MMA is considered among high risk combat sports but the reward for better performing fighters is quite encouraging. While most of the MMA fighters are in the game because of their passion for martial arts or the fighting style they represent, the strong fan-base and good earnings also offers a morale boost to fighters who put their life on risk in the ring. Not surprisingly, there were 256 popular MMA fighters who earned six figures in year 2021.
Conor McGregor ranks as the highest-paid MMA fighter and undoubtedly McGregor is the favorite of many MMA fans. Fighters primarily make money from their contract with UFC, from sponsorship deals and PPV bonuses for major events. Betting on major UFC fights has picked up pace in the recent years. Bettors should know the game and should keep a close watch on performance of their favorite fighters. Before choosing the platform to place bets on sports events, bettors should have a look at the best online betting sites in India and make an informed decision. With unbiased reviews about various online betting and sports betting platforms, bettors can choose with confidence.
Tiers in UFC Contracts with MMA Fighters
There are three tiers in UFC contracts for MMA fighters. The lowest tier is for new fighters that sign up a contract with UFC and pays between $10,000 and $30,000 per fight. The middle tier is offered by UFC to fighters that start getting popular in the ring and outside. These fighters get paid between $80,000 and $250,000 per fight depending on their popularity among MMA fans and UFC rankings.
The popularity of MMA has skyrocketed in the recent years and PPV platforms are generating high earnings for the events. In addition, the sponsorship deals are fetching much higher payments these days. The highest tier contracts are offered by UFC to champions and highly popular MMA fighters. In this tier, fighters get paid between half million to $3 million per fight. The fight win bonus adds up to the earnings for the fighter and also improves his rank in the UFC.
While champions in each category get paid well, there are many other MMA fighters with impressive earnings. Junior dos Santos, George St-Pierre, Michael Bisping, Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Andrei Arlovski and Conor McGregor are among the top earnings MMA fighters.
There is a strong competition in MMA segment right now and this will heat up in the future. The popularity of UFC events has skyrocketed in the recent years and this has attracted even more fighters from across the world. These fighters bring in more action in the ring as they are trained in a different environment. All the fighters have high ambitions and UFC is providing them an impressive platform to showcase their talent.
MMA fighters have a tough job of maintaining their form and staying clear of any injuries during practice or fights. During fights, it isn’t easy to avoid injury but during practice, they need to be very careful. Also, they have to continuously work on their craft and improve their performance in the ring. As we all know, only the best will win in the ring.