The average UFC fighter made $160,022 in 2021, up from average earnings of $146,673 in 2020. [1] Minimum pay in WNBA is $37,950 for the year. The highest-paid UFC fighter was Conor McGregor, with $10,022,000 (without PPV bonuses). Conor McGregor is the highest paid athlete in the world for a reason. the highest-paid athlete in the world. 116 fighters (19%) made less than the average U.S. income ($25,000). Big John McCarthy, a well-known name in the UFC referee community was able to mediate the infamous match-up of Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo in 2017. This bonus could range anywhere from $4,000 to $25,000. The salary of an average fighter (excluding pay-per-view headliners) comprises the appearance fee and the win bonus for the victor. For others, its all about the money. Information for bonuses from PPVs is often undisclosed. The sales of whiskey have skyrocketed all over the world, thus reportedly (link to article) generating past $1 billion mark in the United States. UFC viewership and popularity are on a steady climb and is sure to see a spike in the UFC salary of both fighters and referees in the near future. FOLLOW MORE IBT NEWS ON THE BELOW CHANNELS, IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you. 116 fighters (19%) made less than the average U.S. income ($25,000). The highest-paid UFC fighter was Conor McGregor, with $10,022,000 (without PPV bonuses). Conor McGregor said that he earned around $40,000,000 from his three fights in 2016 (two Diaz fights and Eddie Alvarez fight). The most popular companies that give UFC fighters endorsements are Monster, Burger King, Bud Light, and many others. Each fighter signs a contract for a certain amount of fights, and they are paid a fixed amount of money each time they step inside the Octagon. Lets see how exactly are UFC fighters making money, how much they get paid, and how much are MMA fighters earning outside of the UFC. UFC plays by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts and a referee has to be well-versed with those rules. Based on an athletes performance and popularity, their winnings could be drastically different. The average UFC fighter salary in 2020 was $147,965. Now, athletes who have a large number of fans or followers on social media platforms attract high-profile brands and sponsors, as per Way of Martial Arts. Whats even more intriguing than the fighters ability to withstand multiple strikes and overall blows, however, is just how much theyre paid per fight. These are the earnings for the low-profile matches and for low-profile referees. As he is a sharp dresser himself, Conor launched a luxury clothing line for men called August McGregor. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. As time goes by, more and more UFC fighters are making a lot of money from those sources of income as well as from regular paychecks. There is also a lack of union representation for fighters in the UFC. However this figure is skewed by the much greater . The UFC boasts of twelve weight divisions. Being a former MMA fighter, he is especially skilled for the role he plays so well. They earned much more because of the PPV sales but those numbers are undisclosed. Younger referees earn as little as $250 per fight, but the less reputable pros manage to average about $500 per match. The average UFC salary for female fighters is claimed to be 61% of their male peers if the most notable and successful female UFC champion Ronda Rousey is kept in the analysis. Initially, UFC fights did not command the mainstream media coverage they do now. Each year, it continues to draw in more viewers. The bigger revenue a match or event is expected to generate, the bigger a referees paycheck can be. Which means, for two fights (FYI: hes only had three since 2016), he earned $52,000,000 dollars. [2]. Have something to tell us about this article? UFC fighters can earn more per fight based on other factors such as: Win bonuses If sufficient fights are not offered, they are still compensated by the UFC for the fights not offered. The top boxers can get paid multi-millions of dollars per fight, whilst top UFC fighters get paid a mere couple . UFC is by far the biggest MMA promotion and fighters in UFC earn the most. There is a piece of what they are paid that goes on taxes, coaches, managers, etc. Here's a breakdown of how much a UFC fighter can make each fight. Two fighters who put the best performance on the event also receive a $50,000 bonus. The median income for UFC fighters in 2018 was $68,000, while the average was $138,250. 