Props: Forbes.com
Quoteworthy:
“Gambling is in his blood. Last year, with his brother Frank and private equity money from Colony Capital, he [Lorenzo Feritta] took Bingo Palace, the Las Vegas casino and bingo hall built by his father, private for $9 billion, including debt. In 2001 he purchased the professional mixed martial arts league Ultimate Fighting Championship, which gained mass appeal from the reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter.”
It must be nice. Interesting nugget that has been known for awhile and is never brought up much: If Frank and Lorenzo ever have to resolve a deadlock between the two it will be settled with a jiu-jitsu match with the winner having the final say. Oh … and the referee? UFC President Dana White. I doubt Bill Gates or any others on that list have clause like that.
55 Comments »
I bet it would feel even nicer if he were self-made. Anything is possible when “Daddy” has started a lucrative foundation.
maybe pay fighters a bit more, so they wil stay in the ufc and get what they deserve…not all deserve more, but some do thats for sure
GSP= OWNAGE!
I bet Dana is pissed for not making the list. I bet he was thinking this when he found out he didn’t make the list, “What!? I’m not a Billionaire! I guess I gotta cut the UFC payroll even more now.”
Billionares on Forbes list, and they pay their fighters nickels, dimes and quarters, that is so damm sad and pathetic, Mark Cuban is ALSO a Billionare who unlike these as*holes Fertittas, will pay well, very well. UFC simply does not want to share the profits with the fighters. It’s very wrong.
You have to keep in mind, the Ferittas are on the list because of their father and his casinos. Granted, the UFC has made them millions, but its not the reason they’re on this list. Another thing to keep in mind is it was only a few years ago when the top UFC fighters (For the original UFC owner and other orgs) werent making in a year what these guys are making in one fight now. If you compare the hundreds of billions of dollars boxing has massed over 60+ years, these guys are doing ok. There is no doubt, now is the best time to be a UFC fighter.
[quote comment=”348694″]GSP= OWNAGE![/quote]
agreed
Them being billionaires and owing fighters more money have nothing to do with each other. They aren’t billionaires because of the UFC.
[quote comment=”348701″]Billionares on Forbes list, and they pay their fighters nickels, dimes and quarters, that is so damm sad and pathetic, Mark Cuban is ALSO a Billionare who unlike these as*holes Fertittas, will pay well, very well. UFC simply does not want to share the profits with the fighters. It’s very wrong.[/quote]
You know we’re all trying to make more money, each and everyone of us. I’m not at all saying that the UFC is paying fair wages but in a business no one wants to pay more than they have to… and honestly there are always going to be lesser known fighters who are willing to fight for no money. It happens in EVERY industry. Maybe the fighters should should form a union, and strike like the screen writers did. That would definitely send a message to the UFC and other organizations that pack jack…. But who could start something like that? UHhhhh the Natural maybe. I hate to see the fighters on strike and really it’s the fans that suffer, but it might be necessary.
-smokin’ R
Most people know that Zuffa the parent company of the UFC has been on a suing streak lately. (UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, DSE (PRIDE), and threatening various websites for using UFC in there name)
In a recent article by Sam Caplan over at CBSsports, Caplan enlightened many of us to a long standing suit the UFC has with former UFC middleweight champion Frank Shamrock.
Here a clip:
Shamrock has made it clear he doesn’t approve how the UFC does business. It’s also little known that the UFC has been suing Shamrock for years over a variety of issues, the most notable being that Shamrock uses footage of himself from when he was in the UFC. According to Shamrock, he has legal rights to 30-second clips of some of his fights because they were signed over to him by Bob Meyrowitz before Zuffa obtained ownership of the UFC. Zuffa doesn’t seem to care about the legal documents that Shamrock claims he has and is suing him anyway.
Shamrock is believed to be losing thousands of dollars in legal bills each month in this legal dispute. In talking to him in the past, he’s also not allowed to fight in Nevada. The belief is that the UFC is trying to bleed Shamrock dry in order to force him to come to a settlement with them and fight once more for the UFC. The thing is, while the UFC is burning a hole in Shamrock’s wallet, he’s still making a very healthy living on his own.
