Light Heavyweights Rule UFC Pay Scale

by Mike Fagan on Jul 8, 2011 1:09 PM EDT in MMA Statistics

BOSTON - AUGUST 28: Marcus Davis fights against Nate Diaz during their UFC welterweight bout at the TD Garden on August 28 2010 in Boston Massachusetts. (Photo by Michael Heiman/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Purse information from UFC 132 once again highlighted the disparity in pay between guys like Tito Ortiz and Wanderlei Silva compared to bantamweight headliners Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber. Some of the disparity results from Ortiz and Silva being PPV stars. Some of it is a product of Cruz and Faber likely having their WEC contracts carried over after the assimilation into the UFC.

But there's also the issue of Silva and Ortiz both having 50+ pounds on their bantamweight counterparts.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao may have established themselves as the biggest money makers in boxing, but in the UFC, according to guaranteed base pay, the more you weigh, the more you get paid.

The follow table includes data from every UFC pay-per-view show in states that report purse information, all the way back to UFC 73. The numbers represent base pay only. No win bonuses. No fight night bonuses. And, obviously, no unreported bonuses or PPV percentages.

	Mean	Median	Max	Min
265	66429	21000	500000	4000
205	75125	25000	500000	3000
185	31144	17000	275000	4000
170	24483	15000	200000	3000
155	16730	12000	150000	3000

I eliminated bantam- and featherweights for obvious reasons. Max and min represent the highest and lowest figures in each weight class.

There's an obvious correlation as you move from lightweight to light heavyweight. Then the numbers dip at heavyweight. The intuitive explanation is that light heavyweight has been the UFC's marquee division historically, and the heavyweight division was a weak point in the company until the UFC signed the likes of Mirko Filipovic, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Brock Lesnar.

This is by no means a groundbreaking find; the results are predictable, but I've never seen the numbers laid out in this manner. I've got some other ideas in mind, though, so consider this a jumping-off point.

Tweet Comment 47 comments | 3 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

interesting article

Glad to hear this is the start of other articles around pay scale and some of this. It is interesting that the minimum pay across the board is relatively close (of course to most of us $1000 difference is a big deal), but the difference in maximum pay is as large as it is. I’m guessing HWY is Brock which would be a bit of an excpetion, but seeing the top 5 or 10 of each class will be interesting to see the disparity

by mo dogg on Jul 8, 2011 1:06 PM EDT reply actions

I’d be curious what it looks like among active fighters currently (and maybe leave out Tito too).

Couture + Liddell sway those numbers a bit :).

by Diz D on Jul 8, 2011 1:11 PM EDT reply actions

Agree.

If Liddel, Chuck, and Tito are included in this then LHW is swayed big time.

Goldmember: A shmoke und a pancake. You know, a flapjack und a shigarette? No? Shigar und a waffle? No? Pipe und a crepe? No? Bong und a blintz? No? Well, then there ish no pleashing you.

by RJshock 305 on Jul 8, 2011 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions

"Liddel, Chuck..."

:O A Chuck Liddel doppleganger!!!

Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!

by SentientAndroid on Jul 8, 2011 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Chocolate Al?

Read me trying to be funny at:

www.huggingnuts.com

by esquilinho on Jul 8, 2011 1:22 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

CHOCOLATE AL!

by Body Triangle on Jul 8, 2011 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

too big of a deal out of couture/liddell/ortz

why not take matt hughes, and GSP out of the welterweight numbers then? those guys have huge sway over WW mean pay. You take out liddell/ortiz, you’re still left with a LOT of guys who have made base pay $100K or more per fight @ LHW – rampage, shogun, evans, wanderlei silva, forrest griffin, Lyoto Machida and even Hendo’s stint there

by toodiesel on Jul 8, 2011 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions

hughes and gsp are still active

it wasn’t just about eliminating big moneymakers. liddell is retired and ortiz very rarely fights.

by Cunny on Jul 8, 2011 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Very interesting article. Like you say, there’s nothing really surprising in there, but I can’t remember seeing it laid out like this before.

Good stuff.

"A champion is someone who gets up when he can't." - Jack Dempsey

by Jack.Barrington on Jul 8, 2011 1:12 PM EDT reply actions

The one thing probably keeping the HW payouts lower than LHW is the fact that some of the highest paid fighters in that division are fighting in Strikeforce. Fedor, Overeem. Werdum, Bigfoot Silva, Barnett and even Arlovski and Rogers before being let go. are all obviously making much, much more than the average HW.

by John Nash on Jul 8, 2011 1:19 PM EDT reply actions

Perhaps you could add information about your sample size in each weight class?

