MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) today received the fighter payouts for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 Finale from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for the event held on June 21 at The Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort Las Vegas.
The original TUF winner, Diego Sanchez, was the top earner of the evening, raking in $70,000 for his hard-fought three round battle against Luigi Fioravanti. Spencer Fisher and TUF 3 winner, Kendall Grove, also earned more than $30,000 each for their performances.
Here are all TUF 7 Finale payouts:
Kendall Grove — $32,000 ($16,000 to show, $16,000 to win)
Evan Tanner — $25,000
Grove defeated Tanner via split decision
Amir Sadollah — $16,000
CB Dollaway — $8,000
Sadollah defeated Dollaway via submission (armbar) in round one
Diego Sanchez— $70,000 ($35,000 to show, $35,000 to win)
Luigi Fioravanti — $10,000
Sanchez defeated Fioravanti via technical knockout (strikes) in round three
Spencer Fisher — $36,000 ($18,000 to show, $18,000 to win)
Jeremy Stephens — $8,000
Fisher defeated Stephens via unanimous decision
Matthew Riddle — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Dante Rivera — $8,000
Riddle defeated Rivera via unanimous decision
Dustin Hazelett — $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 to win)
Josh Burkman — $10,000
Hazelett defeated Burkman via submission (armbar) in round two
Drew McFedries — $26,000 ($13,000 to show, $13,000 to win)
Marvin Eastman — $9,000
McFedries defeated Eastman via technical knockout (strikes) in round one
Matt Brown — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Matt Arroyo — $8,000
Brown defeated Arroyo via technical knockout (strikes) in round two
Dean Lister — $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win)
Jeremy Horn — $25,000
Lister defeated Horn via submission (guillotine choke) in round one
Rob Kimmons — $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win)
Ron Yundt — $5,000
Kimmons defeated Yundt via Submission (guillotine choke) in round one
*Note that Tim Credeur and Cale Yarbrough each received their $8,000 show purses even though the fight was cancelled at the last minute, according to NSAC Executive Director, Keith Kizer. For more on that fiasco click here.
Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc.
For example, the UFC often hands out extra cash for “Fight of the Night,” “Knockout of the Night” and “Submission of the Night.” To check out these figures for TUF 7 Finale go here.
The total base fighter payroll for TUF 7 Finale was $402,000.
For complete results and coverage of the fight night special that aired on Spike TV over the weekend click here.
45 Comments »
one more time:
For those who didn’t see this before:
this is for all you guys that are going to bitch when mania posts fighter salaries this week. There is no gun to any of these guys heads when they sign their contract. I’m sure most of you have eaten at mcdonalds or shopped at wal mart right? do you bitch for those poor slobs making minimum wage? Fact is, these professional athletes train for free and most get paid to train. As long as they are training, they lure guys like us into the gym. Second, their sponser money is not factored into their salaries. Do you notice that the only two guys openly complaining are two of the highest paid guys.
If someone came up to me and said “we will train you at greg jacksons camp for nothing, the UFC will sign you to a 15k/15k show/win contract for 3 fights and you’ll get one sponser,” I’d say where do I sign!! Then you win a fight and mmamania.com offers you 10k to show their website, and condom depot gives another 10k for your shorts. Then I win 2 more fights. The year is up, I’ve made 150-200k, doing something I love. Now I’m riding a 3 fight win streak and I’m offered 50/50 or maybe more. & years later I’m dating a old, ugly porn star with a vagina the size of a watermelon and bitching about money…NOPE, I’m the luckiest guy in the world, getting paid to train and making a great living doing something that comes natural to all of us!! Kicking ass!
So next time you guys want to complain about the guy who saved the sport, just remember it’s a business, and you have no clue what he does behind the scenes. I remember when Matt Hughes beat Royce, his base pay was like 75k…but Dana gave him a million dollar bonus after the fight in the locker room. Instead of complaining about guys making hundreds of thousands of dollars, complain about the companies whose employees aren’t even making 25k and we’re supporting because they are on welfare!
Best post I’ve read in a while.
100% agree, the kids that complain about fighters pay are probably in High School and have never had a real job. Great post, love the part about a watermelon.
I totally agree with you. You have to sacrafice for several years and be successful in this sport. If you pay your dues and can win more than you lose then you stand to make a bunch of money.
People like to point out that the fighters purses are pre-tax. But I can almost garuntee you that none of these middle to low rung guys pay any income taxes at all. They can probably write off almost all of it as business expenses. Keep that in mind when you calv=culate fighter pay.
Good post Kevin…way to be preemptive.
