What’s up Nation, got a question for you guys. Would you get kicked upside the head for a bucket of coins? Not just coins, but pennies? Well, if you’re a mixed martial artist that’s pretty much what your job description is, especially when you’re on the local circuit. But the whole idea is that once you’ve paid your dues and trudged through the horribleness that are local shows, you’ll eventually be granted the golden ticket and set off for bigger and better things in a top promotion like the UFC. The thing about that, it’s far from the reality of the situation.
Luke Rockhold, former middleweight champion, talented all around fighter and a marketable commodity for the UFC has recently gone on record saying that the money he’s getting from the UFC is “bullshit.”
Yeah…so it seems like even one of the top stars in the UFC is having trouble getting those greenbacks. So one now has to wonder how long can the UFC can play this tightfisted approach to paying their talent. In the last few months we’ve seen Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, and Brock Lesnar all get paid upwards of two million dollars each, something that seemed farfetched just a year ago. A lot of that has to do with how many tickets these guys can sell. But you still have to wonder if the UFC is making the smart choice by paying a fighter like Luke Rockhold $250K a fight (money that any one of us could appreciate) to get his brains bashed in for the entertainment of savages (and I say that with all due respect) is the right move, especially with Bellator waiting in the wings to scoop up any talent they can get.
The bottom line is that though the UFC is the biggest promotion in the world they’re going to have to employ a new strategy in regards to fighter pay if they hope to keep fighters under contract. Yeah, every fighter competes at their own risk, but when you’re the champion of a division you at least deserve to see a major increase in dollars. After all, what the hell is the point of “prize fighting” if there’s no prize part.
So what do you think, is Luke Rockhold right for asking for increased pay?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
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