Sean Strickland Addresses Fighter Pay, Advises Against MMA Career

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

The UFC for sure is going to force him to fight Khamzat for saying that.

He’s not looking at the OPPORTUNITY.

 

[PaddyO'malley]

How can u be in the UFC and still get the numbers wrong..

Isnt the minimum contract 12/12..

Fighter pay isnt the best but if that's what you want to do with your life and your great at it theres plenty of money to be made...

The revenue spilt is the real issue and lack of cohesion between the fighters on this topic

He likely did the maths before the occurrence of this podcasting event. Due to his #BlueCollarBackground , Sean Tarzan was not able to change speaking gameplan as if it were battle gameplan and stayed with original maths calculation.

In today's UFC, this hypothesis combatant will having been made $72,000 over his career. In some country this is #VeryGreat but other it can be #VeryBad.

Many much complexity, but irregardless you are correct on regard to revenue split. #GreatPost as always , #Esteemed Poster and honest man Paolo

 

[j18lee]

Yes, the fighters should get paid more but it won't happen unless they unionize.

Plenty of fighters start off fighting part time. When you're making 10/10 or 12/12, it definitely should be part time. Stipe was famously still working as a firefighter throughout the beginning part of his career.

And even if you are only 2-2 in your career - I personally know a couple of fighters in my gym that got a small handful of fights in the UFC/Bellator. They're sought after trainers and make solid money doing what they like. A few opened their own gym using their name/time in the UFC to draw clients.

Similar to a musician or other professional athlete at the lowest levels, hoping to be a star. You get some fame, some sponsorships maybe and if you can't make it a full career, you teach.

 

[MCDojoMMA]

Fighters should fight more if they want to earn more. What do you expect to earn if you fight one or two times a year and play the rest of the year videogames?

 

[MMonk]

Yes, the fighters should get paid more but it won't happen unless they unionize.

Plenty of fighters start off fighting part time. When you're making 10/10 or 12/12, it definitely should be part time. Stipe was famously still working as a firefighter throughout the beginning part of his career.

And even if you are only 2-2 in your career - I personally know a couple of fighters in my gym that got a small handful of fights in the UFC/Bellator. They're sought after trainers and make solid money doing what they like. A few opened their own gym using their name/time in the UFC to draw clients.

Similar to a musician or other professional athlete at the lowest levels, hoping to be a star. You get some fame, some sponsorships maybe and if you can't make it a full career, you teach.

I have some friends who combine combat careers and private training sessions with firefighting in EU.
It pays little, but it's stable, gives you a stable income, insurance, pension and time to sleep and train.
Fires are pretty rare, so lot's of free time you can use for fighting career.

 

[Bboy]

You gotta like/tolerate the grind before you get to the cage and enjoy the combat. Fighters should get paid more. I thought they’d be at a 20k/20k show and win contract minimum by now as it seemed to have slowly been increasing. But Contender Series really sent them backwards. Honestly tho, in 1 or 2 fights a fighter in the UFC could still make more than what a teacher would make in 2-3 years.

 

[Spam On Rye]

I don't care what people on the screen get paid but props to Strickland for speaking his mind. Not much of that going around these days.

 

[Tweak896]

If UFC pay increases, it's going to guys like Conor and whoever's headlining. You think it's going to help the low fighters but it'll just make UFC more like boxing really.

 

[blaseblase]

Not denying what he saying... But ain't that pretty much the case for any major sport? You either make it big or you don't.

You make several hundred thousand dollars just being on a practice squad in the NFL.

 

[Ogata]

No, the difference is that if you REALLY want to pass the bar, unless you're a moron you can. The areas aren't even comparable. Same with med school (again, unless you're slow). With MMA, you can be gifted, give 110%, train with the best, etc., and never even take-off in your career or cover bills. Becoming a successful career-long MMA fighter is WAAAAAAAAAY harder than becoming a lawyer or doctor in terms of % of success.

Yes and also the million ways of getting injured is just beyond depressing and can mess with someone's head.

Also footwork is so underrated for fighting and yet it takes years to develop proper footwork that can also be flashy as it would be effective.

Or you have to have some speciality skills like leg locks or have a specific style with full mastery to stand out.

Now with social media and modern times, a fighter is competing for people's attention and more likely to be forgotten. In the 2000s. You had limited social media and fighters could sell their stuff on their personal website that they could advertise on their fight gear.

With how political the world has become. Future ufc superstar may have to represent some form of ideology that people can relate to in these polarizing times in order to build a fan base.