Great post Kev
Kevin, what thread did you originally put this in??
Because I want to copy/paste the sponsorship information that I replied with. MTX Audio and so on…
here it is mike!!
Comment by ViolentMike
2008-06-23 10:43:44
CB Dollaway details his deal with his main sponsor, MTX Audio. MTX really takes care of its fighters. They signed him right out of college as an all-american wrestler. They allowed him to train at a world class facility for free. They also paid his rent. They also paid him $1500 a month (if I recall correctly) in addition. Once returning home from TUF, he received a free brand new Nissan Titan from the local dealership, and MTX audio put in an umpteen-thousand dollar system in it, for free.
You can read all about it on his website/blog. Very intelligent kid. As long as it doesn’t pertain to defending an armbar
thanks kev
Kevin, save this post in a Word doc somewhere and repost it after every event, because somebody is always going to miss the point.
Great idea PW! And that was worded perfectly kevin. Well done.
Especially well worded regarding the watermelon comment.
I’ll respond to that Kevin and I find your post somewhat condesending.
What does a fighter’s sponsorship have to do with the UFC?? This is something that the fighter’s and their management negotiate outwith their fight. Where do you get the figures that each fighter receives in sponsorship if they are lucky enough not to be on the undercard??
Most people working in McDonalds and Walmart are students getting by between studies who then go on to become president of the UFC lol.
Now lets look at your basketball, football and soccer player salaries. Multi-million pound salaries without factoring sponsorship etc. They are doing what they love also. However, they are paid relative to their worth of their respective club / team. Sponsorship etc are not even discussed at the contract table for these guys.
Look at our David Beckham for LA Galaxy. He is getting paid $125,000,000 over 5 years. This does not include earning from Giorgio Armani, Police sunglasses etc that he fronts for their advertisements. The $125,000,000 is what the club felt David was worth to the club. Rest assured, this was a calculated worth. LA Galaxy will more than like earn $250,000,000 in shirt sales, media coverage etc just for having him there.
Now I’m not saying that the fighter’s can generate so much capital for the UFC but without them, there is no UFC. Thats got to be worth more than $10,000.
I’m not saying that it’s Dana’s fault of the fighter’s fault but they ARE UNDERPAID!!!!!
Stupid.
Both sides agree to the contract so they are not underpaid.
Also, just becuase a fighters income is structured differently from your the McDonalds and Walmart jobs you’re familiar with doesn’t mean it’s badly structured. The numbers reported to the gaming commission are those fees associated with the event. They do not include other contract consideration - for example the UFC the may retain fighters for fees that are not associated with any event.
Also every UFC contract will have sponsorship provisions, so a fighters sponsorship has everything to do with the UFC both directly and indirectly.
NOT UNDERPAID!!!
eh?
What are you talking about??
Can you post an intelligent response?
Can anyone, other than syphilis sorry I meant pacalis, confirm that sponsorship is negiotiated into the fighter’s contracts by the UFC??
Man, these guys basically fight for free. I can’t believe this crap. Why doesn’t dana just give them a six pack of beer and 100.00 free play at palace casino. It’s a sad day for professional mma. Hahaha
Posted just for you kevin. Didn’t want your disclaimer to be unwarranted.
Hazelett made out alright. $24K plus the $40K in bonuses. $66K isn’t too bad for a couple months work. Of course, after taxes, mgmt fees, agents, etc. he’s left with about half that. Even so, a lot of people don’t make that in a year!
And just imagine how many xbox games & candy Riddle can buy with his 16 grand!
LOL, xbox games & candy.
LOL
hey PAT, this is to answer your question about Nick Diaz:
nope, he was like 10 when my wife trained there (and I didn’t know her then) and I hate going to stockton. I’m sure I could since my wife knows caesar and her cousin boxes out of stockton, but to be honest thats not my thing. Autographs and such are for a different breed of people. Would I say no to meeting and having a conversation with him, no, but would I seek it out, no!
Hey bnf, you wanna get a suite if elite goes to stockton? the card is stacked! This is if I can’t get great seats, maybe adam too, we could split costs!
That would be cool, but Stockton is a little far for me to watch a XC show. I live in Huntington Beach now. Have you ever seen big MMA show live? It is the best. I just went to Penn/Sherk in Vegas. That is the way to do it!!!
that was cool of dana to pay Tim and Cale anyway.
That shit is chump change for getting your head kicked in. The fighters need to go on strike until the higher ups break bread with the ones who make their organization a multi-billion dollar one.