Frank Shamrock is set to take on Cung Le at the co-promoted Strikeforce-EliteXC event on March 29 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA.
Tito should be a union leader as well. He is very outspoken about what he feels are the fighters being screwed out of money. Christ, these guys fight for a living and they don’t even get basic health coverage. In 10 years time Cuban will own the best fighters in the world and paying them what they deserve.
WAR CUBAN!!!
I hope I never see a fighter’s strike. That would be a very sad day.
absolutely amazing still that keith jardine made 16k when he beta liddell last year. fact of the matter is that tooo many fighters, aka, couture, ortiz, bj penn, jens pulver, fedor, etc have complained about the ufc’s negotiation tactics and salaries for it to not be true. yes dana and the owners turned it around but lets not kid ourself, they owe most of the success to the guys that fought on tuf 1. if that thing was a bust, would be nothing or even gone. pay your fighters better!!! How many more sponsors do they have to wear on there ring attire or give shout outs to where there after party is b/c they’re trying to make more $$$.
Make the UFC a public company and give the fighters some options even. If the UFC goes public is would make and incredible amount of capital.
The fighter’s sign the contracts…that is all.
[quote comment=”348701″]Billionares on Forbes list, and they pay their fighters nickels, dimes and quarters, that is so damm sad and pathetic, Mark Cuban is ALSO a Billionare who unlike these as*holes Fertittas, will pay well, very well. UFC simply does not want to share the profits with the fighters. It’s very wrong.[/quote]
You call an average of $45,000 per fight nickels,dimes and quarters?
[quote comment=”348686″]I bet it would feel even nicer if he were self-made. Anything is possible when “Daddy” has started a lucrative foundation.[/quote]
Got Envy? Did you lose the kids college funds at his casino?
Geez, you make the Feritta brothers sound like tweedle dee and tweedle dumb. I’m not disagreeing that they had an advantage grwoing up wealthy. I don’t even really like the guys because I think the UFC is the WWE version of MMA and the majority of UFC are paid shit for wha they risk, but…
Everyone’s born under different circumstances that’s why America is the land of equal opportunity and not of equal entitlement.
I do think that the vast majority of MMA fighters get shafted when it comes to their paychecks, but if they think they deserve more money they should not sign on the dotted line.
[quote comment=”348736″]Most people know that Zuffa the parent company of the UFC has been on a suing streak lately. (UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, DSE (PRIDE), and threatening various websites for using UFC in there name)
In a recent article by Sam Caplan over at CBSsports, Caplan enlightened many of us to a long standing suit the UFC has with former UFC middleweight champion Frank Shamrock.
Here a clip:
Shamrock has made it clear he doesn’t approve how the UFC does business. It’s also little known that the UFC has been suing Shamrock for years over a variety of issues, the most notable being that Shamrock uses footage of himself from when he was in the UFC. According to Shamrock, he has legal rights to 30-second clips of some of his fights because they were signed over to him by Bob Meyrowitz before Zuffa obtained ownership of the UFC. Zuffa doesn’t seem to care about the legal documents that Shamrock claims he has and is suing him anyway.
Shamrock is believed to be losing thousands of dollars in legal bills each month in this legal dispute. In talking to him in the past, he’s also not allowed to fight in Nevada. The belief is that the UFC is trying to bleed Shamrock dry in order to force him to come to a settlement with them and fight once more for the UFC. The thing is, while the UFC is burning a hole in Shamrock’s wallet, he’s still making a very healthy living on his own.
Frank Shamrock is set to take on Cung Le at the co-promoted Strikeforce-EliteXC event on March 29 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA.[/quote]
Interesting… but isn’t that the american way? The big company burns the little guy’… sad commentary for the UFC.
[quote comment=”348686″]I bet it would feel even nicer if he were self-made. Anything is possible when “Daddy” has started a lucrative foundation.[/quote]
Who cares where they got the money? Lottery, robbery, or Daddy they are rich. And good for them! People who act like money isnt important, useally dont have any money.
Oh, and you must be voting for Obama or Hillary.
