Being a licensed pro judge I know a fair number of people in and around the fight business. That includes trainers and coaches, fighters, referees, other judges, and promoters. Most who make six figures are only making that because they have not quit their day job or have additional money coming in from related things like coaching and training others or maybe owning a gym or school. Occasionally someone will land a big promotional or advertising contract or maybe even start a related business like GSP with his energy drink but otherwise they generally have to struggle some still. Very few make really big money, long term where they are set for life. Even then keeping that money and making it last into their twilight years is easier said than done.
I won't embarrass anyone by naming names but I personally know people who made big money in their careers in other sports like boxing, football, and baseball who have very little to show for it today. Others who made much less are really struggling in their later years because by the time they are 40 that career is long over and they still are going to live for another 25-35 years and need some kind of income still. In fighting and if we are talking about MMA then we are talking about people who never make big money to begin with usually and who never made six figures in their prime and never will later probably.
Twenty-five to fifty thousand sounds like a lot for a single fight but most never make it to that level to begin with. Those that might don't get that for every fight and there also are their expenses to consider like management fees, transportation expenses, living expenses between fights and when training for a fight to name just a few. They also won't make that money later after retiring and then they require something else to fall back on to live and support themselves and their family with.
I don't know but I think you can count them on your ten fingers. You also have to ask how much the fighter actually gets. The UFC pays a sum of money to the fighter but the fighter has people around him who want a piece of the cake. A manager, a trainer, costs for this and that.
Gross or net, you can count them on one hand I it's net. Their responsible, to pay taxes on their prize money wich is almost half, plus their training, medical, travel, etc.
Once that's all done most all of them need a second job
No one their busy figuring out if they have real friends in 1st and 4th gen.
How many guys whether in the ufc or not, make 6 figures
