View Full Version : More Details on the UFC Sponsorship Racket


snakerattle79
07-07-2009, 12:45 PM
http://mmapayout.com/2009/07/more-on-the-ufcs-ea-mma-ban-sponsor-tax/

The UFC is now charging prospective sponsors a $100,000 fee for the right to sponsor fighters that appear on UFC broadcasts for a six month period. This eliminates all the small-time sponsors because they may be able to pay $1,000 to a fighter but they aren’t paying $100,000 to UFC for the right to pay $1,000 to a fighter. The ones hurt the worst are the low-end guys who are struggling to make it on prelim money contracts. It also lessens the amount of money going to the fighters, because the $200,000 per year going to UFC as a licensing fee means perhaps $200,000, but certainly significantly less, going directly to the fighters.

UFC fighters in some cases earn more money through outside sponsorship than their UFC pay, although one manager estimated that for all but the top fighters, it would probably average about 40% of their income from a fight is coming from sponsors. But this is going to cut it back heavily, and with the exception of the top fighters, most in UFC are struggling, and even those who aren’t for the most part are going to have short-lived careers and many are going to have significant medical bills after their careers are over.

Kakutogi-Gumi
07-07-2009, 01:08 PM
From what I heard from Luke Thomas, the way he heard it from his contacts was that the move was done to discourage companies like Condom Depot and the like.

Other then that, charging sponsors is nothing new.

flipside
07-07-2009, 07:12 PM
From what I heard from Luke Thomas, the way he heard it from his contacts was that the move was done to discourage companies like Condom Depot and the like.

Other then that, charging sponsors is nothing new.
and it resulted in the little guy getting nothing. ****ing policies.

F l i c k e r
07-07-2009, 10:22 PM
I wouldn't care. I would still rock sponsor gear and just say "It's what I felt like wearing today".

Kakutogi-Gumi
07-07-2009, 11:39 PM
and it resulted in the little guy getting nothing. ****ing policies.

Relax man. Apparel companies will pick them up. Including Nike.

Just going to see a bunch of Lugz stickers for a bit.

Harms
07-08-2009, 01:53 AM
Let's be honest, only in MMA will people complain about this. I'm sure NASCAR does the exact same thing and I don't hear ppl complaining. I wonder how much Gatorade pays the NFL for the exclusive rights to have their logos on the sidelines. The UFC wants their cut for the essentially free advertising that they do in everyone of their events.

th4l3pr3ch4un
07-08-2009, 11:03 AM
Let's be honest, only in MMA will people complain about this. I'm sure NASCAR does the exact same thing and I don't hear ppl complaining. I wonder how much Gatorade pays the NFL for the exclusive rights to have their logos on the sidelines. The UFC wants their cut for the essentially free advertising that they do in everyone of their events.

The league minimum in the nfl for a second year player is $350,000 ... The players arent hurting from not having the sponsors..

Theres guys in the ufc only making $10,000 for a fight they probably fought and trained there ass off for, now they are losing money from there sponsors... thats absolutely ridiculous