How much do fighters really make?

[Chad C.]

After reading this quote, "Former Strikeforce champ Sarah Kaufman earned a gross purse of $10,000, but after paying her license, tax and medical expenses, was paid $6,696. Kaufman did not receive a win bonus because her contract stated she would only receive a win bonus if the fight ended via submission or (T)KO." in this article reporting fighter salaries at the recent Strikeforce Challengers show. It got me to thinking about how much fighters really make?

Because after she gets that $6696 out of the $10k she won, she still has to pay her coaches, strength an conditioning coach, nutritionist if she has one, lawyer, manager, agent, etc. What does that leave her with?

Does anyone have any insight on what percentage of a fight purse a fighter actually gets to pocket?

[Corky]

I have an app on my phone
That updates usually the pay day after every event
Its mma junkie
Im sure the website shows it as well
Big names like anderson and tito and rampage usually earn like 300k or more
Brock and gsp earn like 500k + easily since they draw so much ppvs
It usually all depends if its a title shot and how many people show up to the event

[Spínola]

I have an app on my phone
That updates usually the pay day after every event
Its mma junkie
Im sure the website shows it as well
Big names like anderson and tito and rampage usually earn like 300k or more
Brock and gsp earn like 500k + easily since they draw so much ppvs
It usually all depends if its a title shot and how many people show up to the event

I think you are missing the point.

[Chris Herzog]

I think you are missing the point.

Shocker!

[Corky]

I have an app on my phone
That updates usually the pay day after every event
Its mma junkie
Im sure the website shows it as well
Big names like anderson and tito and rampage usually earn like 300k or more
Brock and gsp earn like 500k + easily since they draw so much ppvs
It usually all depends if its a title shot and how many people show up to the event

[Jonathan Wylie]

I think you are missing the point.

Your probably right but he did kind of answer the question. The answer is ya they have a lot of people with there hands in the pie just like any pro athlete or entertainer but the pay scale varies greatly from fighter to fighter and from promotion to promotion and some of these guys are doing very well. 300,000 doesn't sound like a whole lot but that is only what is reported to the commission. There are other sources of income like endorsements and back door bonuses and cuts from the gate and or ppv. Some guys are getting paid and some guys are not doing so well. MMA fighters are way behind most pro athletes like football basketball baseball and boxing but if you take any one of those sports there is going to be a huge gap between the lowest paid and the top paid in that sport.

[Jason Eisner]

People get paid to fight?

[Michael "Mikey" Bunten]

People get paid to fight?

Only the cool ones.

[Brian Morency]

Go do boxing thats where the money is because the boxers run the shit. Unlike mma where the promoters run it. We need a lock-out for all mma fighters til we get what we want and deserve.

[David Rosado]

After reading this quote, "Former Strikeforce champ Sarah Kaufman earned a gross purse of $10,000, but after paying her license, tax and medical expenses, was paid $6,696. Kaufman did not receive a win bonus because her contract stated she would only receive a win bonus if the fight ended via submission or (T)KO." in this article reporting fighter salaries at the recent Strikeforce Challengers show. It got me to thinking about how much fighters really make?

Because after she gets that $6696 out of the $10k she won, she still has to pay her coaches, strength an conditioning coach, nutritionist if she has one, lawyer, manager, agent, etc. What does that leave her with?

Does anyone have any insight on what percentage of a fight purse a fighter actually gets to pocket?

That's for her fight. What do sponsors pay her? I mean she's gotta make a living somehow. I'm guessing right now, the unknown fighters who do it full time live off sponsorships. But like I said, I'm just guessing.