Also, perhaps indicate how many of the PPV events were included in your numbers, since fight purses aren’t reported in all jurisdictions?

Also, why not survey the pay on the non-PPV fights and include that in the statistics? A lot of fighters who appear on PPVs also fight on “fight night” cards at lower pay, which affects the mean and median, I’m sure.

Thanks for the info.

.....

Cutting down to 145 to avoid the great comments at 155.

by Scabby Knuckle on Jul 8, 2011 1:21 PM EDT reply actions

ha ha !! @ small people.

Wait….. I am a middle weight….:-(

"Many have the will to win. Few have to will to prepare to win."

" A black belt only covers 2 inches of your ass. The rest is up to you." - Royce Gracie
"Wanderlei eventually got to his feet and stalked Fujita like a Japanese octopus in an all-female prison." - Sean Baby Cracked.com

by the-gentle-way on Jul 8, 2011 1:23 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

I'm a bantamweight

by Shaun32887 on Jul 8, 2011 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I’ve recently made the cut to light heavyweight from a very rotund Roy Nelson-esque shape, so I’m pleased to be amongst the top earning weight class.

This chart does extend to 20-something finance analysts who are part time MMA bloggers, right?

Fight Rankings - I don't know more about MMA than you, but I'll certainly pretend that I do.

Follow me on Twitter @FightRankings

by krcampbell on Jul 8, 2011 1:26 PM EDT reply actions

Finance analysts are considered outliers*.

(*not the same as being called “outright liars”)

.....

Cutting down to 145 to avoid the great comments at 155.

by Scabby Knuckle on Jul 8, 2011 1:28 PM EDT reply actions

oops, meant that as a reply to krcampbell^

.....

Cutting down to 145 to avoid the great comments at 155.

by Scabby Knuckle on Jul 8, 2011 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for compiling the numbers, been interested in this.

Could you tell us who the top and bottom earners in each division are?

by Magaca on Jul 8, 2011 1:33 PM EDT reply actions

“I eliminated bantam- and featherweights for obvious reasons.”

Because they are boring and nobody cares about them?

(kidding)

Great write-up. Thank you for doing the number crunching.

I’m not surprised at the disparities – HW and LHW have lots of well-known, selling personalities, while MW and WW have only a few. Most people can name ten LHWs – I’m not sure the same can be said for MW or WW.

"Very broken in his right hand is Martin Kampmann"

"This is the internet: you either have soul-stopping power or you’re a pillow-fisted pansy. There is no middle ground." - woomikee

by outlander78 on Jul 8, 2011 1:35 PM EDT reply actions

When I get pumped for a card or a fight it’s usually a LHW or HW fight. Those fights get me the most pumped.
I would also like to see this data compared to finishing rates and KO rates (I’ve seen that chart before). I bet HW & LHW have the most finishes. It makes sense that the two classes with the highest finishing rates would get paid the most because that’s what most people want to see.

I hope I didn’t steal an idea from your upcomming article.

If you can't wow them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit.

by DayGeaux on Jul 8, 2011 1:35 PM EDT reply actions

The pay correlates inversely with the level of talent, imo

I think there is a deeper level of talent in MMA as you go to the lighter weight classes (just simply comparing the LW roster to the HW roster bears this out).

I opine that the reason for this is that a 6’2" 215 lb athletic stud is not going to turn to MMA for a living when there are more lucrative athletic pursuits available (football or baseball) that don’t involve getting punched in the face.

But if you are an athletic 5"6 165 lber, there aren’t that many sporting options available to you outside of wrestling and then going into MMA.

However, I think the casual fans want to see bigger guys fight, hence the pay rates.

by Darkknight95 on Jul 8, 2011 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

I think it's also just that there are plain more people that fit the LW / WW / MW frame walking around

At least, someone once postulated that here on BE — that population data height-wise actually supports the relative scarcity of great LHWs / HWs (weight would be wildly inaccurate to look at, since your average Joe walks around at Nelsonweight for his frame).

That’s a really good point about the opportunities afforded bigger athletes in general, though.