I’d kick your head in for free!!! Multi billion??? where are those facts coming from? UFC puts on their own shows and pays all their own production costs, unlike elite that has cbs and showtime, and is still losing money (25 million in the red)
You are damn right man.
Look at it this way.. Joe Lauzon made $8,000 in his fight at UFN 13 against Kenny Florian. BUT, he made $20,000 more for fight of the night, PLUS $52,000 from sponsors. He would have made $8,000 more if he had beaten KenFlo. That’s a lot of money.
hey john, I read your complaint about aderole (tim). they used to make Mike tyson get off his anti depressents in order to fight. He should have known this. These add drugs act as amphetemines. Haven’t you heard of the young kids these days that can’t afford good coke, crushing them and snorting them. it was a fair cancelation.
Those salaries are chump change for getting your head kicked in. The fighters need to go on strike until the higher ups break bread with the ones who are responsible for making their organization a multi-billion dollar one.
I hope you’re joking
Agreeing with kevin - It’s not like DW is trying to gouge the fighters (i dont think), the salaries are growing with the sport. If anyone noticed during the TUF7, the amount the winner got for playing horse was a ton more than how much pulver won just a year and a half ago.
Just like any other sport - the real money comes with the sponsors and other deals, ig Maria Sharapova makes at least 10x more outside the court than inside. $25mill in adversting, $2mill in tournament winnings.
So if a Dustin Hazellet is making $24k, you can make a safe guestimate that he’s earning at least 2-3x that in sponsorship deals..
If you get to be on UFC, you’re almost guaranteed sponsors knocking on your door to promote whatever theyre selling. Being in the UFC = $$$. Period.
The UFC is leading the way when it comes to mma fighter salary and business model that is actually profitable, and not “hemorrhaging money” like EliteXC and other promotions..
http://cgi.ebay.com/UFC-85-Fabricio-Werdum-fight-shorts-shirt-AUTOGRAPHED_W0QQitemZ260253431093QQihZ016QQcategoryZ52QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Wow…he has to resort to signing shirts?…In the biggest MMA operation around? and there are ZERO bids
WTF it cost $80 to ship a pair of shorts?
8,000 to fight…. LOL Dana is a PIMP!!!!!
Pimpin a$$ Dana and his stable of UFC hoes. Big Daddy Dana gets PAID and everybody else better make $8,000 last for the rest of the year!!! Well thats before Uncle Sam gets his $2,500… and their trainer gets his $1,500 and their agent gets his $1,600, maybe they can buy their wife a nice steak dinner to make up for all those hours away training, and hopefully get their kid a bike…or something.
How can you brag about being the “biggest and best” and pay a guy $8,000 in this day and age Pimpin D, probably blows that in the casino every night……….sad
Here’s an idea. If you don’t like what DW does then don’t support him. Don’t watch any PPVs. Don’t watch any UFNs, TUF Finales or TUF shows on Spike. Don’t go to the UFC web site (or this one, for that matter). Instead, you should go start your own promotion. Build it into the billion-dollar business you think the UFC is, then pay all your fighters a million per fight. Then you can really rub Dana’s nose in it.
I like the fighters though..so I cant help but watch…but I forgot prostitution was legal in Vegas so I guess Dana is just doing what the rest of the pimps in Vegas/Nevada do.
And sponsorships…get real how much do you REALLY think Condom Depot gives you to throw that patch on the back of your shorts? Maybe 500.00 and a lifetime supply of Rubbers…which you dont need because you’re BROKE. Or maybe the guy is married and then he BETTER have condoms because he cant afford kids on $8,000 a year.
800 a year?? this was his 1st pro fight, and it’s only june. say he fights 2 more times and wins…thats 32,000 plus this 8 is 40,000…TO FIGHT. Sounds good to me, ooce again, where do I sign up???
I’d rather watch Amir fight, as opposed to Sanchez any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Complete tool.
Damn Kevin got like 5 or six post I can barley get two approved who moderates here?
Just out of curiosity, I know some fighters contracts give them a percentage of the PPV buys, but what happens when it’s a free show like this past one? Do they get a flat bonus or is it based on ratings? Does anybody know?
For the most part, the guys fighting on the free spike shows aren’t going to get a flat bonus. However, I’m sure there is going to be an exception for Spider Silva if Spike’s ratings absolutely murder Affliction’s. I wonder what the projections for each are.
For the most part, the guys fighting on the free spike shows aren’t going to get a flat bonus. However, I’m sure there is going to be an exception for Spider Silva if Spike’s ratings absolutely murder Affliction’s. I wonder what the projections for each are.