I work for the federal gov’t. Because the gov’t has a disposal of hundreds of billions of dollars they should pay me more?
Nike workers work for billionaires. Should the factory workers get paid more?
You guys crack me up with the underpaid, dana is evil, the ferratas are eviler BS.
…yet professional boxers make millions per fight and the fertittas and dana are still paying their fighters in the tens of thousands compared to millions. Isnt dana always saying that they are outdoing boxing in every way possbile including PPV’s ..if he is, then how come he is still managing to pay his fighters way , way less than boxers in general ????? hurry up mark cuban and start making some fights possible so the fighters can benefit as well!
I have to agree with blah and others that the UFC is doing very well financially and not treating their fighters in accordance to that. I have to believe that the majority of fighters are happy about people like Marc Cuban potentially giving the UFC some competition. It’s kind of sad considering how popular MMA has become that the attitude from the UFC still seems to favor compensating their fighters with the least they can get away with. And yeah, I do think $40-$50k falls in the nickel and dime range when you consider the payday for the promoters and how it compares to boxing and other professional sports.
[quote comment=”348781″][quote comment=”348701″]Billionares on Forbes list, and they pay their fighters nickels, dimes and quarters, that is so damm sad and pathetic, Mark Cuban is ALSO a Billionare who unlike these as*holes Fertittas, will pay well, very well. UFC simply does not want to share the profits with the fighters. It’s very wrong.[/quote]
You call an average of $45,000 per fight nickels,dimes and quarters?[/quote]
What are you on 5.15 an hour? You must since that seems to be money to you. and yes it is! Look at how much they make on each pay per view alone, they don’t even break 250k in pay sometimes.
[quote comment=”348849″][quote comment=”348686″]I bet it would feel even nicer if he were self-made. Anything is possible when “Daddy” has started a lucrative foundation.[/quote]
Who cares where they got the money? Lottery, robbery, or Daddy they are rich. And good for them! People who act like money isnt important, useally dont have any money.
Oh, and you must be voting for Obama or Hillary.[/quote]
[quote comment=”348782″][quote comment=”348686″]I bet it would feel even nicer if he were self-made. Anything is possible when “Daddy” has started a lucrative foundation.[/quote]
Got Envy? Did you lose the kids college funds at his casino?
Geez, you make the Feritta brothers sound like tweedle dee and tweedle dumb. I’m not disagreeing that they had an advantage grwoing up wealthy. I don’t even really like the guys because I think the UFC is the WWE version of MMA and the majority of UFC are paid shit for wha they risk, but…
Everyone’s born under different circumstances that’s why America is the land of equal opportunity and not of equal entitlement.
I do think that the vast majority of MMA fighters get shafted when it comes to their paychecks, but if they think they deserve more money they should not sign on the dotted line.[/quote]
You speak the truth.
[quote comment=”348919″][quote comment=”348781″][quote comment=”348701″]Billionares on Forbes list, and they pay their fighters nickels, dimes and quarters, that is so damm sad and pathetic, Mark Cuban is ALSO a Billionare who unlike these as*holes Fertittas, will pay well, very well. UFC simply does not want to share the profits with the fighters. It’s very wrong.[/quote]
You call an average of $45,000 per fight nickels,dimes and quarters?[/quote]
What are you on 5.15 an hour? You must since that seems to be money to you. and yes it is! Look at how much they make on each pay per view alone, they don’t even break 250k in pay sometimes.[/quote]
5.15/hour comes out to roughly 10k per year. a fighter fights 3 times per year, that is 135k per year, a big difference. that is a pretty damn good living.
look at what EliteXC paid their fighters, other than the main event guys, teh rest on that card made peanuts compared to what the UFC pays. if these fighters are so unhappy, they should go somewhere else. the fact that they aren’t should tell you something.
a union would be the worst thing to ever happen to MMA, look what Unions are doing to the automotive industry, they are killing it off and forcing the companies to move outside the U.S.
[quote comment=”348686″]I bet it would feel even nicer if he were self-made. Anything is possible when “Daddy” has started a lucrative foundation.[/quote]
They’re successful because of their actions. Their dad was probably a great influence on making them success orientated people. If they went broke tomorrow, they could get it all back again.