Whatever the case, it’s absolutely right that there’s way less good LHWs in the mma world right now than LWs — that pay jump makes sense from a competitive standpoint just regarding the size of the talent pools respectively.

by LBo on Jul 8, 2011 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Also, the mean/median difference is interesting

I’m not a statistical genius by any means, so maybe someone can break down those numbers a bit better.

But the median pay difference is not as pronounced as you go down in weight as is the mean difference.

So I think this means that as you go up in weight class, there are more “super-elite” fighters that get so much more pay than their counterparts (not just in lower weight classes but their counterparts in the same weight class)

I’m also guessing just the number of fighters the UFC has in each weight class increases as you get lighter, so that probably has an effect on these numbers too.

by Darkknight95 on Jul 8, 2011 1:49 PM EDT reply actions

good observation

the differnces between mean and median suggests that as you go up in weight the numbers are more and more skewed by a few highly paid fighters.

The difference between mean and median for LHW & HW are gretaer than 300%.

For MW, WW, LW it is less than 200%.

This suggest, imo, that the more established weight classes have the more more established and higher paid stars.

I wonder what the numbers would look like if you excluded the top 5 highest paid fighters in each weight class.

by ecost on Jul 8, 2011 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

1. I think the numbers will always skew a bit toward the heavier weight classes because of the visceral feeling of seeing the big boys bang (see the fight of the night debate for UFC 131 munoz/maia vs. herman/einemo)

2. The sport is still young and maturing while boxing has been around for hundreds of years (thousands?). Plus, Mayweather and Pacquiao are outliers. I think over time the most money will go to the most exciting fighters, regardless of weight class.

3. With the sport growing so fast, the most money has been made in the last few years and in that time LHW has arguably been the most exciting weight class with many top contenders and nobody being able to hold the belt for long.

4. From a UFC perspective, isn’t LHW the first weight class (other than open weight)? So, it is the most established.

I would be curious to see to what degree large paydays are “retroactive”. Many of the big paydays seem to go to established stars who are past their prime.

by ecost on Jul 8, 2011 1:57 PM EDT reply actions

As far as boxing

I thought traditionally it has been the bigger boys that have attracted more attention and gotten more pay- Ali, Foreman, Tyson, Lewis, etc.

Seems like Mayweather / Pacquiao are dominating a boxing landscape that has a dearth of interesting/ marketable HWs.

I do remember hearing something interesting from a boxing analyst though. Take this as you will, but I think he said the current boxing HW champ is Ray Lewis (NFL player). Implying that the best physically imposing athletes are going into other sports, not boxing. Same argument I make for MMA, and why there are better athletes in the lower weight classes.

by Darkknight95 on Jul 8, 2011 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions

the visceral feeling of seeing the big boys bang

… I laughed.

1. Anderson Silva is waiting for you to punch him.
2. That guy is Anderson Silva.
3. Don't fucking punch that guy.

by Chris Barton on Jul 8, 2011 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions

and yet it seems several are trying to cut to a lower division!! looking at this, they should bulk up phil-baroni-style an move up, not down

by gabriezim on Jul 8, 2011 2:01 PM EDT reply actions

imagine a 170 tyson griffin!

by gabriezim on Jul 8, 2011 2:05 PM EDT reply actions

Bigger fighters are more fun to watch

because of the KO.

I know all the self-professed hardcore/true MMA fans (what does that mean anyway?) will say the smaller fighters are more skilled (complete bs) and therefore more fun to watch, but I respectfully disagree. There is a high correlation between the amount of weight inside the cage and how much I’m going to care about the fight.

by d.rok on Jul 8, 2011 2:13 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

To each his own

I like a finish as much as the next guy but getting finishes in lower weight classes mean way more than one heavyweight striking another heavyweight unconscious.

Its like playing COD with only bazookas and rpg’s and saying that using only heavy weapons is the most exciting and skilled way to play because of the explosions and one hit/splash damage kill. To then say that the guys who use pistols an smg’s suck because they aren’t sending bodyparts everywhere with every single shot and the lack of one shot finishes is a bit trite.

Almost every heavyweight has KO power just by the virtue that the majority of the fighters in the weight class step into the cage well above 230 lbs. That’s why there are only a handful of decent submission fighters at heavyweight.

I appreciate the shit out of the lighter weight classes because of the amount of talent and skill sets in the division, when a guy is a ko artist or submission grappler it isn’t because he got lucky or was twice the size of an overweight brawler its usually because he was better than him.

