And we’re not just talking about size, strength, or if you can easily beat up your big brothers. In fact even if you do make it to the top of the MMA mountain, most of your career will be a hard, sweaty, wallet draining ride. Let it be known that you want in. Then there are backroom bonuses, which is money the UFC pays the fighters behind closed doors. In terms of endorsements, the MMA Guru estimates that McGregor gets about $25,000,000 a year from his deals. When you are trialling the gym, take note of the quality and state of the equipment. If you are contacting the UFC, what is unique about you that would be attractive to the UFC? By Zane Simon @TheZaneSimon May 14, 2013, 4:00pm EDT Share this story You think I'm over? By now you’ve already seen the ups and downs of fighting, and if you’ve stuck with it this long, while maintaining a good record and reputation, you should have worked yourself up to the pro level. Shawn He's got him more hurt than he's aware of doesn't know what's going on here he can barely feet are still wobbling amazing that he is still on his feet and throwing Oh he fakes. To make it to the best promotion you need to prove yourself in lower-tier promotions. Be clear as to why you are contacting them. Your gym and coaches will definitely let you know when you’re ready to compete, as they’ll want to make sure that you’re skilled enough as well a good representative of your gym. It’s a stressful career choice [1], so you have to be able to handle the stress. Go and support your fellow MMA students at their local fights. If you can’t find a decent MMA gym straight away, you’ll almost definitely have a traditional martial arts gym close to where you live. By Farah Hannoun and MMA Junkie Radio | December 29, 2020 1:40 pm Back at his original weight class, Jared Gordon is ready to make a run in the featherweight division. You're watching the fights, but they are taped so the network doesn't have to be terrified of them. This Reebok sponsorship pay is minuscule, and it can range from $3,500 per fight to $40,000, according to the MMA Guru. It’s going to be a long hard path full of amazing highs, and devastating lows, but you’ve persevered this far, and you deserve to be where you are. Hawes (8-2) impressed with a stunning 78-second TKO of Khadzhi Bestaev (10-4) Tuesday night to earn a UFC contract after registering a brutal finish at the UFC Apex. Even though professional MMA is a new sport, it’s also one of the fastest growing sports in the world, so people are starting to figure out how to get to the top of the MMA heap. Become well rounded, and specialize in at least one discipline. Four people get awarded a bonus, and each one pays $50,000. Mixed Martial Arts has been my life long obsession as long as I can remember. Conor McGregor may make millions for every fight, but the average UFC fighter doesn’t. As the MMA Guru explains, the base amount depends on several factors. Usually, the more popular the fighter, the higher it is. But if you want to make it to the UFC as professional fighter, you need to have higher ambitions. Armed with new UFC contract, Jared Gordon says he's ready to hit stride at featherweight. Fighting for the UFC Most UFC fighters will not make millions per year. If your opponent misses weight, then they’ll be fined a portion of their salary. Make sure they don’t tie you down for too many fights; if the UFC comes knocking, you don’t want to be trapped in a low-paying contract that you can’t be released from. And cheers to all you contenders for putting Conor Jnr through college. Remember, you’re a professional now, so you have to start doing things that aren’t just fighting to take the final step to the top. Competitors pay entry fees and work on an individual fight contract. By Farah Hannoun, MMA Junkie Radio December 29, 2020 1:40 pm. That’s definitely the theme of your journey to making it to the UFC. Take your time. But there's no harm in making it clear that you're interested. sms. Similarly, any prospect must work tirelessly to get a contract with the UFC. There are some UFC fighters who are very rare exceptions to this rule, where relatively older people have entered professional MMA with exceptional results. In February 2017, UFC made changes to the anti-doping policy, effective April 1, 2017, as follows: (1) Fighters who are new to the UFC with no previous contract would be subject to a one-month testing rule. Completely immerse yourself in martial arts, and the culture of your gym. As you get more and more amateur fights under your belt, you should be getting more confident in your abilities as well as getting more used to the pressure of fighting. Keep improving yourself, and with determination, skill, and a bit of luck, you’ll make it to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Although you’ll be fighting for money, you may now have things like air fares, dieticians, and coaching camps to pay for. