The Economics of MMA: Fight Night and the Sponsorship Game
by Jonathan Snowden on Sep 27, 2010 5:23 PM EDT
in Business of MMA
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Welcome to a series of stories focusing on the business side of MMA. We all love MMA action, the vicarious thrill of men and women doing battle. But the action behind the scenes is almost as fast and furious as anything that happens in the cage. We'll look at the backroom bonus, contract negotiations, and the pay per view bonus later this week. First, in the wake of the Matt Mitrione scandal, let's explore the revenue possibilities of sponsors.
When you're a fighter, everything is for sale. Whether it's a patch on your crotch or the shirt on your back, every piece of visible real estate has value for a fighter who is about to appear on television. The agent's job is to fill that space, maximizing income and building relationships for the future.
How much a fighter is worth to MMA apparel companies and other sponsors varies wildly. A popular fan favorite main event level fighter may make more than $100,000 every time he steps into the Octagon. Top fighters often have a yearly deal with a company like Tapout or Bad Boy, some that even pay them six figures annually. Big stars can also clear $10,000 per appearance in a night club or at a car dealership. The top deals are negotiated by a handful of managers/agents, notably Dean Albrecht (Quinton Jackson, Frank Mir, Miguel Torres, Demian Maia, Joe Stevenson), Robert Roveta (Denaro Sports) and DeWayne Zinkin (Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, AKA).
Main eventers without that kind of fanbase are likely to pocket $10,000 or less from their t-shirt sponsors. That number shrinks significantly as you move down the fight card. When you reach the untelevised undercard, many fighters are lucky to get $1,000, and are often paid by getting free gear and other perks from their sponsors.
For a fighter with guaranteed television exposure, income possibilities often depend on who your agent is. Many fighters, even big names, miss out on opportunities because they use family, friends from the gym, or unscrupulous young agents who don't know the game as well as old hands. One mid level fighter saw his sponsorship money jump from just over $5,000 to more than $40,000 when he switched management.
"It's not what you're worth," one prominent agent said. "It's what you can negotiate."
Each agent has a different approach. Some build brand loyalty and their fighters become closely associated with a particular company. Others, most prominently Chuck Liddell and Zinkin, negotiate everything on a fight by fight basis. While it's easy to pick out Liddell's iconic mohawk, it's harder to remember his t-shirts. Unlike athletes of his caliber in other sports, like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods with Nike, Liddell isn't associated with any brand. While per fight payouts may have been maximized, his success might have been at the expense of a long term relationship.
The main pieces of potentially lucrative real estate on a fighter's body are the t-shirt and the shorts. The T-shirt deal varies dramatically. Apparel companies want to see their brand and their product on television. That's why Matt Mitrione, who recently complained about receiving only $5000 in sponsorship revenue for his UFC 119 fight with Joey Beltran, wasn't in the best position to maximize income.
"He was on SPIKE TV," an MMA agent with several UFC clients told me. "While that's great exposure, it often doesn't come with a walkout. The fighters are usually shown for the first time in the cage. That's a harder sell."
A televised walk in to the arena, literally minutes of free advertising to a captive audience of hundreds of thousands of viewers, can increase t-shirt revenue for a televised fighter who isn't yet a star from $1,500 or $3,000 all the way up to $10,000. For sponsors, television time is critical. It's why you see fighters scrambling to put their t-shirts on after the fight. Several times fighters interviewed in the cage after a win by Joe Rogan have forgotten to put on all their gear. The result is the loss of thousands of dollars when penalties in your contract are invoked by a furious sponsor.
Fight shorts aren't a commercial product that companies are able to sell to the general public. What they are is a billboard for advertising that could appear in front of a television audience for up to 25 minutes. Short space is sold in four pieces: the crotch, the butt, and both thighs. The top agents have been able to score more than $30,000 per patch, but that's rare. For a television fighter who isn't a major star, the crotch and butt space are worth from $500-$2,000. Each thigh ranges from $250-1,500. Savvy agents can sell these spaces at a premium if they pitch it right.
"I represent one guy who is a great wrestler," an agent told me in confidence. "When I sell the space on his butt I tell the company 'Look, his ass is going to be in America's face for 15 minutes while he pounds on this guy.' That's incredibly valuable space."
Jonathan Snowden is the author of Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting and the upcoming The MMA Encyclopedia. Follow him on Twitter and right here at Bloody Elbow.
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“When I sell the space on his butt I tell the company ‘Look, his ass is going to be in America’s face for 15 minutes while he pounds on this guy.’
