UFC
UFC NEWS: A look at fighter's sponsorship earning potential following Matt Mitrione's public agent firing at UFC 119
Sep 27, 2010 - 5:20:14 PM UFC NEWS: A look at fighter's sponsorship earning potential following Matt Mitrione's public agent firing at UFC 119

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

One of the constant issues in the sport of mixed martial arts is that of fighter pay. As the UFC continues to grow, the disparity between the pay of the majority of the fighters and the profits being generated by the UFC has led to a lot of criticism towards the current system.

One of the fallback arguments for supporters of the current system has been the additional revenue available for fighters to make through sponsorships. But how much can the average fighter expect to receive in sponsorship revenue in the UFC?

Jonathan Snowden at BloodyElbow.com has a very good rundown of the range of revenue fighters can generate through endorsements and sponsorships, and there are plenty of factors that determine whether a fighter is making $5,000 a fight or topping the scales in the six figures throughout the year.

The top fighters in the sport are able to command upwards of $100,000 and more per fight, some even securing deals that will pay them an annual salary in the high six figures; but the average fighter on UFC card can expect to receive $5,000-$20,000 depending on whether they're on television, if their walkout is televised, if they have an official t-shirt, and if their management has negotiated a good number for them.

The time a logo or a T-shirt receives on television plays a major factor in the amount of money that can be made, and if a fighter wins their fight more money is to be had by getting their t-shirt on and showing the logos in the post fight interviews. Failing to do so can cost a fighter much of what they could have potentially made.

The issue came to the forefront this past weekend when Matt "Meathead" Mitrione publicly fired his manager Malki Kawa after defeating Joey Beltran on Spike TV. Claiming Kawa only got him $5,000 for the fight, and also having a problem with Kawa decrying his wife's involvement in his deals, Mitrione said the amount was "highly unacceptable."

Kawa today responded in an interview with Ariel Helwani at MMAFighting.com, giving his side of the story and shedding some more light on what Mitrione made on the card.

"I'm not upset that he got mad that it was only $5,000 but there were certain things I was bringing to the table that would have gotten him at a certain number and he would have been pretty happy had I been able to handle the whole thing A to Z," Kawa said. HE further estimated that Mitrione made another $10,000 on a deal with the Hitman brand that was negotiated prior to him signing with Kawa.

"I'm not upset with it," Kawa continued. "I'm just mad at the fact that he didn't give me to the opportunity to explain to him some of the process that has happened and what's gone down and why his numbers weren't 10-15,000 but only $5,000."

There's plenty more from Snowden in the B.E. piece, and I'd encourage our readers to check it out.

Link to Snowden's Original Article

Penick's Analysis: Many of the fighters in the sport are woefully underpaid considering the amount of overhead that goes into being a professional MMA fighter. To excel at the sport and to get the best possible training costs a lot of money, and it makes it very hard for the guys making $5,000 to show and $5,000 to win on the undercard of a UFC event to keep pace with some of their colleagues and contemporaries. The guys bringing in the most money to the UFC continue to be paid relatively well for their services, though there is still a disconnect between what the top guys make in MMA when compared to other major sports. But at the same time, the big money has only just begun to come into the sport. It's only been in the last four to six years that the sport has exploded into the behemoth it is today. There are some aspects that are definitely behind the times, and there are things that will be adjusted in the future. But at this point in time things simply are where they are.