Comments on: Final payroll total for WEC 37 comes in at $219,000 http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/12/04/wec-37-payroll-comes-in-at-215000/ Your Destination for Insider MMA News and Opinion Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:48:23 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: G-DUB http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/12/04/wec-37-payroll-comes-in-at-215000/comment-page-1/#comment-59262 G-DUB Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:01:26 +0000 http://fiveouncesofpain.com/?p=9696#comment-59262 Giving you credit as well Bryan for a well-conceived arguement. Though my opinion falls somewhere further to the side of the underpaid fighters, you make some very good points. I think we (fans) have just learned to accept the truly outrageous salaries of professional athletes. In comparison to the salaries of the major sports, MMA athletes are grossly underpaid. Compared to the average "professional", the top tier fighter makes a pretty decent living doing something they love doing. Giving you credit as well Bryan for a well-conceived arguement. Though my opinion falls somewhere further to the side of the underpaid fighters, you make some very good points. I think we (fans) have just learned to accept the truly outrageous salaries of professional athletes. In comparison to the salaries of the major sports, MMA athletes are grossly underpaid. Compared to the average “professional”, the top tier fighter makes a pretty decent living doing something they love doing.

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]]> By: goodguy http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/12/04/wec-37-payroll-comes-in-at-215000/comment-page-1/#comment-59241 goodguy Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:43:51 +0000 http://fiveouncesofpain.com/?p=9696#comment-59241 well, diatribe without venom. Maybe I should just say that I enjoyed your intelligent opinion. well, diatribe without venom. Maybe I should just say that I enjoyed your intelligent opinion.

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]]> By: goodguy http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/12/04/wec-37-payroll-comes-in-at-215000/comment-page-1/#comment-59240 goodguy Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:38:52 +0000 http://fiveouncesofpain.com/?p=9696#comment-59240 Excellent diatribe Bryan M. Excellent diatribe Bryan M.

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]]> By: Bryan M http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/12/04/wec-37-payroll-comes-in-at-215000/comment-page-1/#comment-59225 Bryan M Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:18:59 +0000 http://fiveouncesofpain.com/?p=9696#comment-59225 Maybe...but that is irrelevant to my argument. I make a decent amount of money doing something that I'm merely content doing (I wish I was good at fighting so I could do it for a living), and I make half of what Torres does in a year. MMA pay scales are not to far removed from the model of the American workforce. Pay is earned based on merit. If you train hard, you win fights...if you win fights you get on television...if you get on television your celebrity rises...your celebrity rises you have leverage in negotiations and more sponsorship opportunities. I would love to see all fighters earn $10 million a fight. However, the bottom line is that these guys get to do what they love for a living. If they are unsatisfied with their compensation then they need to pursue a different career. In fact, there are quite a few bigger name fighters who carry both a day job and an MMA career. I guess I just don't get why people on the internet need to fight the battles for these guys. Maybe…but that is irrelevant to my argument. I make a decent amount of money doing something that I’m merely content doing (I wish I was good at fighting so I could do it for a living), and I make half of what Torres does in a year. MMA pay scales are not to far removed from the model of the American workforce. Pay is earned based on merit. If you train hard, you win fights…if you win fights you get on television…if you get on television your celebrity rises…your celebrity rises you have leverage in negotiations and more sponsorship opportunities.

I would love to see all fighters earn $10 million a fight. However, the bottom line is that these guys get to do what they love for a living. If they are unsatisfied with their compensation then they need to pursue a different career. In fact, there are quite a few bigger name fighters who carry both a day job and an MMA career.

I guess I just don’t get why people on the internet need to fight the battles for these guys.

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]]> By: tyler http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/12/04/wec-37-payroll-comes-in-at-215000/comment-page-1/#comment-59215 tyler Fri, 05 Dec 2008 05:43:32 +0000 http://fiveouncesofpain.com/?p=9696#comment-59215 Bryan M are you completely out of your mind? Bryan M are you completely out of your mind?

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]]> By: Bryan M http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/12/04/wec-37-payroll-comes-in-at-215000/comment-page-1/#comment-59206 Bryan M Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:14:53 +0000 http://fiveouncesofpain.com/?p=9696#comment-59206 I don't get the big uproar about low salaries. Miguel Torres made $44,000 in his fight salary. He has fought 3 times this year, winning each time, that is a total of $132,000. That is the top end of pay for engineers in most fields, it's also comparable to a mid-level Architect. Bottom line is, that those numbers only reflect between 40-60% of his salary for the year. Lets go low and say his sponsor pay was 40% of his total yearly salary. That means he made $88,000 in sponsor money over 3 fights (based on the interviews I've read with agents, $25,000 is about the average for one non main/co-main event fight on a UFC card). So all told Miguel cleaned up with somewhere in the range of $200,000-250,000 in 2008 (without any other bonuses Zuffa might have paid him). Seems like little old Miguel is doing okay to me. As far as Manny goes, he has almost no name value and he signed the contract. And you're forgetting that he also made some sponsor money...I assure you he still made more than 80% of the fighters on the upcoming De La Hoya / Pacquiao card. I don’t get the big uproar about low salaries. Miguel Torres made $44,000 in his fight salary. He has fought 3 times this year, winning each time, that is a total of $132,000. That is the top end of pay for engineers in most fields, it’s also comparable to a mid-level Architect. Bottom line is, that those numbers only reflect between 40-60% of his salary for the year. Lets go low and say his sponsor pay was 40% of his total yearly salary. That means he made $88,000 in sponsor money over 3 fights (based on the interviews I’ve read with agents, $25,000 is about the average for one non main/co-main event fight on a UFC card). So all told Miguel cleaned up with somewhere in the range of $200,000-250,000 in 2008 (without any other bonuses Zuffa might have paid him). Seems like little old Miguel is doing okay to me.

As far as Manny goes, he has almost no name value and he signed the contract. And you’re forgetting that he also made some sponsor money…I assure you he still made more than 80% of the fighters on the upcoming De La Hoya / Pacquiao card.

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]]> By: GoofyMonkey http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/12/04/wec-37-payroll-comes-in-at-215000/comment-page-1/#comment-59195 GoofyMonkey Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:17:57 +0000 http://fiveouncesofpain.com/?p=9696#comment-59195 Manny Tapia: $6,000 (would had earned an additional $12,000 had he won) Co-headliner... WTF? Manny Tapia: $6,000 (would had earned an additional $12,000 had he won)

Co-headliner… WTF?

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]]> By: Ian http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/12/04/wec-37-payroll-comes-in-at-215000/comment-page-1/#comment-59190 Ian Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:12:01 +0000 http://fiveouncesofpain.com/?p=9696#comment-59190 Miguel Torres: $44,000 ($22,000 to show and $22,000 to win) One of the top 5 pound for pound fighters in the world, makes about as much as a manager at a retail chain. (If he wins) Miguel Torres: $44,000 ($22,000 to show and $22,000 to win)

One of the top 5 pound for pound fighters in the world, makes about as much as a manager at a retail chain.

(If he wins)

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