Pause.
Mayhem said that you are his idol.
Sakuraba: If he means it, he should demonstrate his respect. If he means it, he shouldn't punch me...If he does that during the fight, I'm gonna say "Hey, what you are doing right now is not even close to respecting me!" Then I'lI probably throw him on the judge's table.
by lowellthehammer on Sep 27, 2010 3:05 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
In before people complain about you not name names
This is a solid piece, hopefully more will come soon. I was unaware of how much space on shorts was valued, but I guess with some fighters space is worth more. Is there any reason a guy like CroCop doesn’t have sponsors? Or does he and just doesn’t have walkout shirts/advertisements on his shorts?
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Almost nobody is going to give out names and exact figures, some are available though.
And several agents, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have said the UFC occasionally pays its fighters bonuses it chooses not to announce to the public. These bonuses apparently go to fighters who perform superbly in a big fight.
Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre reportedly received a $500,000 bonus and a Hummer when he knocked out Matt Hughes at UFC 65 in Sacramento, Calif.
Additionally, fighting in the UFC makes an athlete significantly more attractive to a sponsor. Frank Mir made $85,000 for the logos he wore into the cage for his fight with Brock Lesnar that night. Had he been fighting in another organization, there’s zero chance he would have earned half that in sponsorship money and he likely wouldn’t have gotten 20 percent as much.
So Mir that night earned a base pay of $40,000, a win bonus of another $40,000, a submission of the night bonus of $60,000 and then hauled in $85,000 in sponsorship dollars.
He’s not going to be able to retire after that bout, but bringing in $225,000 for one night’s work isn’t bad at any time, especially in this economy. A fighter like Chuck Liddell is making around $6 million a year between his salary and his sponsorships and was making at least $9 million little more than a year ago. He was getting $75,000 a month from Xyience and received $1 million for just two weekends of promoting the movie, "300."
"The UFC will pay you if you perform," said fighter agent Dean Albrecht, Mir’s agent. "It’s like in the NFL. They’re not going to rip up your contract after one great game, but if you perform over a period of time, they’ll pay you and pay you extremely well. In the UFC, if you go out and fight and put on a great show, believe me, they pay extremely well and they can make some of these kids rich."
Albrecht said another of his clients, Joe Lauzon, earned $8,000 for his bout with Kenny Florian earlier this month on Ultimate Fight Night 13. He would have gotten an $8,000 bonus had he won. Albrecht conceded the pay was low, but it was mitigated by a $20,000 fight of the night bonus and $52,000 in sponsorship money Albrecht negotiated.
He said if Lauzon had been fighting in a regional promotion, he would have made $2,000 to show, gotten $2,000 had he won and may have picked up another $500 in sponsorship. Even in the best case scenario, then, he would have made less than $5,000.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ki-mmamailbag042908
by truck on Sep 27, 2010 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The part I find odious about Iole article is that he uses Mir for his defense of the UFC’s pay.
At UFC 81 Mir fought in what was basically the headlining or co-headlining match against Lesnar. He made $85,000 in endorsements for that fact. If he was lower on the card against a lesser known fighter he would have made less. Also, he includes the non guaranteed sub of the night as if that is something fighters could plan on. And then to top it off he ignored the fact that the UFC raked in over $20 mil in revenue for that fight and probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $8-10 mil in profits. So Mir’s $225,000 is good because it’s much better than anywhere else (were of course there revenue is a fraction of the UFC’s) and it doesn’t matter that he and the other fighters are getting such a small bite of the pie. A pie they’re baking.
A pie they are baking?
Had he been fighting in another organization, there’s zero chance he would have earned half that in sponsorship money and he likely wouldn’t have gotten 20 percent as much.
He said if Lauzon had been fighting in a regional promotion, he would have made $2,000 to show, gotten $2,000 had he won and may have picked up another $500 in sponsorship. Even in the best case scenario, then, he would have made less than $5,000.
Not afraid to nitpick
And why is that logo valuable? Because they have the best fighters. If every one of the UFC’s champs jumped to Dream or Strikeforce tomorrow do you think it would be as valuable. The fighters they have and the idea that are showing us the best of them plays a big part in that value.
Yep
So you’re saying the fighters benefit by fighting with the organization that contracts the other best fighters, right? I guess you can say the fighters bake the pie, but the UFC goes to the store and buys the ingredients.
Not afraid to nitpick
No, the UFC doesn't pay for training camps and gear.
