Maybe a little, but I feel like that's a real stretch. Like...we don't see more private schools popping up due to poor teachers, or in any other sports really. They may not all be good coaches, but there's frankly probably an oversupply of mma coaches if anything currently.But it's a fact that gyms increased despite the sport's infancy because of broke fighters. Tom breese started renegade here. If he had made 50-150k a fight, do you think he'd have accepted the headache of having such a big gym?
Murderer and absolute awful human. But I think the point people are missing is that no one is defending Don King. Rather, the point is, how fucked is your industry if you are making less than what a boxer managed by Don King would have made after he stole from you?I’m all for more fighter pay and believe probably 99 percent of the evil shot they do
but don king is on a different level. That man is the actual devil
Some people are born to give rimjob to some random athletes/celebrities
I don't owe shit to those fighters, just like i don't owe anything to butcher when i buy meat. If you are that great human being, there are so much worse shit happening in the world, focus on that not some privileged fighters.
Lol stop whining about fighter pay you clown. They’re adults that sign contracts then complain about them. Shut up.Imagine being such a fucking lowlife that you side with the company and not the fighters on this.
I don't know where they came up with their math, but 19% of 609 million is 115.7 million. 13% of 1.14 billion is 148.2 million. As a percentage of total revenue, yes, that's less, but in actual dollar figures paid to fighters that's 32.5 million more. Plus it's already been pointed out that Conor McGregor has a warping effect on fighter pay because he's paid so much. Conor fought 3 times in 2015, and 0 times in 2022.
These articles are trying to make it sound like fighters took a pay cut, while almost everyone who was fighting for the UFC in 2015 that is still there now makes more money now. The percentage dropped because the UFC made more money, not because fighters' wages got cut.
I'm all for fighters making more money, but let's be honest about the data we're discussing.
Independent contractors are double taxed on SS and payroll. That's how the tax code works.
Fresh signed fighters? Probably little less or little more depending on the fighter, if we are talking economically. They aren't the ones that get screwed the most by the lack of a functioning free market in mma.
Also you realize you make more than most entry level fighters while having a much longer earning window with less health costs? Counting both show and win for every fight is hilariously illogical, unless you think somehow every fighter can win and no one loses.
I actually think that if the fighters formed a UFC Fighters Association it could benefit both sides. Major sports with this sort of relationship with their competitors are fucking swimming in success. The only major issue is that the government is heavily involved with the UFC, which is not something the NFL has to deal with.
They mention 148 million to fighters in 2016, which is more in total dollar amount, but that's also dependent on roster size so, there's still more factors at playI don't know where they came up with their math, but 19% of 609 million is 115.7 million. 13% of 1.14 billion is 148.2 million. As a percentage of total revenue, yes, that's less, but in actual dollar figures paid to fighters that's 32.5 million more. Plus it's already been pointed out that Conor McGregor has a warping effect on fighter pay because he's paid so much. Conor fought 3 times in 2015, and 0 times in 2022.
These articles are trying to make it sound like fighters took a pay cut, while almost everyone who was fighting for the UFC in 2015 that is still there now makes more money now. The percentage dropped because the UFC made more money, not because fighters' wages got cut.
I'm all for fighters making more money, but let's be honest about the data we're discussing.
So what you're saying is, instead of an employee being responsible for one portion of the payroll tax, they are now responsible for both portions of it?That is not at all how the tax code works. Self Employment tax is exactly the same as the Social Security and Medicare combined rate and by definition of self employment they are responsible for the employer portion of the Social Security tax. Claiming they are double taxed on payroll is just idiotic.
For the most successful fighters sure, they have the ability to maximize the advantages of being a contractor as well as the means to get the legal guidance they'll almost certainly need. But for most fighters, especially entry level ones? They would almost certainly be better off as an employee if they had the option (which fighters legally don't essentially).It would be stupid for fighters to not be 1099'ed because it allows even top guys to offset huge portions off their income with business expenses (training/travel/equipment/meals/etc) so they pay little to zero income or SE tax because their business officially doesn't make any money. That would not happen if they were W2'ed. That is the tax game, be smart, appear poor, avoid income tax, manage capital gains, be rich.