'Bitter' Volkmann plans to 'expose' the UFC

Salaries have been increasing for everybody over the last years. And if anything, as the sport grows and develops the lower level guys will get better. They're already much better all-round fighters than they were a few years ago. :good

Volkmann is not a draw. His fights aren't exciting and nobody is ever hyped to see him on a card. He is known for one thing and one thing only. Using his post-fight interviews to repeatedly embarrass his employers with bizarre anti-Obama insults.

Also, all he had to do at anytime in the last 2 years was win a single FOTN, SOTN or KOTN bonus, and his earnings would have been right around that $100k mark. But he didn't, because he doesn't turn in exciting performances that make fans want to see him fight again.

Lots of jobs have guys risking their health, only without the cheers of the fans or the chance to chase their dreams and make big money. Nobody forces them to fight - they are grown men who choose to take on the risk because for them, the lifestyle and the thrill of competition outweighs the risk.

Agreed that they should trim the roster. Which is what they are apparently doing - getting rid of guys that aren't good enough, guys who had their shot and didn't develop a fan following or show signs of getting to contender level, or guys who are on the downslope of their career and earning more money than their fan support justifies. :good

:hat

 

Directed at me? :conf

If they're in the UFC but don't distinguish themselves in any way, then I think a living wage is fine. After all, they are unqualified workers who are interchangeable and easily replaceable, and those types of workers don't earn six figures in many jobs.

I have no time for uneducated professional athletes in niche sports who aren't at the top levels of their sport and never will be, who have 3 kids and then whine they're hard up for cash.

Let's be honest here. Most of these guys are fighters because they didn't want to grow up and get a "real" job. They have been athletes their whole lives and the thrill of competition excites them more than anything else does, so they pursue it for as long as possible. Any of them can quit at any time and get a regular boring job on a construction site, which would be better for their long-term futures, but they don't want that.

Living wage is fine. If they excel at their sport either by being exceptionally talented or by building a loyal fan base, then they'll earn more. As it should be. :good

:hat

 

:good

Volkmann wants more money? He needs to get better. Distinguish himself. Make it so that people are excited to see his name on a card. Because as of now, there are hundreds of guys who nobody gives a **** about who are competing to be on the lower levels of UFC cards, and Volkmann is just one of them. Only thing that sets him apart from any of them is a proven track record of being in mediocre fights and of embarrassing the **** out of his employers whenever they walk into the cage and put a microphone in his hand.

:hat

 

Luckily Volkmann doesn't fight for a certain famous British boxing promoter as he wouldn't have been paid at all.

 

Naw, wasn't directed at you but toward the OP who [start sarcasm] clearly doesn't have an axe to grind [end sarcasm].

I'm tending to agree with you but the details are perhaps up in the air, I haven't thought the matter through as thoroughly as I might if I were to attempt to give a definitive opinion on the matter, there are too many variables that are unknown to give a real educated opinion on, key variables, in my opinion.

 

I'm finding it funny how volkman ain't happy with his pay & all u on here blast him making out he's a cry baby sook.. Yet other bigger named fighters make the same statements most of you go into frenzy mode on Dana & zuffa's poor treatment of their fighters.

 

I keep saying the same thing about this on other forums.

1. ALL fighters should be paid more. I understand that the UFC has a lot of money allocated toward expansion and marketing, but the UFC would not be possible without the fighters. IMO, a decent starting point is $15k per fight, win lose or draw, 3 fight contract.

2. But, the 8/8 deal is not a secret. These are grown men who have made a choice to fight for that amount of money. They know the risks. They can't complain after the fact.

3. When you're a prelim fighter, and you're in an 8/8 deal, you have to be creative about your earnings. Do seminars, private lessons, sign some gloves at a local bar on a UFC night. Also market yourself. Tweet fans. Interact with them.

4. Either get a manager, an accountant, or both. The accountant will help you stretch your dollar. The manager will get you gigs to bring in more income.


Basically, you can't JUST be a fighter.