But they own the biggest oven in town.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
It's almost like fighters wouldn't make nearly as much money if not for the UFC being run as a successful business!
Not afraid to nitpick
That's true
But they would probably be making a lot more if there was a second or third successful promotion out there competing for their services.
Historically untrue
Fighters in the UFC are making more now than they were when PRIDE was around.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
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by Derek Suboticki on Sep 28, 2010 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions
So? That’s probably because that was years ago when the sport had not grown to its current size? The only legitimate question is: would they have earned more AT THE TIME, if Pride had not been around. And “historically” in almost every other area of business, once companies start competing for talent, the contract conditions get better for said talent.
To save me some time on 25% of all threads, here's the universal answer to the Fedor-debate: Fedor is the most accomplished MMA fighter ever. That is a fact. If he still is the best fighter at this point in time is up for debate.
Why has pay gone up since actual free agent competition withered?
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Sep 28, 2010 2:40 AM EDT up reply actions
His article is about MMA purses vs Boxing purses and isn’t 100% relevant here.
I just thought it was interesting to see some actual numbers with names.
20 mil?
That show did around 650k buys, the UFC gets $20-22 per buy. Add the gate and they got around 17 mil.
Did the UFC make a bunch of money on the card? Most certainly so. Should they pay more than 20-25% of the show revenue?
Probably. But Zuffa runs it more like a regular business and in the real world, folks generally get paid based on market value. Ideally, we will see SF and others reach a point where they can consistantly make a profit and be able to compete for the services of more fighters.
Jon,
This is an excellent article. Well done! One thing that you missed was hats. Most of the guys also use hats to snag money. ..though certainly not as much as for other things.
I think the UFC gets close to 60% of all ppv revenue. Especially since they renegotiated their ppv deal and that is s a percentage that has been reported by several sources,. It also falls in line with the cut boxing gets and what In-demand movies make (up to 70%), If the number one ppv seller can’t do at least 60% then they are horrible at negotiations.
So $45 × 60% x 650,000 = $17,550,000 add the $2.4 mil gate and it’s $19.9 mil. And of course I didn’t even count the foreign rights, DVD sales, $10 extra for HD ppv, bars ppv licenses, advertising and tv rebroadcast. So we are talking easily more than $20 mil in revenue with costs, as Michael Rome nobly provided before leaving our good graces, of maybe $9 mil or $10 mil total for the show. That’s some incredible profit.
But my point isn’t to rail against Zuffa’s pay, but as you spelled out:
Probably. But Zuffa runs it more like a regular business and in the real world, folks generally get paid based on market value. Ideally, we will see SF and others reach a point where they can consistantly make a profit and be able to compete for the services of more fighters.
If you have read articles, not forum posts, that have reported the UFC getting 60%, please post links. Had they jumped that high, I would think either MMA Payout or Dave Meltzer would have reported it. Neither has, to my knownledge. Again, I would love to read any articles you know of.
In 2008, Zuffa signed a deal that reportedly got them a 50/50 split. It was pointed out at the time, that that was a good deal and Zuffa got it because they are a strong PPV money maker.
From MMA Payout:
The UFC has become a force with in the PPV industry, and with that comes a much better bargaining position when negotiating with PPV providers like InDemand as well as DirecTV, DishNetwork and others. While the UFC has been back on PPV since they attained regulation, for most of that time they have not drawn PPV buys on the level of boxing or professional wrestling. That changed after the The Ultimate Fighter premiered and the UFC has been able to sustain a high level of PPV buys over an extended time period. They have become a good earner for the PPV companies and with that comes the ability to get better terms for their PPV. While exact terms are not available, it is believed that the company is getting a 50/50 split under the new deal.
He usually wears Zvonimir Security T-Shirt, it is a company owned by his close friend and manager Zvonimir Lucic. The older guy always close to the ring and standing behind him on most occasions.
Why doesn’t he wear sponsor stuff I am not sure, but he is recognizable in those undies… it just might be the plain old superstition.
Still… if will walk into a ring for ludicrous sum of money against Mir (guesstimate for late replacement at UFC 119 in Croatian media is something over 1 million dollars) he might as well do it in Tapout shirt and cash in some extra.
by zombie_hobbes on Sep 27, 2010 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh yes
Big stars can also clear $10,000 per appearance in a night club or at a car dealership.
Get rid of the ramp!
by ihateemo on Sep 27, 2010 3:12 PM EDT reply actions 6 recs
LMAO exactly what I thought when I read that...