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. One thing we absolutely recommend, is that you try out a few gyms first to get a feel for what you like. Are all of your wins by knockout? His PPV points, however, allowed him to make almost $50,000,000 from the fight. If your ultimate goal is to become an Ultimate Fighter, you need to try out for the UFC. Secondly, now that you’re a professional, you need to treat this as your job. Look for a discipline that is a good base for MMA, like Muay Thai, Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, or wrestling. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Instead, the UFC relies on Joe Silva, vice president and matchmaker. send . Challenge Yourself Beyond Your Comfort Zone, Your First Paying Contract for a Pro MMA Fight. I'm trying to counters with the left and throws the uppercut. This fine will usually go to the other fighter. You know how hard it is to get a UFC contract? This is all about learning how to train towards a matchup, cutting weight, and handling the pressure of the cage. You can build up power and skill along the way, but it’s your determination to keep coming back after being punished over and over that will develop that fitness. Fines are technically another way to make money in the UFC. This is how you stand out from all the other prospective UFC fighters. When it comes to pay, UFC fighters have a different experience than other athletes. Instead, this should be the time where you push yourself outside of your comfort zone by fighting opponents that will challenge you. There’s a reason some of the best fighters in the world, the toughest people on the planet, cry in the cage. MMA-Today.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. © Copyright 2021 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Most MMA gyms should offer you a free trial, but if they don’t we think it’s worth paying a bit of money to train there to see if you like it. If things are run down, that might be a bad sign. At best that means you won’t get the right training, and at worst, means you could get hurt badly. However, after Diaz choked out McGregor and became a superstar, he renegotiated his salary. at 6 ft. tall. It's damn near the same probability of getting eaten by a shark. Not to be confused with win bonuses, performance bonuses are awarded after a fight card ends. While there are no hard numbers on what each individual fighter spends on a training camp, in Cholish's case based on the dollar amounts he gave, his bout at UFC … How many people can you expose to your sponsor’s brand? Feeder leagues. With the massive rise of MMA’s popularity, most decent sized towns and nearly all cities should have a reasonably local MMA gym. Sometimes, one person will get two bonuses and receive an extra $100,000. So unless they plan on not broadcasting some fights and potentially having to host their own events if they can't find venues to house all these extra events I'm not sure how they do it with their current model. If they don’t respond, keep sending it. This will force you to continue with a mindset of growth, not to mention get the attention of pro scouts and sponsors. Every fighter has a base salary they receive for making weight and fighting. And all of those are fine reasons for MMA training. There are some physical traits that help, like being strong for your weight like Khabib Nurmagamedov, or having super long limbs like Jon Jones. We’re talking about the mental strength and determination to keep going when you’re broke, lost your last fight, and your face is being mushed into a cage for three rounds. Craig Piligian, producer: The UFC thought that would be a great way to introduce a more general audience to a niche combat sport that had this underground hi… Usually, there’s one “fight of the night” bonus and two “performance of the night” bonuses per event. Related: How much do professional UFC fighters make? As a result, many UFC fighters have no sponsors other than Reebok. Two division UFC Champ Daniel Cormier didn’t even start training in mixed martial arts until he was 30, with his first pro bout in 2009 [2]. I got so much more to do now. Cardio equipment? tweet. This is hard work. Of course you’ll want to be competitive and keep a winning mentality, but try to think of amateur bouts as free experience towards getting ready for the big time. In fact, you should even be fighting people who people might think you’ll lose against. My goal with MMA today is to inspire people to train and enjoy mixed martial arts more every day. Andy and there's another right. After all, it feels good to win, so why no fight someone you know for sure you can beat? I am 29 and weigh 170 lbs. Because of this, it’s unknown what that number looks like. Milan Ordoñez, Ronda Rousey: Mental strain in MMA outweighs physicality of WWE – Retrieved on May 14, 2019 from https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2019/5/14/18622602/ufc-ronda-rousey-mental-stress-of-mma-outweighs-physicality-of-wwe-mma-news, Daniel Cormier vs. Gary Frazier – Retrieved on Sept 25, 2009 from https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/823-strikeforce-challengers-3-daniel-dc-cormier-vs-gary-frazier. Know your worth. With guys we think we want to be part of the UFC, when their contract is even close to coming up, me and Dana get personally involved, either fly them out here or … Do I Have to Be Fit Before I Start MMA Training? Whether they have won or lost, they’re crying because how much they sacrificed to put in the hard work that got them into that octagon. If you get picked for this, then you’ll get exposure at the very least as those shows get many thousands of viewers. How much do professional UFC fighters make? Are we seeing a Trend? Again, show your perseverance. It definitely helps, yes. As long as you surround yourself with good people, train smart, and keep your focus on reaching your goals, there is no reason you can’t make it to the UFC. Mr. Silva uses his own system, analyzing the style and records of fighters to determine the most exciting fights. Like endorsement deals, very few people will get PPV points. The organization works basically like an exclusive club--you have to be invited. Now that you’re in the pro circuit, you’ll want to get your name out there for a few reasons. Learn wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, or Sambo, to a degree in which you can hold your own against good grapplers. The most important thing to check in a gym though are the people. If that is all out of your skillset (after all, you’ve trained to be a professional mma fighter, not a promoter), have faith that by now, you’ll have a decent following of fans and a good circle of supporters around you. For example, in the Johnson fight, Diaz had a $20,000 win bonus, so his actual base salary was $40,000. Endorsements are lucrative for UFC fighters but they’re mostly reserved for the most popular fighters. Once you start fighting in the lower level pro leagues, you’ll need to continue to maintain your win record for at least your next 3 pro fights to get the attention of the UFC. It’s hard to blame the UFC for putting these clauses in the contracts, but they could stand to be a lot more up-front about it. Conor is owned by Dana White. Finally, pay-per-view, or PPV points, are another way a UFC fighter can make millions. That means you don’t just turn up one or two nights a week to roll BJJ or hit pads. 3. Secondly, self-promotion is important to get yourself on the radar for being picked up by the UFC. It puts pressure on your relationships, job, finances, and your mental health. Four people get awarded a bonus, and each one pays $50,000. Learn more. A good way to get attention is to put together some highlights of your fights for YouTube. Firstly, you’ll want to attract some sponsorship to pay your bills. In his last fight, he got $250,000 to show up and fight Anthony Pettis. But the contract never came, and it took me awhile to get that I'm fighting. If there is a bad vibe in the gym or if people are training a bit too rough, that’s a definite red flag. When he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor had a base salary of $3,000,000 as well as $40,000 from the Reebok sponsorship. Base pay also includes a win bonus, which usually only applies to fighters who don’t have a high base pay. We can take a peek inside and let fans see how cool this sport is, how exciting the fights are, how interesting the fighters are. Well if a fighter is really beginning his/her career in the UFC as not a experienced one, there’s usually this contract of $3000 to show and another $3000 to win. You’ll be spending a lot of time with your training partners and instructors, so it makes sense that you want to get along with them. How many Instagram followers to do you have that will see their logo? Read on as we tell you all you need to know on how to become a UFC fighter. And of course, the more popular the fighter, the more endorsement money they’ll make. That's why guys that do fight 4-5 times a year tend to make a lot of fans. In 2015, the UFC signed an exclusive sponsorship deal with Reebok. pin. Do they have a weights room? It’s one thing to be winning fights, it’s another thing to create enough buzz to stand out from fighters with a similar record to yours. Click to expand... Offering fights you know fighters won't accept to fulfil contract obligations sounds shady as shit and illegal lol Willy Knuckles, Jan 3, 2021 #27. dc007 mr. white belt. Not saying they couldn't make that their business plan but as of now that's not what it is. Perhaps you have a pedigree in another sport, such as NFL, that could attract a different audience. Let’s be real