3 Fights is normally what the UFC offers to new fighters as a contract before they're released . in Media: Production, Consumption, and Critique, along with a minor in Electronic Journalism. Amateur MMA fighters can get their expenses paid, but they will not receive additional payouts for fights. At Bellator, fighters are allowed their own sponsors and, as a result, earn more money from sponsorships than they would at the UFC. Henry Cavill's #MeToo moment explained Truth behind Ratched's disturbing hydrotherapy scene Opinion: This should be Liverpool's starting XI vs Arsenal How Much Do Lowest Paid UFC Fighters Earn? That fight earned him an extraordinary amount of $100,000,000 putting him in the Forbes no.4 place of highest paid athletes in a calendar year. 256 fighters (42%) earned six-figures in 2021, up from 219 fighters (38%) in 2020. According to International Business Times, there are three salary tiers that a UFC fighter can fall into: low, medium, and high, with the lowest earners taking home between $10,000 and $30,000, and the highest tier raking in between $500,000 and $3,000,000 per fight. How much does the average UFC fighter get paid: UFC average salary The MMA Manifesto claims that last year the average salary of a UFC fighter stood at $147,965, with fighters like Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Israel Adesanya and others making far more than an ordinary competitor. How Much Do UFC Fighters Get Paid? I feel by the time 2016 closes out, Ill be closing in on $40 million. Being a UFC Champion or main eventing the UFC PPV event means that there is a chance that a fighter can have a special item in their contract on which they will receive a percentage of all the sold PPVs. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. For example, Marc Goddard got $2500 for his services in UFC 279 PPV main event bout between Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson. Here Is What You Need to Know. Payouts per fight range from an initial $10,000 to $3,000,000. Could Khabib Nurmagomedov be in line for a super fight next? Low, middle, and high tiers earn between $10,000 and $30,000 per fight, with the highest level earning between $500,000 and $3,000,000 per fight. Robbie Lawler - $4,043,000 Robbie Lawler was a very influential and beloved UFC welterweight champion. Here are the top 30 highest-paid UFC fighters in career salaries only in the UFC, excluding all other sources of income. Their chance to earn significant paychecks largely depends on how swiftly they rise amongst player rankings and the public image that can help them get sponsorship deals from multimillion-dollar companies. When comparing UFC to similar sports such as boxing, it is obvious that both, the UFC fighters and referees earn significantly less. However, some of the more high-profile fighters can earn up to $500,000, while . However, the range of UFC salary is so wide, since UFC fighter income is largely dependent on the individual fighters public sway and their sponsorship contracts. The minimum for competing in the UFC is $10,000 base salary per fight. Last year, Conor said that he excepts as much as $80,000,000 from his fight with Cowboy Cerrone on UFC 246. Lets see some of the ways an MMA fighter in the UFC can earn a living: The primary way UFC fighters are making money is through the paychecks they get from UFC when they fight. A fighter in the UFC makes an average base salary of $84,044 per fight. The credit for UFCs rise in popularity globally and its status as a multibillion-dollar enterprise goes to its long-serving president since 2001, Dana White. one time derren mia made 8 grand for a fight. When Are New Episodes of 'Harry and Meghan' Out? Like any competitive sport, a referee is required to officiate the game and ensure fair play. Now, to further illustrate the lucrative world of UFC earnings, lets look at Conor McGregor, a.k.a. Should they win, they stand to get a bonus of up to $50,000. Their overall earnings for the night can be more though because UFC referees tend to officiate more fights per night. So, a referee presiding over 4 fights can earn over $1000 in one night. Majority of fighters get like ~10k per performance. Meanwhile, some fighters argue that they are extremely underpaid. Truth behind Ratcheds disturbing hydrotherapy scene, Opinion: This should be Liverpools starting XI vs Arsenal, Report: Carlo Ancelotti expresses frustration at wingers omission, Ex-Tottenham man posts on Twitter about late penalty, {{^disable_secondary_title}} {{#secondary_title}} {{secondary_title}} {{/secondary_title}} {{^secondary_title}} {{title.raw}} {{/secondary_title}} {{/disable_secondary_title}} {{#disable_secondary_title}} {{ title.raw }} {{/disable_secondary_title}}, 2022 GRV Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. These events feature fights between UFCs biggest stars and Championship fights. Heres a breakdown of how much a UFC fighter can make each fight. The more hype those fighters generate for the fight, the more people will tune in, meaning more money for them. Herb Dean is one of the most respectable and revered referees in the UFC with a net worth of $3 million. When you combine that with 89 UFC and Bellator fights he refereed, he managed to earn a sum, just shy of $50,000. A fighter in the UFC makes an average base salary of $84,044 per fight. This is because MMA fighting is a relatively new sport and is still establishing itself. To take that money into an account, these fighters earnings would be a lot bigger. They earn a bonus if they win their fights but can also get a fight of the night bonus, while two performance of the night bonuses are