Randy Couture: All UFC Fighters Combined Make Less Than Floyd Mayweather |
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CantAndleDaRiddum
I Got My Black Belt in MMA
Career record: 145-93
Season: 0-0 (#-)
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Former UFC heavyweight champ Randy Couture was a guest on the Opie and Anthony Show with, of all people, Pat Cooper, and he discussed payment for mixed martial arts fighters (Warning, foul language):
(Via MMA Mania) When asked if the money is getting better, Couture said, "I think that's one of the things that needs to change in our sport."
Couture then added that every single UFC fighter combined makes less money for all of the organization's pay-per-view shows than Floyd Mayweather makes for one boxing match. (Mayweather is the second-highest-paid boxer in the world; Oscar De La Hoya is first.)
Couture said he has "no beef" with UFC President Dana White, but he just wants to get paid a fair market value for his work and that won't happen while he's under contract to UFC. I think Couture is basically right that the fighters in UFC aren't paid enough, but I also worry that fighters leaving UFC for greener pastures would be good for their short-term financial gain but bad for the long-term health of the sport.
One other interesting note from the interview: When Cooper asked Couture whether his opponents are ever afraid, Couture said, "Some guys are, you can see that."
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/04/29/randy-couture-all-ufc-fighters-combined-make-less-than-floyd-ma/
Last edited 5/12/08 3:22PM by MMA
Edit note/reason: n/a
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Post #1 5/12/08 2:49:21PM
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hodge
Standup Guy
Career record: 266-167
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: Nottingham England
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it seems wrong that some fighters in the UFC dont even make enough money to be professionals.
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Post #2 5/12/08 2:58:24PM
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mrsmiley
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 911-532
Season: 21-3 (#55)
Location: Middletown,OH
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I think a lot of fighters probably deserve more,though I don't want MMA fighters to make as much as Floyd Mayweather.I get sick of hearing how much money he says he has.Be a freaking man and just fight,nobody cares!
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Post #3 5/12/08 3:01:30PM
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thatfedorsohotrightnow
banned
Career record: 96-75
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Don't listen to all the Zuffa whining about recovering startup costs and what not. All you need to do is look at the gross amount of money that the fighters are paid by the UFC. In all major pro sports the talent/players recieve more than 50% of the gross revenue. In the UFC it is around 5%. All the fighters that bitch about the UFC have a valid arguement.
Also when certain Yahoo writers talk about sponsor money as a reason for why fighters aren't under paid: Hello Peyton Manning's ad money is totally seperate from his salary from the Colts.
50% of gross revenue for fighter pay. It's that simple.
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Post #4 5/12/08 3:08:47PM
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crushedbacon
In Full Mount
Career record: 841-549
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: Calgary
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Wow if that 5% is true thats insane....as for the previous comment posted saying 'just be a man and fight ' that's the kind of ideology keeping mma fighters making crap. It's engrained in fight culture to display that mentality, and coincidently reinforcing that idea is financially advantageous for corporations like Zuffa.
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Post #5 5/12/08 3:33:34PM
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wrona666
In Full Mount
Career record: 516-324
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Location: Atascadero, California
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I do believe that a lot of fighters arent making enough money, but to see Couture crying about only making 200k a fight is just rediculous...I dont care what boxers make this isnt boxing and it has not been around as long as boxing so it should not be compared...Same gos with comparing it to other sports that have been around for ages...MMA needs to grow just like all other sports have for it to be able to pay out the large sums of cash....
And if you dont like the pay dont sign the contract or find another line of work.....
Last edited 5/12/08 3:56PM by wrona666
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Post #6 5/12/08 3:37:35PM
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40ouncetofreedom
banned
Career record: 293-156
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: Pennsylvania
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Posted by hodge
it seems wrong that some fighters in the UFC dont even make enough money to be professionals.
Are your serious 15 to 25 minutes and 200 grand...Sign me up.
200K a fight and 3 fights a year is $600,000 Plus enodorsements.Shit with all that i could vote republican and have a trophy wife.
Last edited 5/12/08 3:49PM by 40ouncetofreedom
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Post #7 5/12/08 3:48:48PM
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MODesty
Career record: 988-521
Season: 19-5 (#358)
Location: Oklahoma
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This interview was posted a while ago HERE .
I going to post the same thing I posted then.
Posted by telnights
 I'm just tired of hearing from Randy and his BS. The hole $17 mill statement was total BS. I bet you anything Chuck made close to that by himself last year. Randy, Tito, and Chuck together made way more than that last year as all 3 get a cut of the PPVs as does almost all headliners. So if you take all the main events and championship fights last year and take in to account that almost all involved got a small cut of the PPVs you will see they made way over 17 mill. He brings up Floyd Mayweather and the fact he made more than 17 mill for one fight but thats one of the problems with boxing its not a good thing that he is making that kind of money per fight. The day MMA fighters start getting payed that much is the day we start seeing very weak cards with the only top 20 fighters on the card being the main event and us as fans still having to pay $40 to $60 for a PPV.
Last edited 5/12/08 6:08PM by telnights
Edit note/reason: n/a
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Telnights
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Post #8 5/12/08 4:02:04PM
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xburbx
MMA Regular
Career record: 598-360
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: New Jersey
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This is such a dumb argument. This is beating a dead horse, but why would a company pay employees more than it has to? It makes no sense. As for the boxing comment. Here is the article that puts that stupid comment to rest.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?prov=yhoo&slug=ki-mmamailbag042908&type=lgns
So shutup Randy and all supporters of the "not enough pay"
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Post #9 5/12/08 5:05:41PM
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cmill21
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 369-196
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: Regina SK
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I would like the UFC to prove exactly how much they pay out to fighters including their bonuses and ppv cuts, then we could put all of this to bed. If they are paying 5% of revenue after paying out their bonuses then they should up it, but then guys would have to make a % instead of an actual $ figure which could hurt guys bad if they have a weak card.
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Post #10 5/12/08 6:54:50PM
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bigbubbano23
MMA Sensei
Career record: 240-160
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: the hills
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Posted by 40ouncetofreedom
Posted by hodge
it seems wrong that some fighters in the UFC dont even make enough money to be professionals.
Are your serious 15 to 25 minutes and 200 grand...Sign me up.
200K a fight and 3 fights a year is $600,000 Plus enodorsements.Shit with all that i could vote republican and have a trophy wife.
yea that sounds good except for the 3 months of insane physical training and the 50% chance you don't win. you just make it sound so easy.
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Post #11 5/12/08 7:05:40PM
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40ouncetofreedom
banned
Career record: 293-156
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: Pennsylvania
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Posted by bigbubbano23
Posted by 40ouncetofreedom
Posted by hodge
it seems wrong that some fighters in the UFC dont even make enough money to be professionals.
Are your serious 15 to 25 minutes and 200 grand...Sign me up.
200K a fight and 3 fights a year is $600,000 Plus enodorsements.Shit with all that i could vote republican and have a trophy wife.
yea that sounds good except for the 3 months of insane physical training and the 50% chance you don't win. you just make it sound so easy.
It was a joke man 
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Post #12 5/12/08 7:23:24PM
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prozacnation1978
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 993-519
Season: 20-4 (#43)
Location: san diego
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i agree, with the live gate being 2 million plus plus pay per view buys where does all the money go??
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Post #13 5/12/08 7:41:48PM
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The Dancer
Career record: 353-258
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: Maryland
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Randy, cut it out. You used to be the classiest, most humble guy in the sport. Now your sounding like some kid who is taking his tonka toys away from the sand box
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"To me the records were just a starting point," recalls John Paul Jones, "The most important thing was always the stage show. So many great nights. At our worst we were still better than most. At our best we could just wipe the floor with the lot of them. It was just a very good live band."
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Post #14 5/12/08 7:51:21PM
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candynuts
Belt Contender
Career record: 134-86
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Location: I am nomadic, and lets leave it at that.
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Obviously the UFC is a business from a sport that is just starting to become mainstream. Dana knows he wont be able to please everyone and pay everyone what they think they should be payed, that would be stupid. I would much rather have the UFC fighters pay the way it is now than to have only the cream of the crop get the pay while everyone else gets shit.
Its just a stupid thing for Couture to point out. The Florida Marlins have a team salary (the players) of just under 23 million for about 32 players this year, while you have A-Rod making 28 million this year. A-Rod is making more money than the entire Florida Marlins player salary and that sport is about as mainstream as it gets.
The UFC is working hard to increase fighters pay, but it is a process. The more mainstream the sport gets, the bigger the checks are. Keep improving the product and the pay will come.
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Post #15 5/12/08 8:21:46PM
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