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Money sure is funny. While MMA continues its boom, some fighters are stepping in and claiming their money stacks are thinner than flyweights. The sport’s biggest names like Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, and Tito Ortiz have all expressed discontent in the Octagon and eventually in the courtroom. Now, Roger Huerta is throwing his Che-hat in the mix and saying fighter pay isn’t what it should be in August’s issue of Fight! Magazine. Shortly after, “El Matador” clarified comments he made when filming UFC pre-fight hype to mmamadness.com. The UFC’s editing “f------ pissed” him off because it made it look disrespectful toward his opponent Kenny Florian. It’s rare to hear a contracted UFC fighter to speak out against his employer, especially someone with a bright future ahead. A good-looking, bilingual fighter with a style that can please old guys on Sesame Street makes Huerta invaluable. In a division where there is B.J. Penn and everyone else, losses (of which Huerta has none in the UFC) don’t plummet Huerta’s stock—especially if defeats Florian and faces Penn. The Los Angeles-born fighter is the only fighter to go 5-0 in one year in the UFC and he’s not even a full-time fighter yet (he’s working on completing his degree in business management). The UFC cannot afford to lose him from any perspective. Plenty of fighters have disagreed with the UFC throughout the years (Ken Shamrock, Andrei Arlovski), but none have been in spot Huerta is in currently. Dana White’s Zuffa has featured Huerta prominently, building him as the star he is capable of becoming (if not already). Brandon Vera is the only comparable figure. He played up his worth as a young fighter, but his contract dispute ended up being a misunderstanding that left “The Truth” looking for justice with his former manager rather than the UFC. While Huerta’s perceived anti-UFC comments (deeper reading reveals he just wants respect by whoever employs him, in this case, the UFC) are running rampant on the internet, the more important point he brings up in the article is left untouched. The source of his discontent is he doesn’t want to have to rely on sponsors to make a living. This is a point completely overlooked in MMA. It is accepted; fighters need sponsors. However, there should be an addendum. Fighters need sponsors to choose from. If the UFC can increase their base pay—and that is the complaint—then sponsorships won’t be just enough to close the gap, they’ll be profits, rewards for the months of hard work. In addition, bonuses dished out by the UFC should be incentive to be the best fight, submission, or KO of the night—not a monetary must. A typical fighter making his UFC debut in an unaired preliminary bout makes $2,000 base pay. Josh Barnett often points out that a fighter in a preliminary bout doesn’t sell $2,000 worth of tickets. This is a valid point, but if the UFC wants to conduct itself as the top-shelf organization, it needs to have standards. To put it in perspective, Kimbo Slice was making $3,000-$5,000 for his infamous YouTube street fights—no special diet, no gym fees, no manager taxes etc. but still making what the UFC payroll deems a professional fighter’s salary. More importantly, if the UFC wants to see its competition level continue to progress, paying fighters minimal amounts won’t foster talent properly. Fighting is a finite venture. Financial security from MMA now is paramount for this reason. There are still avenues the UFC can explore to keep fighters content. If the UFC sells individual fighter t-shirts, cutting a fighter in on a portion of t-shirt sales is an easy way to bolster fighter income, while pushing the brand and the fighter simultaneously (see Affliction). This would be beneficial in to all as it may curtail the number of Affliction shirts. Ultimately, for Huerta, it’s about respect. This is the reason every UFC fighter exile has cited as the root of their displeasure. Huerta’s major trouble about his pay is its not enough to take care of his loved ones and launch his charity MyFight4Kids. Being the first fighter to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, he’s an interesting figure to speak out. Faces from other major sports are rewarded with robust sponsorships in addition to their exorbitant contracts. MMA fighters are rapidly becoming just as visible without the cash flow to follow. That’s the one thing about money that sure isn’t funny.
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