Glad to green this.
Fitch's only fan. It's lonely, being me.
kennyfuckinpowers straight outta calipornia
arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics... even if you win, you're still retarded!
Great article Snowden
More of this, interviews, history
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by Brian Hemminger on Sep 27, 2010 3:18 PM EDT reply actions
Bercher Sponsorship
This is my first post, but something I know something about which is very little. I’ve contacted fighters about sponsorship and this is what I was told. This particular discussion was with Alan Bercher when he was fighting overseas on one of the free Spike shows. His management wanted $8000 for my logo on his shirt, hat, banner and a shout out after the fight. There was a $5000 option which I think included everything but the shout out. I would say Alan is a good fighter, but not a superstar. I passed on the offer, but this is one break-out with a name.
my apologies
I was at work hurrying.. Alan Belcher.
In my experience they would have come down on that quite a bit. Some of the opening offers from these guys are nutty.
by Jonathan Snowden on Sep 27, 2010 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions
So looking at J-Snow's Twtter...
…I see some assclown who tells Jonathan his articles suck and has a petition on Facebook to have him fired (total number of people who “like” it: six). Sure, his opinion pieces can be inflammatory, but his points are always well-argued and well-written and generate discussion, which is vital for a site like this.
But it’s pieces like this that really make me glad Jonathan is part of the site. Great work.
Get rid of the ramp!
by ihateemo on Sep 27, 2010 3:33 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Fired from writing free material on the internet.
Really… That is already a win for Snowden.
by truck on Sep 27, 2010 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
OK Hold on...
Yesterday you wrote about how Mitrione proved that sponsorship money wasn’t all its cracked up to be. Yet in this article, you lead me to believe that a fighter on the main card can garner up to 10,000 (t-shirt)500 (2 thighs)2000(Crotch+Ass)=$12,500. And thats apparently low balling on your estimates.
Then you add in Club appearences, Which well say a average fighter might get 500 for showing up on a fight night….
Thats approx. $13,000, which is by no means a ton of money, but still a good chunk of change for most guys.
Add in what they might make for having seminars at MMA academies (I have no clue what they make), and these guys, while still not millionares, are earning some serious cash, along with their salary.
Standard disclaimers
- Taxes
- Training, traveling, living expenses
- Agent/manager cuts
That money disappears pretty fast, and that’s assuming they even make $13,000. Add that to show/win money which for undercard fighters is usually less than $20k/20k and…well.
Get rid of the ramp!
13k isn't much
When you consider these guys fight 3-4 times/year, MAX. These guys have a limited earning life and destroy their bodies in that process. Compare their salaries to a first year associate at a big law firm in a major city like NYC, LA, DC, Chicago, etc. ($160k/year with a $20k bonus plus benefits like health insurance, 401k contributions, etc.) and it becomes clear they’re not making very much in relation to their fame and revenue-generating ability.
And that’s not even considering the factors ihatemo listed below.
by Pantherhare on Sep 27, 2010 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Why would you compare
Their salaries to a first year associate at a big law firm? Lawyer’s charge by the hour, their pay is directly correlated to the amount of money they are bringing in to the law firm. Also, to get a job at a big law firm they had to spend way more hours studying, reading, writing for law review, etc…. than a fighter spends training. Not to mention the $100K + in debt most lawyers are in after paying for law school.
Also, everyone keeps mentioning taxes + training expenses. Fighters can write off their training and traveling expenses, so the more you train, the less taxes you pay.
by IWillPartyHard on Sep 28, 2010 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions
the mma hour was good today wasn’t it ;-)
by higgledy-piggledy on Sep 27, 2010 3:36 PM EDT reply actions
Mitrione's ex agent had some complaints
about your piece from yesterday
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I have my popcorn next to me already...this is gonna get good
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by Matthew Roth on Sep 27, 2010 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions
He did?
It sounded to me more like he was using the story to support what he HAD done for Mitrione. He quoted the average from the article as around $5K and said Mitrione had more than that when you factored in previously negotiated deals. I don’t recall him complaining about the piece but maybe I missed it.
Can someone summarize?
The MMA Hour video is currently not working for me.
by BurtBacharach on Sep 27, 2010 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Shari Spencer?
We know about GSP’s marketing potential etc., but I want to know what she gets for Frankie Edgar.
I wonder if she uses his lack of finishes as a selling feature.
