Here's the salary of each UFC fighter for 2010

Dont forget the Lesnar brand was established before he even laced up a pair of gloves. GSP's brand has been built in house. As with Randy and the EA game, he's the exception, not the rule

 

Every reporter who covers MMA explains when reporting on these figures that base pay does not cover ppv points. This is not new information.

Obviously each established main eventer's cut of a ppv varies and the UFC doesn't officially release that information - but if you look at what we found out when Couture's earnings for the two 2007 fights were released during his dispute with the UFC you'll find a concrete evidence that he was paid substainally more than the pay listed by the commission. Indeed part of Couture's argument was the UFC was lying about how many ppvs it was selling to undercut him on his points.

 

So in other words you dont know then. And 2007 was a long time ago. Randy was brought back because Tim Sylvia was the face of the heaveyweight division and Randy was more marketable as Captain America. They had to make it worth his while
Again, the exception, not the rule

 

PPV points aren't bonuses though. They're structured into the contract. And they're clearly valuable enough that some fighters are willing to accept lesser base pay in return for a bigger slice of PPV. Wasn't it you who a few weeks ago linked to the video of GSP knowingly smiling when the issue of PPV points were raised? Its foolish to pretend these figures show anything when on Lesnar alone they're almost certainly underestimating his income by at least four million.

I am however uncomfortable with extra-contractual bonuses. It just seems a system open to abuse and makes fighters overly dependent on the whims of the promoter. The WWE's system of downside guarantees with a set percentage of the gate + ppv being divided up amongst those on the card seems a fairer and more organised way of doing it. Doesn't mean the fighters get any more money though.

 

Consider this Will. $900000 + bonus' how ever lucrative compared to how much $ the UFC are making in Canada alone.....
Without GSP there probably would be no Canadian fan base (or atleast not as lucrative) to exploit. And exploit is the correct word

 

Not if they had to cover training expenses they didn't.

 

Youre guessing OK then, how many PPV needs to be sold for GSPs % to kick in? If I were Dana, Id be tooting my horn as how GSP made 1 billion dollars w/ PPV money.

I cant stand Dana and the Ferttitas but they dont have fools doing their accounting. Can you imagine Lorenzo and Dana at the meeting "Oh yeah, lets give our fighters a cut of the PPV sold after 10,000 buys"

 

There's back up goalies in the NHL who make that..that's peanuts for a professional athlete of his stature. For comparison purposes, top NHL players make around 10M a year, plus pension, plus benefits. Somelike like him, who's essentially responsible for bringing MMA to Ontario, should put in at least 5m a year and 10M wouldn't be unreasonable, hell even 15M wouldn't be, as team sports have to divide the $$$ up amoung fair more players..the minimum in the NHL is 750K

 

And yeah, Hockey only has been around for 100 years and has multi billion$ arenas, merchandising and a Players Union. Who the F knows where MMA is heading in 10 years.

For a sport thats really only 15 years young, Im glad that fighters are making money instead of toiling in their dojos teaching snot nosed 10 year olds to make a living.

And these are the lives they chose. GSP makes more than Doctors and hes in the entertainment business with the accolades showered him.

BTW can you believe that Crosbys career may be over? This is devastating to Hockey Canada.