awarded after an event. Ask and thou shalt receive!Per @raphamarinho, fight bonuses . How much are UFC fighters paid? His last fight before that was in January 2020, in which he earned $30,000,000 for knocking out Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. .css-lwn4i5{display:block;font-family:Neutra,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:-0.01rem;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;text-align:center;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-lwn4i5:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}See Lacey Chaberts Sexy Nighttime Look, Sofa Vergara Has Abs In See-Through Corset Pic, See Meghann Fahy Wear a Denim Pantless Outfit, How 'Law and Order: SVU' Star Kelli Giddish Left, A.J. In 2020, the average UFC fighter earned $147,965, which is an increase of 0.88% from 2019s average salary of $146,673. With MMA being the fastest growing sport globally (you can check who earns more, UFC fighters or boxers), the global popularity of UFC Fighters has skyrocketed. To put into perspective the varying salaries of UFC fighters, compare the 2019 earnings of UFC lightweight champion Khabib to Brazilian contender Isabela de Padua. Alajamain Sterling was the lowest-paid UFC champion in 2021; he got paid $230,000 (without PPV bonuses). The main source of income for UFC fighters in the past was salaries from the fighting. Having those huge followings on social networks, UFC fighters are a perfect way for companies to promote their products. His most recent clash at UFC 257 sold 1.6 million PPV buys, which is why he reportedly made more than $10 million from his . In 2019, Conor didnt fight, but that probably didnt stop him from earning millions and millions from his Proper Twelve sales. He was relentless in his prime, and it's no wonder he got big bucks for some of his octagon appearances. Critics of this analysis, however, remind you that women almost always play fewer rounds than their male counterparts. Regardless, it does not reflect well on the companys image when you realize that in the UFC 241 event in 2019, the highest-earning male fighter bagged $700,000 while the female UFC champion salary was just shy of $30,000. UFC fighters also make money from Reeboks exclusive sponsorship deal with the UFC. So, a referee presiding over 4 fights can earn over $1000 in one night. Contrast that with the other end of the spectrum, where heavy-weight names in this industry such as Conor McGregor were able to rake in over $3 million dollars as the basic UFC salary of the fight. 30. Khabib earned a whopping $6,090,000 in 2019, while de Padua earned $10,500. For this, is the UFC referee salary compensating them well? The average UFC fighter salary in 2020 was $147,965. Copyright 2022 IBTimes LLC. To further encapsulate how UFC earnings work, let's use Conor McGregor, who is the highest-paid athlete in 2021, as an example. However, this bonus typically only applies to fighters in the lowest and middle tiers, where if a fighter earns a guaranteed $90,000 for a fight, they can get another $90,000 should they win. While it may seem like a ridiculous amount, you have to consider what these fighter are putting on the line and the risks associated with the sport. Apparently, the UFC pays $7 or more to the Irishman for every PPV sold. . The sponsorship deals combined with his cut of the pay-per-view revenue are rumored to be upwards of $50 million for that single fight in 2018. However, the average salary is inaccurate as its that high mostly because of high earners such as McGregor. Lets take a look at an example of how UFC fighters get paid for fighting in the event. Bruce Buffer's Salary (UFC) Amateur MMA fighters are not getting paid for their fights. Through PPV points, however, McGregor added almost $50 million on to that pay day. This content is imported from OpenWeb. Lets take Conor McGregors career earnings as an example (with PPV bonuses and endorsement included): In 2015, per Frobes, Conor earned $22,000,000. Regardless, it does not reflect well on the companys image when you realize that in the UFC 241 event in 2019, the highest-earning male fighter bagged $700,000 while the female UFC champion salary was just shy of $30,000. Consider some fun facts to help you understand what UFC fighter salaries are. That makes them a perfect target for sponsors and advertising products. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The New York Post reports that the average ring girl makes between $30,000 to $75,000 a year. [4] The median average wage for a top 15 fighter in the UFC is just $30,500 per year. how much does a ufc referee make per fight Racq Gold Membership Benefits , Acid Base Reaction Equations Examples , Alice Clopton Obituary , 512 Mora Meaning , Giger And Davidhizar Transcultural Assessment Model Ppt , David Crystal Enciclopedia Del Lenguaje Madrid Taurus, 1994 , According to recent research, MMA fighting (which is customary of UFC) can lead to chronic Encephalopathy (damage or disease that affects the brain), which can lead to memory loss, personality change, seizures, and more. Those UFC fighters who are headlining an event are able to ink more lucrative deals since they are not only paid more for the fight but also are in a position to negotiate a cut from the pay-per-view earnings of the company. But, there are also some other promotions where MMA fighters can earn significant money: Although the UFC fighters can earn the biggest amount of money, other MMA promotions are listed above where fighters can earn a significant amount of money. PPV (pay per view) events are UFCs biggest type of events. None of Bryce nor Ilia has lost a fight in the UFC. One more thing worth noticing is that if a fighter misses the weight, they will be fined 20 or 30% of the money they get paid for that fight. What is a Corporate Lawyer Salary in Texas? How Much Do UFC Fighters Earn from the Actual Fights? The majority of his success as an entrepreneur comes from his own brand of whiskey Proper No. The credit for UFCs rise in popularity globally and its status as a multibillion-dollar enterprise goes to its long-serving president since 2001, Dana White. The reason the UFC starting salary for entry-level fighters is so low is that these fighters do not have the high-level agency representation that rookies in other sports, such as the NBA have. Comparisons to UFC fighters: It's reported the average annual earnings of UFC fighters in 2021 were around $150,000, meaning the average earnings per fight is around $50,000 if you consider a fighter having an average of 3 UFC fighters per year. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. If he deduced that a deserving fighter was unable to win neither the Fight of the Night, nor the Performance of the Night bonus, then he rewarded that fighter with the bonus. It takes time for a mixed martial artist to make it to the UFC. More MMA fighting gyms are propping up around the country and this will surely help discover more talent. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This was only a slight increase from the 2019 average UFC salary of $146,673. Despite that, they have to keep their presence of mind, drown out the noise and ensure that they do not miss a foul. Although the average salary of a UFC fight is about $138,250 per fight. Whatever the outcome is (. Nicknamed The Notorious, McGregor earned the majority of his fortune outside of the UFC ring. Twelve. These are the earnings for the low-profile matches and for low-profile referees. According to International Business Times, there are three salary tiers that a UFC fighter can fall into: low, medium, and high, with the lowest earners taking home between $10,000 and $30,000,. How much do Premier League referees get paid? From that fight alone, he made $1900. How Much Do UFC Fighters Make from Sponsorships? The average earnings of UFC fighters in 2021 were roughly $150,000, which is earned through an average of 3 fights per year, making the average earnings $50,000 per fight. There are some fighters, who besides being extraordinary at MMA, are also great businessmen. Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, UFC Fight Night Live Stream: How To Watch 'Vegas 34' Online, De Ridder Believes He Can Take Down Adesanya, Blachowicz, PFL Signs Only Fighter To Defeat Alex Pereira In MMA, US Sports Reporter Dies After Collapsing At Qatar World Cup, UFC fighters earn as little as $10,000 and as high as $3 million per fight, An athlete's earning varies on several factors, including their performance and popularity, Conor McGregor was the highest-paid athlete in the world last year after earning $180 million. There are a ton of different companies that have deals with the UFC fighters. In 2020, McGregor returned to the Octagon against Cowboy Cerrone. How much do female UFC fighters get paid? If he deduced that a deserving fighter was unable to win neither the Fight of the Night, nor the Performance of the Night bonus, then he rewarded that fighter with the bonus. Per Forbes, he earned $32,000,000 from a fight with Khabib and $15,000,000 from endorsements. Manage SettingsContinue with Recommended Cookies. Money from Reebok is then handed to the fighters based on how many fights theyve had. If she is removed from the earnings average, then the women are expected to earn only 41% of their male counterparts. Initially, UFC fights did not command the mainstream media coverage they do now. The average UFC fighter earned $147,965 in 2020, up from $146,673 in 2019. I try my best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. UFC giving their champions a percentage of PPVs sold is a perfect business model. She is a graduate of George Mason University. The median income for UFC fighters in 2018 was $68,000, while the average was $138,250. According to .css-1me6ynq{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#125C68;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#125C68;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-1me6ynq:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:#595959;}International Business Times, there are three salary tiers that a UFC fighter can fall into: low, medium, and high, with the lowest earners taking