DW: 18 fighters make seven-figures
If fighter pay is any indicator, mixed martial arts hasn’t quite hit the big time yet. From Esquire’s profile of…
If fighter pay is any indicator, mixed martial arts hasn’t quite hit the big time yet. From Esquire’s profile of UFC President Dana White:
White estimates that eighteen of his ultimate fighters earn in the millions per annum. Many others make in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. New guys make fifty to seventy-five, “depending where you are in the pecking order.”
Even pro hockey, the least popular of North America’s four major team sports, generates far more millionaires than mixed martial arts. Each of the National Hockey League’s 30 teams had at least eight players listed with seven-figure salaries.
Of course, each of the Big Four team sports also generates far more than UFC’s business. The NHL’s yearly revenue tops $3 billion, which dwarfs any estimate of UFC’s total sales.
White does share the wealth when he believes a fighter has earned it. Esquire notes that he doubled Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s $250,000 base pay from UFC 104 in October after Rua lost a controversial but hard-fought decision to light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.
