
Joseph Benavidez ($14,500+$14,500=$29,000) def. Miguel Torres ($26,000)
Javier Vazquez ($6,000+$6,000=$12,000) def. Jens Pulver ($14,000)
LC Davis ($9,000+$9,000=$18,000) def. Deividas Taurosevicius ($9,000)
Bart Palaszewski ($6,000+$6,000=$12,000) def. Karen Darabedyan ($4,000)
Preliminary Card:
Scott Jorgensen ($8,000+$8,000=$16,000) def. Chad George ($3,000)
Chad Mendes ($4,000+$4,000=$8,000) def. Erik Koch ($3,000)
Anthony Pettis ($3,000+$3,000=$6,000) def. Danny Castillo ($9,500)
Leonard Garcia ($14,000) fought George Roop ($3,000) to a split draw
Fredson Paixao ($2,000+$2,000=$4,000) def. Courtney Buck ($3,000)
Ricardo Lamas ($5,000+$5,000=$10,000) def. Bendy Casimir ($3,000)
Knockout of the Night - Anthony Pettis
Submission of the Night - Joseph Benavidez
Fight of the Night - George Roop vs. Leonard Garcia
HT: mmafighting.com
WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz coverage
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You know what strikes me as the biggest thing here. They are paying Garcia, Jorgensen, and Lamas alot ot be on the undercard. Leonard looks like he is one loss away from being let go. Too much money for what he has been delivering
Garcia has some quality wins in there and has lost a few to top notch guys. He lost to Brown and Gamburyan. I don’t know why they are matching him up with a guy like Roop to begin with and then putting that on undercard. That makes no sense.
Have to keep guys active.
And if they don’t have enough main card spots to give guys fights, they undercard them. It’s much better than no fight/paycheck at all.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Mar 8, 2010 2:27 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The other thing that stands out ...
Dominick Cruz ($9,000+$9,000=$18,000) def. Brian Bowles ($12,000)
That’s undercard money in the UFC!
█♣█
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who -- Jay-Z
No one is getting paid a lot of money here period. $276,500 is probably less than what the live arena gate grossed. Particularly glaring is that Fredson Paixao got $4,000 for winning, and will probably get no more than 3 fights this year. You can make $12,000 a year at In-N-Out Burger. Thank God for sponsors.
I don’t even think this is what they are getting paid. This seems a lot like step numbers. The numbers are published and it seems to me that the number only indicate where the guys are in the pecking order. Torres getting the most, pre-win. Seems like he gets more, just not submitted to the AC. The pay scale seems to even when normally its way more top heavy.
Some people think I am a dumb, ugly human being, but really I am a beautiful ape, with exceptional verbal skills.
You'd be surprised.
Talk to WEC fighters. They make way more from sponsorships than fights, and that’s from top to bottom.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Mar 8, 2010 2:46 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t doubt it. I wouldn’t be surprised at all. Being on TV means a lot and I would think the replays mean a lot also. But this list of salaries seems like a shell game.
Some people think I am a dumb, ugly human being, but really I am a beautiful ape, with exceptional verbal skills.
It's not.
And the WEC isn’t worth much to sponsors either. It’s so niche and the viewership is never casuals, who bring a lot more buying power than the core. UFC main card PPV fighters get better coin.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Mar 8, 2010 3:06 PM EST up reply actions
WEC is most certainly not all hardcore. It is still niche, but they have a bigger rating then UFC PPVs. But what is great on PPV would be a failure on cable.
Some people think I am a dumb, ugly human being, but really I am a beautiful ape, with exceptional verbal skills.
PPV and basic cable is a silly comparison to begin with, which I have to think you’re aware of.
However, if you’re going by total viewership, a big UFC PPV probably has more people watching it live (and I’m not even talking internationally) than an average WEC event does. First of all, PPVs are much more likely to have viewers splitting up the costs. You get a bunch of friends together and it’s more fun that way anyway. PPV numbers also don’t include people watching at bars, which is my viewing outlet of choice.
by Chromium on Mar 8, 2010 3:44 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, its not a great comparison. Just like you are saying, I watch PPVs with buddies, I watch WEC at home. But my non-hardcore fan freinds watch, they just don’t plan the weekend around it. but as far as exposure, WEC is a notch below UFC PPV and UFC on spike would be better then both. But a price per eyeball, the WEC would be likely the best value given the ratings and lack of brand/stars. A guess. And seeing these salaries its not out of the question that they make more from ass logos.
Some people think I am a dumb, ugly human being, but really I am a beautiful ape, with exceptional verbal skills.
I think it’s been made apparant over the years that the athletic commission’s payouts don’t tell us crap about what guys actually make but this is the WEC, it’s not going to be good. We don’t know what they make but I think it’s safe to say the guys in the WEC aren’t doing much better than what we see here(if at all). That’s just a function of the WEC being a secondary league on a crap cable network.