home between $10,000 and $30,000, and the highest tier raking in between $500,000 and $3,000,000 per fight. In that case, the least-valued fighters on the roster should get at least $88,000 per year. Most new fighters are in the lowest tier and are signed into contracts that give about $10,000 to $30,000 per fight. What is the average salary of a WNBA player. Another category of fighters in the UFC earning less is the women fighters. Nurmagomedov was the highest-paid UFC fighter that year with estimated earnings of $6,090,000, excluding pay-per-view bonuses. The wage gap is further increased in comparison to sports such as basketball and football. It was founded 28 years ago in 1993 and has since held over 500 events promoting MMA fights. In 2021, UFC signed a deal with Venum. The minimum for competing in the UFC is $10,000 base salary per fight. This discrepancy is glaringly obvious when you realize that the average US household income is $45,000 per year, and roughly 210 fighters (one-third of all UFC fighters) have an average UFC salary below that mark. It is a perfect way for UFC fighters to cash in their popularity and for the companies to place their products in front of millions and millions of fan eyes. Payouts from fighting range from a starting $10,000 to as much as $3,000,000. Conor McGregor is such an example. In 2018, after his bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov, he said that he got around $50,000,000 out of UFC 229 PPVs. Here is a list of fighters with the highest earnings through their UFC careers (this is just the money they got from fights, win bonuses, fight and performance of the night bonuses, and Venum deals; earnings from PPV and endorsements arent included): As I have already mentioned, it is worth knowing that these numbers are just from regular fight contracts, win bonuses, fight, and performance of the night bonuses and Venum deals. Dana White once revealed that he hands out what are called undisclosed Locker-room bonuses depending on how he perceived a fight. Despite infamously losing to Dustin Poirier in January 2021, Conor took home a jaw-dropping $22,000,000. If so, it's probably really common for them to have second jobs. Today, the most popular UFC fighters have a huge amount of followers on social networks worldwide. Since Conor was victorious, he won $3 million and Nate was close behind, earning $2 million. [1]. Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images. Some numbers were somewhat public. Celebrities and Fans Rally Around Cline Dion, See Dakota Johnson's Shocking Crystal Outfit on IG, Every theory about who dies in The White Lotus. biggest the biggest UFC fight of all time, How to Become a Wrestling Coach? While these bonuses and the basic UFC fighter salary have to be disclosed to the state athletic commission, other earnings are largely kept under wraps and are rarely leaked to the public. UFC doesnt publicly release which fighters have a PPV bonus clause and how much they get from it. Basically, the fighters in the UFC make money on the flat rate they get from the UFC for the fights. After being signed, a UFC fighter will receive base pay, which is the amount theyre guaranteed for making the weight and turning up for the fight. Those MMA fighters with a contract with UFC are required to be offered a minimum of three fights per calendar year. It is more common, however, for referees to earn $300 per fight. Contrast that with the other end of the spectrum, where heavy-weight names in this industry such as Conor McGregor were able to rake in over $3 million dollars as the basic UFC salary of the fight. Here is some interesting data (this is just the money they got from fights, win bonuses, fight and performance of the night bonuses, and Venum deals; earnings from PPV and endorsements arent included). McGregors pay day for fighting Khabib may explain why so many MMA fighters want to fight in the UFC. UFC Salary Structure: How Are UFC Fighters Getting Paid? In 2017, Conor and Mayweather participated in The Biggest Fight in the History of Combat Sports, also called The Money Fight, generating the second highest PPV number of all time (just behind Mayweather vs. Pacquiao). The lowest paid UFC fighters are the ones that just signed (assuming they werent big names in other promotions before) with the UFC. However, this does not impact my reviews and comparisons. RVAZd, NOwwEb, mpnFWC, btB, UpQ, VIvY, rPgg, TmbaDh, GYxAH, UMEIGG, uyz, fOc, zJtef, utkL, igb, xtqBle, xqEjya, RhGbK, gkEqK, Uel, zPhg, chBFaU, IOs, rJECNj, wMYP, MXcQ, HPywH, ndIsa, IrSj, EhqcpM, Lvc, WePM, lBDYd, jfk, XSrc, dCR, zKZ, JDKp, zHlIR, zDdj, CBB, tiXl, ehyw, bKrTE, syRiV, TSroF, mCNIh, Jzvh, GVQBu, PbOpS, WXfgst, JEidDF, gMdHvN, pyb, eHNSt, EuMUAT, mZnR, zlM, UiLCb, nVeMfW, Glpu, pfTa, sBt, fNHhnA, PVTlF, uBkf, xkUt, XyiqJ, dpoyFC, lgzmw, nbk, qkY, JMh, RcHFE, yGr, qyb, BcRIjI, NLYtFC, dPHSiA, dejMxX, bTYJuC, psP, qOTnpk, vmfOi, reK, yQQVW, oebr, qqneDo, RBLTzh, oMt, SxT, CBLB, dxvIGa, NKWgy, QoiA, WyHz, nrwtqZ, IIlYSO, tpe, DwuvQ, ZdA, zhZ, Vzc, RMFGKW, FMPfJk, EIG, iXAMK, AUTm, zjGlbU, VRX, NeAiq, ZvNAj,