Most of the best heavyweight and light heavyweight boxers and mma fighters are not even in combat sport due to the bigger pay days in other fields of athletic competition. Lighter guys on the other hand have very few options in terms of professional athletics other than training other fighters or getting a regular 9-5. That fact alone is why I am more interested in lighter weight classes.

People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant.

- Helen Keller

MMA is stepping on other people's dreams to reach your own.

- Roxanne Modafferi

by The Blackula on Jul 8, 2011 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm going to disagree with pretty much everything you said

COD sucks. BC2 is much better. And if you’re playing a FPS on console, we can stop talking about everything ever because you’re dead to me.

With possibly a few exceptions, the best MMA fighters in the world are in major MMA organizations, not in team pro sports. Being a good athlete doesn’t mean you’ll be a good fighter. Does anyone really think Chad Johnson stands a chance against any UFC MW because he’s really fast and boxes in the summer? What about Ron Artest? He’s big, fast, and strong and used to box? I’ll answer my questions for you: it doesn’t matter how athletic you are if you can’t fight. Learning how to fight takes years and you gain enough strength, speed, and conditioning (athleticism) through training, not through natural born talent.

There are no “lucky” techniques. If you intend to do it, and it works, it wasn’t luck.

The lighter fighters generally make up for having fewer things they can do by point-fighting. I don’t see how that makes them more skillful. I’d rather see an unexpected/quick KO or sub than watch 15/25 minutes of “grinding” with no intent or abilty to finish.

by d.rok on Jul 8, 2011 3:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Okey doke, where do I start first...

I mainly game on consoles but I find most FPS to be quite boring and generic. If I have to play a shooter it would be Gears or Uncharted, actually seeing your character do cool shit rather than trying to convince yourself you are “in the game” didn’t work for Goldeneye and still doesn’t work now, for me at least. At least Bioshock was dope.

You are absolutely right about there being a difference between athleticism and fighting. If anything I believe you need a combination or alchemy of both to become an elite fighter. Having the physical gifts and fighting ability can take you very far in mma but to reach the apex of the sport you need to also have the intangibles like grit, resiliency and killer instinct. Certain qualities that cannot be taught, you just have to hope a guy has them to begin with and train like hell on what can actually be improved.

Luck was a poor choice of word, I will own up to that.

And lastly I completely whole heartedly and emphatically agree with you about seeing a fight where neither fighter is trying to damage or incapacitate their opponent, they do suck and are one of the worst things to watch in this sport. But to view a fight purely on weight class and then dismiss the possibility of a finish is just silly to me.

By that logic most people would not have watched the Bader vs Tito fight because you just KNOW that Bader was going to grind out a win or tko old man Ortiz right. No matter how obvious the outcome you still have to watch the fight unfold, simple as that.

People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant.

- Helen Keller

MMA is stepping on other people's dreams to reach your own.

- Roxanne Modafferi

by The Blackula on Jul 8, 2011 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Gaming on computer is so much different than consoles. Different as in “a lot better”. Sports games are fine on consoles, everything else is much better on PC (higher resolutions, textures, and framerates and better controls). FPS on console vs FPS on PC are vastly different experiences.

I watch all the big fights I can (I haven’t missed any UFC cards in years and I watch most of the second tier events). Some fights I’m pumped for (Lesnar vs Valesquez) some I’m not (Cruz vs Faber… and I like Faber) and I’ll watch anyway. I don’t watch just for the finish, but it’s nice if that is always a possibility. Decisions are fine as long as they weren’t dancing (Cruzing) around the entire time, but it sucks when you know one dude is going for that and the other doesn’t have the KO power to put him away late.

I don’t think we’re disagreeing on much except for how much we enjoy the lighter weight classes. I could write about martial arts, and the tiny things that make differences, for hours, but I guess I’ll leave it at that.

And thank you for not being a self-professed console gamer. ;)

by d.rok on Jul 8, 2011 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions

This is like, the most backwards thing I've ever seen, man

you gain enough strength, speed, and conditioning (athleticism) through training, not through natural born talent.

This seems to imply that Joe Blow off the street, if he trained enough, could have UFC champion level athleticism. I’m sorry arguing that “natural born athleticism” doesn’t help is comically stupid, how do you think Jon Jones is so much faster, stronger, longer and more powerful than everyone he’s faced at LHW?