I love the WEC product and have been for the little guys to keep their own league and get their own recognition but the money just isn’t there at this level of promotion. I think more and more I have changed my opinion and am for them to merge into the UFC so these smaller fighters can get the respect (and money) they deserve. The WEC delivers a better product than the UFC does in a lot of ways, it’s a shame it’s stuck in cable tv’s armpit on Versus and relegated to being a second tier promotion.
I almost completely agree.
We don’t know what they make but I think it’s safe to say the guys in the WEC aren’t doing much better than what we see here(if at all). That’s just a function of the WEC being a secondary league on a crap cable network.
I can assure you they don’t make much, if anything, more than disclosed figures for WEC. They don’t get the locker room bonuses that the UFC hands out. And yes, it’s a function of being on a crap cable network, but also having such a thin roster to draw from.
he WEC delivers a better product than the UFC does in a lot of ways, it’s a shame it’s stuck in cable tv’s armpit on Versus and relegated to being a second tier promotion.
This is where I disagree slightly. The WEC doesn’t produce anything better than the UFC by any means. Pace, promotion, live experience, and commentary are either inferior to or simply on par with UFC. The fighters… they produce awesome action. That’s not the WEC’s job in any sense other than matchmaking, and I wholeheartedly believe that Joe Silva is capable of making sick fights with FW and BW guys.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Mar 8, 2010 5:28 PM EST up reply actions
I love the WEC product and have been for the little guys to keep their own league and get their own recognition but the money just isn’t there at this level of promotion. I think more and more I have changed my opinion and am for them to merge into the UFC so these smaller fighters can get the respect (and money) they deserve.
Saved me the trouble of writing anything,
No one is getting paid a lot of money here period. $276,500 is probably less than what the live arena gate grossed
Which would be great if the WEC regularly put 15K butts in the seats. But they don’t. They had to paper the shit out their last Vegas event to fill up a 1K venue. IIRC, they had around 800 paid attendance.
Zuffa makes a tidy little profit on shows like this one and the Sacramento shows, but they take a bath on the Vegas shows. I highly doubt they are raking in much profit (if any) once you add it all up.
Is there a financial reason for holding the shows in vegas? It seems like attendance wise they would do much better to bring the shows to new cities they havent been to before.
It's pitiful that WEIGHT = pay in fight sports
These guys put on the best shows and get paid shit given their worth. Put these guys under the UFC banner and they’d be super stars inside of a year. The UFC really needs to pick up BW and FW asap.
by JimJoe on Mar 8, 2010 2:35 PM EST via mobile reply actions
It's largely society's fault, though
Society is much less interested in seeing 135 pound men fight than 265 pound men fight. If people loved the bantams as much as the heavys, there wouldn’t be a pay discrepancy at all.
It could change
The most popular boxer in the world right now started his career fighting at 109 pounds, and most Americans wouldn’t know a Klitschko brother if he was serving them fries.
MMA is still young, and if a young guy like Jose Aldo keeps putting guys away and establishing real dominance at the lower weight classes, it could catch up.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
If there were a single talented, charismatic heavyweight out there
with a crowd pleasing style, PacMan wouldn’t be the most popular boxer in the world. It’s simply a matter of heavyweight being a gaping charisma black hole with all the eastern european fighters.
Ok, but
There have been several times in boxing when smaller guys have captured the public imagination. Before Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard was the most popular fighter in the world. I’m just saying that it’s not hopeless that the smaller weight classes rise in popularity as MMA continues it’s growth.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
Everyone
Everyone I’ve ever showed MMA to think the heavies are garbage. Some cats I’ve turned into casuals don’t know the top 5 heavies and think the best action is in the lighter classes. BJ, Ken-Flo, Guida, Alves, and GSP being easy sells.
MMA is specifically the sport that eliminates the biggie-size requirement. This point in western culture is perfect for selling action-packed martial arts that ain’t on wires and Zuffa should absolutely not fail to take advantage of it and let the most marketable guys in your sport make more than 26,000.
by asa on Mar 9, 2010 3:09 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It’s mostly an MMA phenomenon. Smaller guys in boxing make tens of millions of dollars in some cases. Masato was probably the most well paid fighter in K-1.
I feel bad for Torres.
One minute your on top of the world in talks about being P4P in the world. Two fights later and the guy who just beat you earned more.
by HappyLittleTreez on Mar 8, 2010 2:37 PM EST reply actions
Their pay is in direct relation to the organization they are in, the WEC isn’t even comparible to the UFC and really as far as coverage goes lags well behind Strikeforce too. If the WEC was making more money then these guys would be getting paid more money too. It’s not absurd what they make it’s readily apparent as to why their pay is what it is. If WEC could get a chunk of that PPV market and get onto a more viewed cable network then things would look up for these fighters but as of right now they aren’t even at a comparible level as fighters on UFC fight night cards as far as coverage and exposure goes. It’s a shame because the WEC has one of the best products out there, it’s just that very few people even know it exist.