Stop hating!
muto, your analogies are fallacious. The fighters ARE the shoes. They ARE the tax revenue. They’re not the lighting guys or the cage builders, they are the ENTIRE draw. Some fighters can’t even cover their medical and training expenses. They go in the red just to fight. Yes, they sign contracts, but the only reason the UFC can pay so many fighters so little is because they have a virtual monopoly at this point. They do the entire sport a disservice with their business practices and no-compete contracts.
[quote comment=”348959″]
5.15/hour comes out to roughly 10k per year. a fighter fights 3 times per year, that is 135k per year, a big difference. that is a pretty damn good living.
look at what EliteXC paid their fighters, other than the main event guys, teh rest on that card made peanuts compared to what the UFC pays. if these fighters are so unhappy, they should go somewhere else. the fact that they aren’t should tell you something.
a union would be the worst thing to ever happen to MMA, look what Unions are doing to the automotive industry, they are killing it off and forcing the companies to move outside the U.S.[/quote]
135k per year is an average which I find a bit suspect. And what’s more, the EliteXC paid their fighters peanuts because they need to compete in what’s become a cut-throat industry no thanks to the management of the UFC.
Unions in sports compared to UAW? Are you kidding? I agree entirely that the sport doesn’t need unions [yet] but comparing the UAW to much of anything outside of the auto industry is a bit absurd.
Everyone’s born under different circumstances that’s why America is the land of equal opportunity and not of equal entitlement.
I do think that the vast majority of MMA fighters get shafted when it comes to their paychecks, but if they think they deserve more money they should not sign on the dotted line.[/quote]
You speak the truth.[/quote]
-the land of equal opportunity and not of equal entitlement???
Unless your chuck lidell, this quote doesnt apply to most fighters!~blah
[quote comment=”349003″]muto, your analogies are fallacious. The fighters ARE the shoes. They ARE the tax revenue. They’re not the lighting guys or the cage builders, they are the ENTIRE draw. Some fighters can’t even cover their medical and training expenses. They go in the red just to fight. Yes, they sign contracts, but the only reason the UFC can pay so many fighters so little is because they have a virtual monopoly at this point. They do the entire sport a disservice with their business practices and no-compete contracts.[/quote]
Dude that is a freaking LIE! All of the medical expenses are covered by the UFC. And show me how many fighters cant cover “training” expenses?!?!
And you said it best…..they sign the contracts. Where is Cuban, EliteXC, DREAM at with their million dollar pay days so fighters dont go into the “red”? Dont like the pay, get a real job. Dont like the pay, go to another promotion. Dont like the pay, dont sign the contract. Dont like the pay, dont fight! Pretty simple.
What disservice are they doing to the sport? They have made mma what it is today. That is not a disservice. MMa is bigger than it has ever been. That is not a disservice. MMA is still growing by leaps and bounds. That is not a disservice. MMA is a or close as you can get to a mainstream sport. That is not a disservice. So what? Oh, some meaningless fight between fighter A from the UFC and fighter B from another organization that has no importance in belts or titles. Just a fight that is all it is. Well, that is not a disservice either!
So from a business perspective you expect the UFC to dish out millions of extra dollars to fighters just because they clear that in revenue?
[quote comment=”348856″]I work for the federal gov’t. Because the gov’t has a disposal of hundreds of billions of dollars they should pay me more?
Nike workers work for billionaires. Should the factory workers get paid more?
You guys crack me up with the underpaid, dana is evil, the ferratas are eviler BS.[/quote]
No, if you work for nike, u get paid shit, because all your doing is making shoes, ur not the reason people are buying them - any dumbass can make shoes.
Fighters are skilled athletes. Just like any other sport. They are the ones who sell the sport. MMA fighters are the lowest paid athletes, and they are the most athletic. Its really sad.