straight away – the best MMA fighter’s lives are not all about private jets and whiskey. You need to feel safe when you’re training, after all martial arts is about discipline and respect, not big egos and fist fights. But in saying that, and we’re sure you’re picking up on the trend here, it’s more about your mental strength than physical strength. What If I Can’t Find an MMA Gym to Train In? Peter Barrett earned his UFC contract and hopes to be part of the upcoming UFC card in Boston in October. If you are a young child, you have the advantage of being fit, flexible, adaptable, and able to learn new skills quickly. Nate Diaz only has two more fights in the UFC (on his contract), so if he can complete those and he’s freed up then Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul will happen in 2022. Assuming you had no prior fighting experience, you’ll probably want to train MMA for a few years before you take a real fight in the cage. The same rule applies to returning fighters who were terminated or whose contracts were not renewed at the decision of the UFC. share. However, he and other well-paid fighters like Alistair Overeem and Mark Hunt are the exception. I was introduced to Muay Thai at a young age, but ultimately fell in love with BJJ and grappling in my teenage years, and have never looked back. These people should be willing to help you out, and give you that boost in promotion you need. Once you get good at one of those skills, and you decide you want to pursue MMA more seriously, you should be willing to commute further to get to the best MMA gym you can. But that’s many years in the future. If you win every fight entered, you'll need a year or two of local and regional events to build a record and gain attention. Sometimes, one person will get two bonuses and receive an extra $100,000. However, there’s no guarantee that you’ll fight for the UFC if you apply, but it’s still a better shot than not trying at all. But you have to remember, he was also an Olympic wrestler for many years before that. Burns did his part. I have seen more fighters loose because of the judges then probably anything else in MMA. Perseverance and determination. Let’s take a look at where to start, and how to progress through the ranks to get to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. If you get offered a contract, read it. Plenty of people train in mixed martial arts simply for fitness, confidence, or self-defence. They dont have the deals is place to broadcast. Don’t take our word for it: There is no talent here. He's got a more hard shot. I have an understanding of mixed martial arts and have practiced on my own since i was 5 years of age. Once you start fighting in the lower level pro leagues, you’ll need to continue to maintain your win record for at least your next 3 pro fights to get the attention of the UFC. This made Reebok the exclusive sponsor for UFC fighters during fight night. If you do, there is actually a path to make it to the UFC. PPV points are usually reserved for champions and popular fighters. With MMA being so huge right now, there will always be gyms that aren’t actually that good, and are just looking to cash in on the MMA buzz. Being younger helps you to be moulded by the sport so that it becomes part of your everyday life. The answer to both questions, within reason, is no, there is no best age to start MMA training. Invite representatives to your fights and get in touch. Go to that 7am Saturday class. 6. Weigh your options. Always be thinking about what problem you can solve, and what benefits your would bring to both sponsors and the UFC. Send your promotional material directly to potential sponsors and the UFC. UFC President Dana White says that ranking systems often get in the way of putting together the best fights and invite corruption. shares. Because of this, though, it’s impossible to know what the average endorsement deal pays. I've always wanted to … Now you need to ask yourself, why are you training MMA? If you’re contacting a sponsor, what do you have to offer them? #ad, A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Mar 7, 2018 at 9:01am PST. Ode Osbourne hopes to use his platform as a UFC fighter to make an impact on the community. Conor McGregor was a two-time cage warriors champion before he got the big call up to the UFC. Long shrouded in mystery, Bleacher Report has managed to get an in-depth look at the UFC's fighter contract. Jeff Bottari/DWCS LLC/Zuffa LLC. accomplished his lifelong dream of making it to the UFC. A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on May 8, 2019 at 3:08pm PDT. Make sure they don’t tie you down for too many fights; if the UFC comes knocking, you don’t want to be trapped in a low-paying contract that you can’t be released from. Fines are technically another way to make money in the UFC. As a minimum we recommend getting a quality gym bag as well the right protective gear like a mouth guard and MMA gloves. Conor is Dana White’s (expletive), so he has to get Dana White’s approval. If you’re a middle aged adult, you have strength, life experience, and are able to make smarter decisions when training or fighting. “I think Conor needs to get some wins under his belt. 50k Worthy?