Who else can you count on being in the ring wearing their trunks for 25 minutes almost every time?
by truck on Sep 27, 2010 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
Best part of this comment is the ambiguity.
True for GSP and Edgar.
Mayhem said that you are his idol.
Sakuraba: If he means it, he should demonstrate his respect. If he means it, he shouldn't punch me...If he does that during the fight, I'm gonna say "Hey, what you are doing right now is not even close to respecting me!" Then I'lI probably throw him on the judge's table.
by lowellthehammer on Sep 27, 2010 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions
BJ Penn quits on his stool!
Under Armour cannot be happy about this.
Mayhem said that you are his idol.
Sakuraba: If he means it, he should demonstrate his respect. If he means it, he shouldn't punch me...If he does that during the fight, I'm gonna say "Hey, what you are doing right now is not even close to respecting me!" Then I'lI probably throw him on the judge's table.
by lowellthehammer on Sep 27, 2010 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Fitch is a definite 15 minutes off ass logo airtime.
by MMAInFeRioRiTy on Sep 27, 2010 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions
What if...
…you have a particularly large ass, say, like, Mark Hunt? Shouldn’t you get paid more to be able to sport a larger patch?
"If I wanted to spend a half hour between two hairy legs I'd go to your mother's house." -Don Frye
To add some details on the sponsorship deals
- Fans might not realize but many of the deals are negotiated where the full payment is dependent on several contingencies. Such as
- did the fighter make the broadcast
- did they televise the walkout
- did the fighter win, allowing the him to wear the sponsors gear, show his banner a second time, and give a shout out. - Also many of the best, year round t-shirt deals are often predicated on a signature t-shirt. If the fighter will often receive a cut of those tees so if they ain’t selling…
- advertisers are becoming a little more savy to the mma phenomenon and like all other parts of marketing world, budgets are being cut. In the future less and less money will be directed at fighters, and those monies will be focused on a fewer and fewer identifiable fighters.
The TV part is also an even bigger problem with Strikeforce, where they are making hard to compete by not guaranteeing exposure. To not be guaranteed TV time is a huge pay cut for some of the fighters in Strikeforce.
I’m sure Snowden and pdl could offer more details than me, but I thought I should add something.
An interesting feature of the guaranteed TV time...
I have heard of agents for under card fighters making conditional agreements based on the fighter reaching the broadcast. Some agents mights sit on their hands if the fighter isn’t set for the televised show, others work out back up plans. A good agent is very important and there are probable very few elite agents in MMA.
The problem, as many will attest, is that there is generally not enough money in mma to draw good agents and managers. It’s not worth it for the good ones to focus on a few fighters who make a pittance of what an average NBA or MLB player makes.
And the ones that are in it often have a ton of clients and work in bulk, unable and unwilling to give the hands on care a lot of fighters need.
The business sucks.
Malki Kawa talked about being an agent for MMA vs. NFL on the MMA Hour. He said there’s a lot of competition in the NFL and also the power agents like Drew Rosenhaus who get the really big money guys. He said he realized he could do just as well representing MMA with 10 or 15 fighters as he could with the NFL players so he chose the MMA route.
That’s all good information. I think we are heading in a direction of a few guys getting most of the money. Kind of the way skill players in football get the bulk of the endorsement money.
by Jonathan Snowden on Sep 27, 2010 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Welcome to a series of stories focusing on the business side of MMA
Can’t wait for the next article.
After getting used to the insane amount of advertisements and logos in top level american mma, you start to notice the fighters that chose not be visibly sponsored. Cro cop for example typically don’t have any sponsors. For UFC 119 his shorts carried the croatian red-white checkered pattern and a japanese flag. On his t-shirt you could read the name of some croatian company in the security business, but I get the feeling Cro cop has got a personal connection to the company as he has during the years worn the same t-shirt on numerous occasions. He has also worn a Pride shirt for some of his fights in the UFC.
Every time champion!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztX2y9o4Wx4
Some people also have to realize that alot of this information is for UFC fighters solely. Guys in smaller shows basically make most of their money from sponsorships. Companies like Full Tilt Poker sponsors pretty much everyone in alot of KOTC shows and tends to pay 1K-2.5K and thats a huge percentage of fight income since undercard guys are getting paid as low as 600 bucks to some of the champions making 4K to show and 4K to win.
Then you have guys with pretty big names but in lighter weight classes fighting for local shows. Hometown companies will pay anywhere between 8K-10K for that fighter to take their gear into new markets while the fighter makes in the 10K-15K range to fight.