[quote comment=”348919″][quote comment=”348781″][quote comment=”348701″]Billionares on Forbes list, and they pay their fighters nickels, dimes and quarters, that is so damm sad and pathetic, Mark Cuban is ALSO a Billionare who unlike these as*holes Fertittas, will pay well, very well. UFC simply does not want to share the profits with the fighters. It’s very wrong.[/quote]
You call an average of $45,000 per fight nickels,dimes and quarters?[/quote]
What are you on 5.15 an hour? You must since that seems to be money to you. and yes it is! Look at how much they make on each pay per view alone, they don’t even break 250k in pay sometimes.[/quote]
What are trying to say? Very scattered…
Well please take some of that money and pay tito Ortiz, The pit bull and Tim silvia. The UFC needs these fighters in the octagon and not somewhere else.
ufc-ranking.blogspot.com
Every sport begins this way in the infancy stage. Hockey and baseball players used to have second jobs when not playing. Then they decided to unionize. Instead of unionizing, fighters are slowly leaving the UFC. THe reason guys stay, is because the UFC is the most popular, its the BIG SHOW. Fighters want exposure. But now Randy, Fedor, Tito (big name), and others are fighting somewhere else. The UFC is creating their own competition by not paying higher salaries.
Its absolutely ridiculous how much potential UFC (mma) has. This is modern-day gladiators, this is the ultimate sport! I believe Dana when he says we can make this global. There is potential for fighters to be the highest paid athletes of all-time by ridiculous standards. But, the UFC can lose it all by losing fighters to other companies. Everyone in the UFC should get a raise!
BIlluonares are not smart always, if they were they would fire dana white and or get out of the mma buisness cuz they dont make it a sport they dessocrate mma and make it a buisness
[quote comment=”349099″][quote comment=”349003″]muto, your analogies are fallacious. The fighters ARE the shoes. They ARE the tax revenue. They’re not the lighting guys or the cage builders, they are the ENTIRE draw. Some fighters can’t even cover their medical and training expenses. They go in the red just to fight. Yes, they sign contracts, but the only reason the UFC can pay so many fighters so little is because they have a virtual monopoly at this point. They do the entire sport a disservice with their business practices and no-compete contracts.[/quote]
Dude that is a freaking LIE! All of the medical expenses are covered by the UFC. And show me how many fighters cant cover “training” expenses?!?!
And you said it best…..they sign the contracts. Where is Cuban, EliteXC, DREAM at with their million dollar pay days so fighters dont go into the “red”? Dont like the pay, get a real job. Dont like the pay, go to another promotion. Dont like the pay, dont sign the contract. Dont like the pay, dont fight! Pretty simple.
What disservice are they doing to the sport? They have made mma what it is today. That is not a disservice. MMa is bigger than it has ever been. That is not a disservice. MMA is still growing by leaps and bounds. That is not a disservice. MMA is a or close as you can get to a mainstream sport. That is not a disservice. So what? Oh, some meaningless fight between fighter A from the UFC and fighter B from another organization that has no importance in belts or titles. Just a fight that is all it is. Well, that is not a disservice either!
So from a business perspective you expect the UFC to dish out millions of extra dollars to fighters just because they clear that in revenue?[/quote]
well said muto, if the fighters are unhappy with the pay- DONT FUC%ING SIGN IT!!!(couture)
This is for the people who say the UFC has to pay more money. UFC when it started and UFC now doesn’t compare in money. Boxing has been at it for decades, MMA has not. If it was your money to put up and risk losing I don’t think many people would. The millions for fighters will come for the sport but it takes time. Basketball, Football, Baseball, all pay there players big money now, compared to what they made before. MMA is just now getting credability as a sport and thats thanks to the UFC. If the sport keeps getting bigger then expect the checks to also get bigger, it’s just a matter of time.
Dont hate the player….Hate the game>>>>>
How many times does it have to be said that WHAT IS REPORTED IS NOT WHAT UFC ACTUALLY PAYS OUT TO THE FIGHTERS IN THE END? It might be reported Chuck Lidell, as an example, is only making $250,000 but in the end he makes 5 times that. That goes for all the fighters.
[quote comment=”349171″]BIlluonares are not smart always, if they were they would fire dana white and or get out of the mma buisness cuz they dont make it a sport they dessocrate mma and make it a buisness[/quote]
What are you talking about, fire Dana? the UFC desocrates MMA?
