Tinker Bell

Here are the fighter payouts for UFC 61:

*Tito Ortiz ($210,000)
*Ken Shamrock ($100,000)
*Tim Sylvia ($60,000 w/$6,000 withheld)
*Andrei Arlovsky ($90,000 w/$9,000 withheld)
*Frank Mir ($26,000)
*Joe Stevenson ($12,000)
*Jeff Monson ($10,000)
*Drew Fickett ($6,000)
*Yves Edwards ($8,000)
*Josh Neer ($6,000)
*Dan Christison ($5,000)
*Josh Burkman ($5,000)
*Joe Jordan ($4,000)
*Hermes Franca ($4,000)
*Chieck Kongo ($3,000 w/$900 withheld)
*Anthony Perosh ($3,000 with $900 withheld)
*Gilbert Aldana ($2,000)
*Kurt Pellegrino ($2,000)

Sometimes I'm amazed at how low these fighters get paid. It's obvious that they aren't in it for the money. Not sure why some fighters got money withheld, anyone got any ideas? I've also wondered why are Champions not getting paid the most amount of money? So many questions to little answers. Any thoughts guys?

angryjonny

Hmm...I'm not sure what the "withheld" is all about. I don't know the ins and outs of all that. One number I'm kind of surprised at is Yves only pulling in 8K. I was thinking he'd be a bigger payout than that. I know they can get the new guys to sign for low amounts like that but come on this dude is a vet and was at one time the "peoples champ" when there was no 155 belt.

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GSPALLTHEWAY

i know we argue after every UFC when the payouts are released angry, but i agree there... 8k for yves is awful...

Grave

Maybe the money was withheld because of the hidiously boring match they put on, going to decision did not help either.

Kentified

Isn't money withheld when a fight goes to the judges?

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Jras0001

doesnt look like it because not all the fighters that went to a decision dont have any money withheld.

Bisking

$210,000 For Tito.

Now that was some easy money, no wonder he offered Shamrock out again.

Cha Ching !

imdahman

It was probably the usual thing of 100k for fighting, 110k bonus for winning.

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Snow Patrol

I can't believe that's all the money some of the fighters get paid. Joe Stevenson won a six figure contract. What does that exactly mean? That after he's fought all the fights on his contract he gets over $100,000?

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Straffe

I'm Pretty sure six figure contract means 100k per year, so yeah i am wondering how he only gets 12k (joe Stevenson) but I always wonder it must be a really disadvantage for people getting paid the little amounts, because some of them cant train all day like Tito because they arnt getting paid enough to do so, but that is just a guess.

MadOne

compare that to MMA Weekly.com-UFC LIVE GATE FIGURES FOR 2006
It's all in the inked paper. If your still in the top rank of your class when your contract goes out.. you might be able to get some more.

Tito..($210,000) no ****ing wonder he doesn't mind fighting him again.

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lwbfl

The six figure contract means your guaranteed enough fights to make at least 100K if you win every fight. The fight pay plus the win bonus adds up to 100K. Don't win one (or more) and you will make much less. The actual numbers are posted here somewhere but I can't seem to locate them right now.

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rapidresults

The one thing you guys are forgetting about are ppv sales. Most of the top fighters get salary plus a percentage of ppv sales. The stats that you are showing are just the salary alone also not including bonouses that fighters get.

SmashingMachine

Pretty sad that Tito makes more for his fight than the HW champion does for a successful defense. What's wrong with that picture?

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Grave

Agreed. A lot of payrates in UFC just don't make sense.

Like Chuck Liddel getting something like $200,000 in a title defense, and Rich Franklin only getting about $40,000 for his title defense in the same night.

The hell? I know Chuck is more popular but damn...Way too much of a difference there. Its not like franklin is any less of a champion than chuck either.

nazzyfan

Are you sure about this? Because that doesn't sound like much of a guarantee to me. In fact, it sounds like the UFC is deliberately trying to mislead the public when they say that the winner is guaranteed a 100 000 dollar contract. I wonder if the fighters know about this before hand. Because if they don't and have not signed a contract stating the terms of their compensation, then I think they have a strong case for a lawsuit.

On a side note, these fighters risk their health and welfare every time they step in the octagon. I'm appalled at the UFC's lack of respect for their own employees. The UFC has started to make some serious money recently, but it seems they don't want to spread the wealth and take care of the fighters that make it all possible.

OneBigThrow

Well you guys are always talking about docking pay because fighters dont fight well, why pretend to object if a guy cant win a fight and his salary winds up below 100k?

Eraser2K1NIN

Come on Smashing, you know it's all about who draws the most interest. Which in effect makes Zuffa more money. Tito is the UFC's biggest draw and he should be paid like it. Why would the UFC give Tim more money when he doesn't put the butts in the seats and spike the PPV buyrates.

Eraser2K1NIN

Not less of a champ, But much less of a draw.

SmashingMachine

To be perfectly honest with you, Sylvia vs. AA 3 was the main reason I got the PPV. Sure, I wanted to see Tito vs. Ken again, but I'm not so sure I'd gotten the ppv without Tim vs AA. Besides, I think Chuck's their biggest draw anyway.

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