'Bitter' Volkmann plans to 'expose' the UFC

Kids cost money. If you can't afford them, you shouldn't have them.

The fact is that fighters like Cholish and Volkmann are a net negative for the promotion. They don't have any fans, and they're never going to attract any.

If anybody is getting screwed by Zuffa, it's the mid-to-top level talent with name recognition who actually draw fans and only get a small fraction of the revenue that they bring in separate from the UFC's brand name.

 

The UFC is this premier end all be all MMA venture, like the NFL but a World venture similar to the World cup.

If it's going to be like this, it should pay it's athletes accordingly. We can all sit here and talk **** about Volkman, but at the end of the day, he IS a top ranked world fighter, or at least has that potential or he wouldn't be fighting in the UFC in the first place.

If making it to the UFC is like making it to the big leagues, but you enter the door and are just over poverty line, that's bull****, and not something I'd encourage my kids or friends to pursue for a career unless that's all they are good at.

It's been exposed as a ******ed career move. If you want to be a fighter, even if you are one of the top 30 in the world, you still don't rate above poverty level pay. But, if you are an athlete of quite a few other sports, the entry level salary's are in the hundreds of thousands.

 

I understand the UFC don't give out bonuses to fighters that are shitty.

Hence why Volkmann never got a chance to make the serious wonga.

The guys that are complaining are not that good. The 20-40 level guys in boxing (and journeymen) aren't making **** loads and are working jobs as well, unless they're a well looked after prospect making decent money for knocking over stiffs.

They may well fight on a Mayweather undercard, or a big HBO card or something but'd make more money headlining FNF's (unlikely, I've heard they have a small budget for their shows) but that's because they aren't that good.

Cholish and Volkmann fall into this category.

Although I agree it's absolutely pathetic that now, as released nonentities, they can never appear in a video game ever again if it's not a UFC one. And you never know, WSOF might have it's own game at some point.

 

Hey everyone, after we're done here, can we start another thread about MMA vs boxing?

 

Well... if he would have gotten KO and fight of the night he would have an extra 90k.... that would be 140K last year.

Can't really complain can he.

 

* The UFC is the premier company in a sport which is still in its infancy and which additionally has a LOT of inbuilt mainstream resistance from people who see it as human cockfighting. This is a new sport which has a lot of room and time to grow.

* Easy to pay NFL salaries if you're the NFL, and you're a massive and decades-old part of American culture, and you've got jersey/merchandise sales and all the rest of it. But the UFC is NOT the NFL. It's amusing how many people, (and I'm not including you personally in this group) constantly ***** about how the UFC is on the same level as the NFL, NBA etc and therefore should pay the same, while in the next breath they complain about how the UFC is dying and Zuffa is killing the sport. :-(

* Additionally, they spend a TON of money on all sorts of things. They could stay in Vegas for all their cards instead of putting on shows all around the world, that would free up stacks of cash. But they would rather try to grow the sport and increase opportunities for fighters down the road by bringing big-time MMA to as many different countries and cultures as possible.

* And Volkmann is NOT a "top ranked world fighter." He is essentially anonymous and completely interchangeable with dozens of guys. He sells no tickets, is never going to be a champion and does not have a fan following.

* Funny to see him bitching about the fighter's insurance. Which other orgs offer any kind of real medical plans?

* I wouldn't encourage my kids to go into ANY professional sport. Being a professional athlete is a dream. If fighting for the UFC sucks so bad and he can't feed his several kids which he shouldn't have had if he wasn't in a financial position to support them, then Volkmann can pick up a shovel and go to work on a construction site.

:hat

 

Since you clearly don't have an axe to grind here... tell us what you think each fighter should get at a minimum?

 

Bitter or not, volkmann is right. There's been a bunch of guys retiring at like 25 or 30 lately (not big names but guys like conrad, that guy cholios in the ufc last week) b/c of the money. The UFC will have to pay more eventually because otherwise there eventually will be less guys willing to be the lower tier guys that the UFC will always need to round out cards (or at least the lower guys will be less talented).

Even if he's not much of a draw individually, as part of a card volkmann is a draw and if the UFC is making huge bank from tv contracts, sponsors, tickets, etc they should make sure even their lower ranked guys are making a good living (just like the major pro sports). After all, even the lower end UFC fighters should still be way above your average tough guy on the street. Making sure that even their lesser fighters make a rate (per fight) that would approach a 100k/ year would ensure that top to bottom they have good fights and fighters.

These factors are aside from the fact that these guys risk their health and ought to have something to show for it if bad luck happens (like permanent injury).

Of course if the UFC can't afford to pay as described above and be profitable, than that would change things (i don't know what they take in, but i'm guessing they can afford it). If anything, perhaps they should continue to trim the roster at least a little bit to make sure that guys in the premier mma org are making a premier salary (obviously with the stars making star money). The guys that are barely roster worthy or not quite ready, could be making the 6k/6k money in the regional orgs (minor leagues)

 

Seems like they already have top to bottom "good" fighters, and apparently not all of them are making 100k a year.