That is nonsense.
[quote comment=”349099″]
And you said it best…..they sign the contracts. Where is Cuban, EliteXC, DREAM at with their million dollar pay days so fighters dont go into the “red”? Dont like the pay, get a real job. Dont like the pay, go to another promotion. Dont like the pay, dont sign the contract. Dont like the pay, dont fight! Pretty simple.
What disservice are they doing to the sport? They have made mma what it is today. That is not a disservice. MMa is bigger than it has ever been. That is not a disservice. MMA is still growing by leaps and bounds. That is not a disservice. MMA is a or close as you can get to a mainstream sport. That is not a disservice. So what? Oh, some meaningless fight between fighter A from the UFC and fighter B from another organization that has no importance in belts or titles. Just a fight that is all it is. Well, that is not a disservice either!
So from a business perspective you expect the UFC to dish out millions of extra dollars to fighters just because they clear that in revenue?[/quote]
The problem is that there’s not enough room for competition in the industry due to the UFC’s classically hostile business practices. This has resulted in fighters who have little choice but to sign contracts for little money. You don’t think workers in China want to work in sweat shops, do you? No, they simply don’t have anywhere else to go. Likewise, wayward fighters have almost nowhere else to go. The level of competition for businesses in MMA is so sterile and so risky that fighters wanting to make a name and a career have little choice but to sign for small paychecks in the UFC - the ONLY organization that can afford to offer no-compete contracts. All of this is changing very slowly with the ever increasing success of the UFC and the increasing crop of independently wealthy MMA investors like Cuban. You can see that I am perfectly correct in my reasoning by the mere fact that fighter pay has risen proportionally to the entrance of those investors and the diaspora of TUF and ex UFC fighters.
And yes, the UFC managment has made the sport bigger. Does bigger always mean better? Of course not. There are many pro’s and many con’s tied to the growth MMA has experienced in the past few years.
Ultimately, I appreciate what the Fertita’s have done for the sport, but I stand firmly by my statement that they are doing great disservices to the sport with their tight grip on fighters and low pay.
out of interest what number are they on the list and what’s their net worth?
Is that part about the Jiu-Jitsu during a deadlock true?
Word is the Ferittas are also going to bid hard for Xyence when the bidding starts next month.
[quote comment=”348701″]Billionares on Forbes list, and they pay their fighters nickels, dimes and quarters, that is so damm sad and pathetic, Mark Cuban is ALSO a Billionare who unlike these as*holes Fertittas, will pay well, very well. UFC simply does not want to share the profits with the fighters. It’s very wrong.[/quote]
In a way I understand your point. But an owner of multiple business (who wants to STAY an owner of multiple businesses)keeps them all seperate. The UFC must cover all its own expenses and take care of its own debt w/o draining any of their other ventures, and I don’t believe the UFC is anywhere close to being in the black yet (not sure). It cost millions to buy, and millions to run, not to mention debt incurred with the purchase of Pride. When the UFC actually turns a profit, I’m sure fighters will get payed more.
[quote comment=”349171″]BIlluonares are not smart always, if they were they would fire dana white and or get out of the mma buisness cuz they dont make it a sport they dessocrate mma and make it a buisness[/quote]
Buddy, can you name 1 pro sport that isn’t a business? C’mon, use your brain.
Congrat’s to the Fertitta’s and Dana…
This is good. This sport has grown sooo much since I stared watching it..
Anderson Silva the best pound for pound fighter in the world and did not even make half a million in his last fight.Interesting!
Why do you guys care so much what the fighters make?
Do you want them all holding out for $1,000,000 contracts.
wesley, high pay makes a career in professional fighting sustainable and appealing. It will also bring more fighters to the sport and help keep those aleady here around for longer. If a fighter stands to lose a big paycheck with several losses, then high pay gives them more incetive to train and fight harder. They don’t need 1 million dollar contracts, but it would be good for the sport if the bottom line was a little higher.
So…Lorenzo…I guess this means we’re gonna get Fedor right?
Fedor = Randy Happy
Do it!
and yet they pay their fighter like misers..
F#cking greedy bastards, start giving the fighters more money now.