Does anyone really think Chad Johnson stands a chance against any UFC MW because he’s really fast and boxes in the summer?

That’s not really what anyone is saying. Ochocinco is a bad example as WR is probably the last position I would pick from the NFL to have MMA talent, but if you had taken Adrian Peterson at age 16 and put him into MMA full time, he’d probably have ended up being really awesome because he’s more athletic than anyone in MMA. He’s going to be faster, stronger and I really wouldn’t want to be questioning the toughness of a guy who plays a position that takes such a beating that no one makes it past 30 at the elite level.

Of course there will be guys who don’t have the chin or gas tank or don’t have whatever toughness, but the same can be said of any wrestler or BJJ guy or whoever crosses over. And the fact of the matter is the NFL is where more top end athleticism Americans end up going. Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub weren’t athletic enough to get on the field in the NFL yet they are pretty athletic for MMA.

Not afraid to nitpick

by joker24 on Jul 8, 2011 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions

This seems to imply that Joe Blow off the street, if he trained enough, could have UFC champion level athleticism.

If Joe Blow trained like a UFC champion he’d have UFC champion level athleticism. Most martial artists train like lazy fat dudes, so they’re lazy fat dudes, but that’s not the way it has to be.

Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub weren’t athletic enough to get on the field in the NFL yet they are pretty athletic for MMA.

Matt Mitrione played 9 games with the Giants in 2002. And how many title fights do you think he’ll win?

Athleticism helps, but people around here are acting like everyone who’s a great athlete has the potential to become (or is already) a great fighter. That’s simply not true. Matt Mitrione happens to be a good fighter, but what about Marcus Jones? Dude is physically a monster, but just isn’t that great of a fighter. I would say Marcus Jones is probably the rule rather than the exception.

That’s not really what anyone is saying. Ochocinco is a bad example as WR is probably the last position I would pick from the NFL to have MMA talent, but if you had taken Adrian Peterson at age 16 and put him into MMA full time, he’d probably have ended up being really awesome because he’s more athletic than anyone in MMA.

Chad Johnson has the perfect type of body (similar to Anderson Silva and Jon Jones) to become a fighter. He’s just not a good fighter, because athleticism is only part of being a good fighter. Martial arts is mostly about knowledge. Only when the knowledge level is similar do things like athleticism, size, speed, and strength start being factors.

by d.rok on Jul 9, 2011 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions

Haha wow

If Joe Blow trained like a UFC champion he’d have UFC champion level athleticism. Most martial artists train like lazy fat dudes, so they’re lazy fat dudes, but that’s not the way it has to be.

You win. You can become a top level athlete if you just trrrrrrrrrrry. Just…..wow. The only difference between LeBron and the rest of the world must just be a crazy work ethic! I guess I should hit the gym pretty hard, I’ll be 6’7 295, running 4.66s and leaping 40 inches in no time!

Btw, Marcus Jones was 38, 7 years distant from actually playing in the league. So no, he wasn’t athletic by NFL standards anymore. Matt Mitrione owns 2 tackles to his resume, he himself admits he was in the bottom 20% of strength in the league. You don’t think there’s a tiny difference in physical ability between a guy who couldn’t get on the field to make more than 2 tackles in his career and say Mario Williams?

That’s a rhetorical question, I don’t actually want you to post something like “Matt Mitrione is just as athletic as Mario Williams if he’d just try!”

Only when the knowledge level is similar do things like athleticism, size, speed, and strength start being factors.

I presume Jon Jones is just just as knowledgable about fighting after 3 years as Shogun right?

Not afraid to nitpick

by joker24 on Jul 9, 2011 8:35 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it's funny

that you still think the best players are always the best natural athletes (whatever the fuck that means). The best players are the people who train the hardest / practice the most. In other words, being good is learned. You TRAIN to become faster, stronger, and more skilled. You train your reflexes, muscle memory, and your body to react positively without having to think through things. This is true for all sports. It’s not something you’re born with or something somebody gave you. It’s earned through hard work.