So, essentially each case can be deemed unique in terms of assessing the money situation.
Some people also have to realize that alot of this information is for UFC fighters solely.
This story is UFC centric. For the most part, Strikeforce fighters can do well for televised cards, but the production there is also bad about showing walkouts….
by Jonathan Snowden on Sep 27, 2010 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions
No I know that but I was just saying its very very different when you get out of the biggest MMA organization in the world. Sponsorship money in my opinion starts to mean more to fighters and their careers.
by EvolutionMMA on Sep 27, 2010 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s something Showtime and CBS should be working with Strikeforce on. It’s an area they could help them compete for talent with the UFC. By guaranteeing walkouts being aired, by recording one or two prelims per card and guaranteeing at least a highlight video with walkout gear and intro banner being shown, and by making sure they have at least five guaranteed aired fights per card they could be making the pot a lot sweeter for a lot of their fighters.
I would love to know how stats like this compare to fighter that are on Team Takedown. Those guys don’t have to worry about paying for any gym memberships or training camp guys, and in turn their management gets 1/2 of their fight purse. But what about sponsorships?
Also, I wonder why more MMA camps haven’t started doing this type of business
A+
Entertaining and informative, I like it much better when you write stories like this as opposed to the National Enquirer style overly dramatic stuff(although the other stuff probably gets more attention).
by who me on Sep 27, 2010 4:27 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Why on earth...
…release that weak-ass Mitrione article if you had this already almost ready to go (I’m assuming you didn’t just whip that up)?
Anyways, this was interesting, had some concrete numbers and was well worth the read. I don’t get why these agents can’t discuss their work publicly (don’t they want new clients?), but it is a lot easier to just trust you on this than it was with the other article.
Thanks for releasing that so quickly and restoring my recently established faith that you do deliver quite unique stuff if you really want to.
To save me some time on 25% of all threads, here's the universal answer to the Fedor-debate: Fedor is the most accomplished MMA fighter ever. That is a fact. If he still is the best fighter at this point in time is up for debate.
A popular fan favorite main event level fighter may make more than $100,000 every time he steps into the Octagon. Top fighters often have a yearly deal with a company like Tapout or Bad Boy, some that even pay them six figures annually.
To save me some time on 25% of all threads, here's the universal answer to the Fedor-debate: Fedor is the most accomplished MMA fighter ever. That is a fact. If he still is the best fighter at this point in time is up for debate.
Grrr…quote killed my comment. So, again:
If the guy gets 100.000 every time he steps in the Octagon, he’s already making six figures. So I guess you mean seven figures annually (1 million+)?
To save me some time on 25% of all threads, here's the universal answer to the Fedor-debate: Fedor is the most accomplished MMA fighter ever. That is a fact. If he still is the best fighter at this point in time is up for debate.
Sorry if that’s not clear. A select few fighters can make six figures from a t-shirt company annually. The $100,000 a fight figure includes shirt, shorts, patches, hats, banner, etc.
by Jonathan Snowden on Sep 27, 2010 7:05 PM EDT up reply actions
good reporting
love getting a look at the inner workings of the business.
█♣█
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who -- Jay-Z
“I represent one guy who is a great wrestler,” an agent told me in confidence. “When I sell the space on his butt I tell the company ‘Look, his ass is going to be in America’s face for 15 minutes while he pounds on this guy.’ That’s incredibly valuable space.”
Somewhere a Condom Depot ad buyer is nodding with understanding.
█♣█
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who -- Jay-Z
by thetakeover on Sep 27, 2010 5:53 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Good article. I'd rec it if that was necessary... You seem to get enough attention as it is, though. :P
Fitch's only fan. It's lonely, being me.
Good Work, Snowden
This is the start of a very good and possibly very important and in-depth series of merit. Of course, the few readers who only like to read about nipple tweaking and the like may be disappointed, but the majority like the nonsensical in proportion to the serious.
Good article, Snowden.
Very interesting stuff. I really like pieces like this that shine some light on the inner workings of the business. Much appreciated. And you had this ready to go? Yesterday’s thing on Mitrione got everyone frothing and screaming for more detail, and then…today comes the payoff. Bait and then the billy club. Diabolical!
What's this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power, but two?
by Kwisatz Haderach on Sep 28, 2010 12:24 AM EDT reply actions
interesting
I used to work in advertising and the metrics was always fun. I think there is probably more that a fighter can do for their personal brand.
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