#UFC241 pic.twitter.com/v8quKXuoT6. It's hard to fight that many times a year at this level and most guys/girls are happier with less than 3. Always talk to your coaches to make calculated decisions — along with your own ambition, they will be your best tools for getting closer to a professional contract. Here’s a breakdown of the ways a UFC fighter gets money in the bank. Because of this, it’s unknown what that number looks like. Do they clean up? Those are sort of the talks that are happening right now. From one King to another, cheers for the Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich @burgerking. This is an obsession. On the birthday of his late mother, T.J. Laramie of Windsor, Ont. Become a great fighter. So before you decide to quit school or your job to be the next big thing in the UFC, ask yourself if you have what it takes to make it. Go to the seminar where that elite BJJ black belt is speaking. O'Malley needs a separate here get some space to start going to work. So, again, ask yourself, do you have what it takes? Firstly, congratulations, you’re a professional fighter. It took me a lot to have that. When it comes to wanting to be a professional MMA fighter however, generally the younger you start the better. MMA-Today is reader-supported. Joe Silva is the matchmaker. When a fighter gets PPV points, it just means a small percentage of the money that audiences pay for a PPV will go to the fighter. So, in order to get into the UFC, you’re going to have to put together a string of, I would say at a minimum, 5 or 6 wins against good opponents. Don’t worry too much about whether you win or lose here — a loss isn’t going to be the end of your MMA career. Muay Thai is great for striking, BJJ for grappling, and wrestling as a base for controlling your opponent everywhere else. For example, Nate Diaz got a $20,000 base salary in his fight against Michael Johnson. Hi, I’m Brandon, editor here at MMA-Today. It means you turn up to every class and training session that your schedule will allow. Once you get used to that, habits are hard to break because you always resort to what you already know and that’s folding up when it gets tough. Most leagues have payouts for winning fighters, but nothing is guaranteed without a contract. Attend a UFC tryout. Train Hard and Fight Hard: You should train so hard that when you get in the cage that's the easy part. Buying the best MMA gear as soon as possible will also increase the chances you’ll keep training. Not only will it help you find people that can make you a better mixed martial artist, it will instill in you the discipline and laser-like focus you’ll need to be a legitimate contender for the UFC. You’ve picked a gym, and you’re ready to train. email. You would put your fights up on YouTube, send him the links; he’ll look at what you’ve got; he’ll look at the quality of your opponents, and he’ll let you know. With an impressive performance, fighters competing on "Lookin' For A Fight" can immediately get signed to a contract, which is how Sage Northcutt and Mickey Gall got into the UFC. To make up for that, Reebok pays the UFC, which in turn pays each fighter an amount based on how many fights they’ve had in the UFC. The path to the UFC is not done just yet. There is a danger here where you might get too comfortable with winning against not-so-challenging opponents. And I want to become a ufc fighter. Dana White: This was going to be our Trojan horse. Then there are backroom bonuses, which is money the UFC pays the fighters behind closed doors. Each UFC fighter is considered an independent contractor and they’re free to negotiate with the UFC on the base pay. But in general, any body type can find success in MMA. In the Pettis fight though, Diaz didn’t have a win bonus in his contract, so he just got $250,000 for fighting. When you fight, fight for a finish don't ever leave it to the judges. Any info on entering and or training for the UFC would be great. After all, sponsors and the UFC won’t want to have anything to do with a fighter that can only win against low-level MMA fighters. It’ll also help you develop a life’s worth of skill and experience in the sport that can’t be picked up outside of the gym. You think I'm done with this? Fight night is the most lucrative time for sponsors since that’s when everyone’s watching. NFL Players Turned UFC Fighters. It will be a hard road, it’s not a clear cut simple path like some MMA movies depict. Oh, no. Gordon (16-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC), …