I can tell by your comments you don’t train martial arts. I really hope Dana lets Chad Johnson fight in the UFC for 1 fight so you can shut up about this. Wasn’t this debate if size, strength, and speed trump skill already solved at UFC 1?

by d.rok on Jul 9, 2011 9:13 PM EDT up reply actions

You obviously are missing the point, again

I can tell by your comments you don’t train martial arts. I really hope Dana lets Chad Johnson fight in the UFC for 1 fight so you can shut up about this. Wasn’t this debate if size, strength, and speed trump skill already solved at UFC 1?

Chad Johnson would get wrecked if you put them in the UFC right now, so would Mario Williams, so would Adrian Peterson, anyone. They would get wrecked by bottom tier fighters in the UFC, they don’t know what the hell they are doing. No one is saying that.

The point is that the NFL types ARE better athletes (faster, stronger, quicker), it’s just a numbers game, and if you started out that type of top tier athlete in MMA from a young age, say 18, he will absolutely be better than the “tough, gritty” non-athletes who just learned how to fight. If the top tier NFL athletes learned what they were doing, they are going to be better fighters than someone who is less athletic.

Not afraid to nitpick

by joker24 on Jul 9, 2011 11:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Dude

There are plenty of top tier athletes in MMA already. Just because you don’t recognize guys like Anderson Silva and GSP as top athletes, doesn’t mean they’re not.

My point is you get good at what sport you do. Martial arts don’t require you to run 4.4 40s or jump 40 inches, so the guys don’t train to do that (notice I didn’t say everyone on the planet can do that with positive thinking, before you run the other way with my statements again). They train to fight, so they’re good at fighting. Guys who don’t train to fight, aren’t good at fighting, and how athletic they are is inconsequential (a point you agreed with, so I don’t know why you’re arguing with me about it).

How well do you think most NBA players would do in the NFL or most NFL players would do in the NBA? How many in both sports do you think can hit a 95mph fastball? Being a “good athlete” is generally specific to your sport. There are people who are fast and strong, but they don’t get good at sports until they spend a lot of time training to get good at them. Also, getting faster and stronger is usually a result of training to get faster and stronger. The RBs and LBs in the NFL would be slow and weak if they didn’t do sprints and lift weights. But being fast and strong doesn’t mean you can play in the NFL, you also have to have a lot of football skill.

Whatever, I’m done discussing this because you’ll just disagree to disagree. Good night, sir.

by d.rok on Jul 9, 2011 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions

The disparity exists because the little guys don’t generate the big PPV dollars.

If you look at the historical big draws (Chuck, Tito, Randy, Brock, Forrest, Rampage, Rashad, Anderson) in the UFC, they’re generally in the heavier weight classes. Who are the exceptions? BJ and GSP?

by MMAEruption on Jul 8, 2011 2:44 PM EDT reply actions

bigger guys = better chance of finish = better to watch

185 and above FTW

by dbcb on Jul 8, 2011 3:42 PM EDT reply actions

The average MMA fans suck.

That’s the reason why heavyweght fighters are paid more, because most MMA fans are Redneck WWE fans that just wanna se the K.O. Anyone who actually trains martial arts really respects and understands the skill of the lighterweight fighters. Idiot fans are what gives the sport a bad name more than anything,

by Marcus Garvey on Jul 8, 2011 6:02 PM EDT reply actions

Because big athletes are drawn to sports like Football, Basketball...

The UFC has to pay more to higher weight classes to attract those guys who sit on the margin (i.e. they could play football or basketball, OR go into MMA as a result of previous or new training)… If MMA doesn’t pay enough, they won’t do it. Not saying the pay has to be equal. If they love MMA and it pays decent but still 10% of football, some talented guys would do it.

by Arca MMA on Jul 9, 2011 4:29 AM EDT reply actions

Can you do the standard deviation?

Would show us how concentrated vs spread out the pay rates are in each division.

by Arca MMA on Jul 9, 2011 4:36 AM EDT reply actions

Well that explains why MW is so damn thin

On top of not having Anderson Silva at the top waiting to embarrass challengers, twice the average pay at LHW? And all they have to do is not cut weight?

by paythefighters on Jul 9, 2011 11:02 AM EDT reply actions

True..but

you have to fight bigger more dynamic fighters, what is an increase in pay if all it means is you only making your show money because you keep losing,

Going to middleweight and actually winning fights pays more than staying at 205 and getting smashed.

People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant.

- Helen Keller

MMA is stepping on other people's dreams to reach your own.

- Roxanne Modafferi

by The Blackula on Jul 9, 2011 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions