Fighting does not pay nearly as much as casual fans believe. And a full camp cost more than casual fans understand.
UFC bantamweight Michael McDonald has fought only once in the past 12 months, a loss to John Lineker at UFC Fight Night 91 on July 13, 2016. He made $23,000 to show, a $25,000 bonus for headlining an event, and $5,000 for wearing Reebok. He estimates he cleared around $18,000 after taxes, training expenses, and other costs. McDonald tithes to his church, and wisely sets aside a percentage for retirement.
He had enough to fund his next camp, if he fought by December. That obviously did not happen, due to a next injury. So now he does not have sufficient revenue to fund a training camp. He does not want to go into debt, so is working a second job, to save up enough money to fund his main job.
“I’m trying to make enough money right now to pay my bills and still have a little savings for a camp,” said McDonald to Brett Okamoto for ESPN. “And it’s tough because I don’t know if camp will be perfect and I don’t know if I’ll pay for one, only to have my opponent back out. It’s always iffy.”
“My goal is to fight, but I also have to keep my possessions. I’ve borrowed money before and racked up $15,000 in debt in order to train like a professional athlete. And I’ve went through injuries and lost everything, twice. I’ve lost my home and moved back in with my parents.”
“The worst part is you never really know if you have enough. You just get this chunk of money and you’re saying, ‘I hope this [is] enough.’ Let’s say I have $20,000 in the bank. I think I’m good, start working my butt off, get injured and need surgery. By the time I get healthy, now I’ve got $5,000. What happens if I get injured again? I’ve had three hand surgeries and taken two years off before. You go into a lot of debt doing that.”
“For the longest time, I haven’t wanted to say anything about this. When people open their mouths and talk about how they’re not paid enough, it seems like they disappear. I’m to a point now where I have nothing to lose. The UFC isn’t paying my bills as it is.
“I wanted there to be a happy ending to this. I told them, ‘Hey, people are starting to ask me where I am, and the truth doesn’t put my relationship with the UFC in a very good light.’ Still, nothing changed.”
So is it worth it?
“Absolutely,” said McDonald. “I will continue to fight and I will become a UFC champion. This is my dream. I want to live my dream. I’m pretty sure I could be a doctor and make better money. I have the intelligence. Being a fighter has always been my dream. If this is what it takes, I’ll do it.”