Meanwhile I am selling adult toys and supplements and I just need to find the right suppliers and advertisers as well as run seo and promotional campaigns. Fighting is a billion times harder and less rewarding and way more dangerous.

 

[kumitechamp]

Do these guys really deserve more money if nobody knows or cares who they are? If so who owes them money? Sure as hell ain’t me. Who on here wants to pay them? They don’t do jack shit for me.

 

[nostradumbass]

“So now you’re a 24-year-old man looking yourself in the mirror saying, ‘I spent my entire life doing this one thing and I’ve made $24,000, or $60,000. What do I do now? You go teach cardio kickboxing.”

Lol at being 24 and saying "I spent my entire life". No you didn't, at 24 you've spent maybe a couple years at most and the majority of people your age haven't made any money at all. Lots of guys wrestle in college and do MMA after, but if you're one of the people who skip college to go be a cage fighter, then you're still in a better spot than other 24 year olds who didn't go to college. Not sure what he thinks all these amazing opportunities are that you'd be missing out on that other 24 year olds who didn't go to college have, but you're about $60k ahead of them doing manual labor, and you have the ability to teach or open your own gym. Other 24 year olds who did go to college are like $100k in debt before making any money, and the ones who didn't probably work at a restaurant or some labor job with a low ceiling for how much they'll ever make.

If you've been training since you were a young kid and you still suck, then it really shouldn't take you 10 years to figure out that you just don't have the talent for it, so obviously don't abandon your studies if you're an F level athlete who thinks you're going to be a sports star. That goes for any sport.

 

[kneebartotheface]

If people like fighting so much, go do it on the street where most people do. That's the real challenge.
On the street you don't get 3 months to prepare for someone.
People should fight for fun and sport. Not for financial reasons.

Fighting in front of 10 people is just the same as 10k people. Fighters are selfish.

 

[Lucas1980]

Lol at being 24 and saying "I spent my entire life". No you didn't, at 24 you've spent maybe a couple years at most and the majority of people your age haven't made any money at all. Lots of guys wrestle in college and do MMA after, but if you're one of the people who skip college to go be a cage fighter, then you're still in a better spot than other 24 year olds who didn't go to college. Not sure what he thinks all these amazing opportunities are that you'd be missing out on that other 24 year olds who didn't go to college have, but you're about $60k ahead of them doing manual labor, and you have the ability to teach or open your own gym. Other 24 year olds who did go to college are like $100k in debt before making any money, and the ones who didn't probably work at a restaurant or some labor job with a low ceiling for how much they'll ever make.

If you've been training since you were a young kid and you still suck, then it really shouldn't take you 10 years to figure out that you just don't have the talent for it, so obviously don't abandon your studies if you're an F level athlete who thinks you're going to be a sports star. That goes for any sport.

Or go to a trade school and not have 100k of debt and actually have a real life skill... But I agree with what you're saying.

 

[Myrddin Wild]

Super Sage had teh advantage of growing up fighting, but he waz going to collage to be a petrolium engineer when he entered teh UFC. Perhaps he would've done better if he went full time fighting, but at least he had a degree to fall back on. (if he finished it)




.

 

[m249viking]

No, the difference is that if you REALLY want to pass the bar, unless you're a moron you can. The areas aren't even comparable. Same with med school (again, unless you're slow). With MMA, you can be gifted, give 110%, train with the best, etc., and never even take-off in your career or cover bills. Becoming a successful career-long MMA fighter is WAAAAAAAAAY harder than becoming a lawyer or doctor in terms of % of success.

What a tard

 

[m249viking]

At least with your first examples you already have a university degree and a proper education. You can still find white collar jobs. If you were a crappy fighter you have nothing to fall back on. Chances are you aren't educated and you don't have any other marketable skills.

Hence fighting in the first place.

 

[Normot]

10k/10k is pretty good if you live in Dagestan or Brazil.

 

[Normot]

No, the difference is that if you REALLY want to pass the bar, unless you're a moron you can. The areas aren't even comparable. Same with med school (again, unless you're slow). With MMA, you can be gifted, give 110%, train with the best, etc., and never even take-off in your career or cover bills. Becoming a successful career-long MMA fighter is WAAAAAAAAAY harder than becoming a lawyer or doctor in terms of % of success.

Can confirm. My brother wanted to be a pro fighter, had a few amateur fights, didn't really get anywhere with it, and is now a successful orthopedic surgeon.

 

[Luvhawky]

If you go to law school but don't pass the bar, you don't get to practice law. Med school, similar deal. I guess the difference is that you don't have to absorb a bunch of headshots before you learn you don't have what it takes.

But those skills you obtain along the way are easily applied in adjacent fields.