Are salaries of UFC really that low?

[Stickgrappler]

yeah i agree zuffa has a stranglehold on the money, but a lot of the fighters fight not for the money, but it's in their blood... they live and breathe mma.

iirc, tank abbott either/or chuck liddell (or both!) has a quote something to the effect of 'i'd fight for free' because they are fighters.

the money is much more lucrative in boxing, definitely in the upper echelons, but for a fighter who really wants to test himself, he trains multi-dimensional a la mma and one-dimensional like boxing hands-only (not dissing boxing), but the mma athlete wants a fuller 'game'/total test of skills vs training hands only

if they were really into it for the money, they would've went to boxing

[bradlee180]

Yeah, you can't fault a guy for tryin' to make a living.

I respect those MMA fighters.

But the thread-starter was inquiring why are the UFC fighter salaries so low considering the PPV buys.
Low pay clearly doesn't dissuade the fighters as this is how it's been all along.
The fighters know something's wrong when dana white keeps saying boxing's dying yet they read in the press that elite boxers top the list of highest paid athletes across ALL sports, while many good UFC fighters like Jon Fitch made the news when discussing his ufc pay over 7-and-a-half years. Many of these fighters don't know how these 2 combat-sports are set up fundamentally different.

[Stickgrappler]

ack! i read too fast, thx for pointing that out bradlee!

sorry for digression

[p4pking]

yeah i agree zuffa has a stranglehold on the money, but a lot of the fighters fight not for the money, but it's in their blood... they live and breathe mma.

iirc, tank abbott either/or chuck liddell (or both!) has a quote something to the effect of 'i'd fight for free' because they are fighters.

the money is much more lucrative in boxing, definitely in the upper echelons, but for a fighter who really wants to test himself, he trains multi-dimensional a la mma and one-dimensional like boxing hands-only (not dissing boxing), but the mma athlete wants a fuller 'game'/total test of skills vs training hands only

if they were really into it for the money, they would've went to boxing

I think that would be because they had complete shit for brains, with no morality and nowhere near the talent or skills to have ever had the equivalent success in anything. They were lucky to make more than they would have digging ditches or whatever the hell else they were capable of. Let alone another sport, let alone boxing, those guys were downright bums.
Most of your post is perfectly fair, that's just my take There are much more talented and sophisticated guys coming up in MMA these days, and a lot of what leads them to it over boxing say, is surely just passion for the sport. I don't think you can understate the peer recognition aspect of it either, kids don't watch boxing by and large, so people aren't going to take up boxing as a social thing, or to impress anyone etc, which is instrumental in getting young people into sports.

[VictorCharlie]

Woah...take it easy on Chuck. Great ambassador for the sport and a great fighter.

[Beanflicker]

Not sure about Weidman but I know guys like Anderson and GSP make MUCHO $$ per fight. Not Floyd Mayweather salaries by any stretch, but millions.

[Beanflicker]

a lot of the fighters fight not for the money, but it's in their blood... they live and breathe mma

I hate when people say that. Anybody with a career in athletics or arts probably got into it because they loved it and it's in their blood, but everyone needs to make a living. And if you have to work a second job to support yourself, that's significantly less time you can spend doing that thing you love.

Sadly, a lot of lower ufc ifghters have to work 2 jobs.