I guess as Dana would say, I just don’t have what it takes to be a fighter. No way would I dream of fighting the competition these people are at the salary they’re getting. I understand they have other sources of income, but this just seems insulting…
"Well, yes, but I’m afraid I prematurely shot my wad on what was supposed to be a dry run, if you will, so now I’m afraid I have something of a mess on my hands." - Tobias Fünke
"There are just so many poorly chosen words in that sentence." - Michael Bluth
One of my favorite lines from the best TV show ever.
I wonder how many of the people on here whining about fighter pay have also whined about the upcoming wec show being on ppv.
by joshyboy708 on Mar 8, 2010 3:46 PM EST reply actions 10 recs
yup. you want me to pay $50 to see any of those fighters listed above fight? when i can already see it on cable?
yup.
by slantedwindows on Mar 8, 2010 4:08 PM EST up reply actions
The people who believe paying for one WEC PPV is going to dramatically affect fighter salaries are marks, through and through.
If the jump to ppv is sucessful, then it will long term. If it fails then they will go to the UFC, so that also will long term. Either way the pay for WEC fighters will go up. Maybe not for the PPV, but it will go up and the PPV is the trigger for that.
Some people think I am a dumb, ugly human being, but really I am a beautiful ape, with exceptional verbal skills.
The whole point of the first one is that it’s supposed to be a first not an only, if people don’t pay for the first then there won’t be a second and that lack of growth will dramatically affect fighter salaries in the future. That’s not being some kind mark that’s how how the system works. Without organizational growth there won’t be any real salary growth in the WEC.
I'm exactly one of those people.......
I think the fighters at 135 and 145lbs deserve the sponsor pay, recognition, and opportunity that comes with being a UFC fighter. If Zuffa didn’t own/control the WEC, I would support them fully with my dollars. However, I see the WEC PPV as an attempt by Zuffa to tap their loyal base just this one little time. Before we know it, it will be 4 and then 7 times a year. We’ll have PPVs coming out of our ass, and everything will be over saturated.
I just refuse to support this duality that Zuffa has going. Why do they maintain 2 155lb divisions!? It’s weird. Just open the WEC to every weight division, do smaller shows. Start 135 and 145 in the UFC and let the best fighters fight there.
Hell, make the WEC shows streamed live over the net for 10 bucks a month, do 1 a month. If you could do smaller arenas, and charge the stream fee you’d probably net more money on the month.
Making the WEC into an organization that regularly does PPVs (or let’s say like 3 a year to start), is really the only financial argument for not just merging it into the UFC. So I have no problem with it. For the sake of the fighters I hope they succeed on PPV.
But please, continue making baseless assumptions.
Making the WEC a separate brand
Suggests that they will be a second UFC-level entity. To pay and sponsor the fighters what they’d get in the UFC the second brand would have to draw the same level of recognition, ratings, media sensation and advertising clout that the UFC has. The UFC lost millions and had the benefit of being the first brand in North America on its road to the top spot.
Even a short-term success on PPV will take years to build up to what they already have. And as I hopefully alluded to above, isn’t likely to happen no matter how many of us are “real” fans.
Why are they wasting these fighters limited career time playing this gamble when they could bring them into the big leagues now and build something even bigger?
PS – the Versus deal has nothing to do with this. They could still make that UFC-lite with any classes they wanted, but bring the pro-level guys onto the pro-stage. No one in the know mentions bantamweights being exclusive to Versus, but definitely chime-in if you do know – this is driving me crazy.
by asa on Mar 9, 2010 3:33 AM EST up reply actions
It must be hard to be on an exclusive contract and getting paid peanuts.
Not that I condone facism or any ism for that matter. Isms are in my opinion, not good. A person shouldn't believe in an ism, he should believe in himself.
I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me". Good point there, after all he was the walrus. I could be the walrus. Wouldn't change the fact I have to bum rides off of people.
UFC should absorb WEC
This is a great argument for why. You need to have lighter weight guys on shows with heavyweight guys, so their athletic prowess stands out, and they benefit from the extra people Brock Lesnar brings to the arena.
█♣█
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who -- Jay-Z
Benavidez didn't deserve Submission of the Night
Even though Benavidez had a great finish, Javier Vazquez finish was much better and took much more skill to accomplish. The transition was sick!
There pay is ridiclious
Zuffa is telling us to support the wec by buying there ppv so that they can make more money.,Well why doesnt the wec just merge with the ufc this way they can make more money. Also by merging they will be able to do more fight nights on versus and spike. cuz they will have much more tallent. Some of the elite fighters of the wec will get more and we get more free mma, win win for everyone IMO.
Because the UFC already has more fighters than they know what to do with, adding 2 more weight classes is insane. Why people can’t seem to grasp that fact is beyond me, it’s never going to happen the WEC will either continue in it’s current state or it will go away it’s never going to merge so people need to get over that.
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