And boo hoo about boring ass Volkmann whining about making $40k a year from fighting. There are guys who WISH they could make a living from fighting. I feel no pity for 90% of these guys.

That said, I still think they should be paid more.

 

The people who are supporting Volkmann keep banging on about how he deserves to be paid because he's a "top fighter." The problem with this argument starts right there. Volkmann is not a "top fighter." When he was on his best run, which is probably right before he lost to Paul Sass, he was a fringe top 20 contender at LW. A guy who's barely in the top 20 in his division and can't draw anything deserves to get paid? Get real.

I have no idea why you're attacking Zuffa because Volkmann doesn't like his paycheck. You think that guys in his position in boxing make any money either? A fringe top 20 boxer with a boring style and no fan support even from his home town would be lucky to get on national television once. If he did, it would probably be as a tune up for an elite fighter.

I've got a lot of issues with Zuffa, but a guy like Volkmann not making six figures a year isn't one of them. In combat sports, you get paid based on what you draw. Dana White and the Fertitta brothers didn't invent that model. It's the way the system has run for a long time. At the end of the day, the only guys who are getting screwed are the guys who can carry a card by themselves but are only getting a small percentage of that revenue from Zuffa.



*I also have a hard time taking Volkmann's complaints about the UFC's pay structure and health care plan seriously after all of that conservative bull**** that he was spouting a couple of years ago. If you're a market fundamentalist, what right do you have to complain about wages and employee benefits? However, that's probably an argument that's best saved for the lounge.

 

Well, back to Sherdog for you since you can't answer a simple question.

Maybe throw in some more **** yous and insults, that's sure to bring this to a non-sherdog level of conversation.

 

You can't expect a professional athlete at Volkmann's level to have a 2nd job that MMA should be evolved enough so that this hasn't to happen. Like him or not before his loss Volkmann was in many top10 rankings he should be able to at least live from his MMA career even if he isn't exciting

 

Not sure what Volkmann wants to expose?
It not really new that fighters dont make big bucks at the lower tiers.
He could go the Chael Sonnen route and start talking absolute bollox

 

Sherdog rocks. Pro's Pick, Statistical Analysis', fighter database, interviews, "technique of the week", on and on and on and on. I enjoy the articles, and don't get me started on the forum. Twice as many Sections as here and tons of information at your disposal. If we had half the contributors move over this Section would be a lot more useful. I visit that site everyday, and use the database quite often. I suggest you assholes do the same if you want to know more of what goes down day to day. What you don't find on the news sites you will in that forum.

A lot more depth than this site, and you clowns have no room to talk ****. Look at this page, look at the front page of this Section. Look at our home page. They took away our avys, pictures, and left us hanging. But, for whatever reason, visitors can view the pictures. The newest members are in for a rude awakening and disappointment. With avys gone, pictures and gifs turned to links I see what this site is without it... Boring. Take avys and pictures away from Sherdog and you got an assload of information left on the Sport that you love. More information that you'll ever need. So, I suggest you two quit talking **** because this Section might as well be a ****ing ghost town with rehashed threads. I believe that's why a lot of us don't post as often as we use to.

As for Volkman, he's a salty *****. Dude stepped up in competition and lost on the World stage. There are a handful of free agents who are more deserving of a contract than him. Make way. Homeboy is complaining about fighter pay at the bottom of the roster? . Cry me a ****ing river, and work your way up the ranks if you want more money. Take it like a man, and improve as a fighter. His family depends on him, and the guy just ****ed himself and the fam outta a lot of money. Does he think WSOF is pay the bills? Bellator might, but I'm sure his other reason for fighting is to be the Best in the World. The UFC did him a favor. He wasn't ready for the World Stage... Should have taken this as an opportunity to gain the experience he needs to progress.

Oh, btw... The UFC's roster is not too big. Put in work and start scouting talent across the globe before you make such claims.

 

Arguments aren't nearly as bad on that site as they are in The General or here at times. The MMA Sections don't have enough trolls to cause a ruckus or for me to spot them. You two are so full of ****.