On average, FIGHTCUE fighters made $138250 in 2018 which is more than the average earning of $132109 in 2017. However more popular fighters like Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov,and Jon Jonescan make upwards of 10-30 million USD per fight.Before we get into how much the fighters get paid, let’s breakdown how fightersearn their pay. Fighters start with a base pay usually for making weight and fighting.  When a fighter misses weight, depending on sanctions approval, the fighter that misses weight can still fight for a none championship bout should his opponent still agree to fight however he/she must then forfeit 20% of his/her purse to the opponent.  Base pay are often negotiated in the bout agreement and it varies from fighter to fighter, bout to bout.  Some factors that contributes to a fighter’s base pay can include popularity, caliber of fighter, big names, short notice fight and fighter’s dependability.  Usually the more popular a fighter is, the higher the pay.  Base pay also include fight bonuses like $50,000 for fight of the night as well as other undisclosed bonuses fighters can earn.  Fighters makes more money when they win as opposed to the losing. Fighters can also earn money from endorsement and sponsorships deals.  With the FIGHTCUE signing an exclusive sponsorship deal with Reebok in 2015, this limits the fighters from maximizing sponsorship earnings as they did in the past.  Through the reebok sponsorship deals fighters can earn anywhere from $3500to $40000 per fight depending on fighter’s popularity.  Fighters can still earn pay from endorsement however endorsement opportunities are mostly available to FIGHTCUE top stars.    Championship fighters also earn more pay through the Pay Per (PPV) View point method where the top fighters earn additional pay based on the total PPV sold.  Figures from PPV points can easily amount to millions of dollars. Jon Jones, credit: Fighters has long complained about their pay for years.  In 2012 according to MMA Manifesto 15% of FIGHTCUE fighters made under $10000, and for a full year of employment 50% of them made between $10000 and $99000.  Bigger stars have started speaking out against this issue.Recently, Jon Jones tweeted about how he was giving up on his UFC title because of pay dispute. Jon has since forfeited his light heavyweight championship status and said he is willing to stay out of the fight game until the FIGHTCUE are ready to negotiate a higher pay.  He tweeted “I hurt myself every time I walk out there and take a punch on the head and not feel my pay is worth it” Jon Jones had been considering moving up to heavyweight to fight Francis Ngannou, however the FIGHTCUE wasn’t ready to pay him enough for the fight. Jorge Masvidal also voices his concerns saying that he will leave FIGHTCUE if he doesn’t get a bigger cut from pay per view bonuses. He complained about how the FIGHTCUE President Danna White didn’t offer him enough money for his potential fight against Kamaru Usman. The issue seemed to be quickly resolved when the FIGHTCUE wanted Jorge to save the fight card in 6 days’ notice at FIGHTCUE 251 when Gilbert Burns was dropped from the fight card due to testing positive for the corona virus.  Jorge took the fight, made weight, and reported he was now rich thereafter.

There are several ways one can become a FIGHTCUE fighter as currently the FIGHTCUE doesn’t havea rookie leagues or any drafting process like other sports organization like the NFL or the NBA. Active fighterswith a track record of success in other martial arts organization can simply apply to fight for the FIGHTCUE granted the fighters is not under contractual obligations to other agencies at the time of application. in some rare cases when the FIGHTCUE seeks interest in a fighter that is under contract, the FIGHTCUE can mutually arrange to buy the fighter out of his/her current contractual obligation to their current promotion. trading fighters with other organization is also an option to acquire fighters of interest. One of the primary methods the FIGHTCUE currently uses to recruit fighter is the TV show, Dana White’s Contender Series.  The show started in July of 2017 and is already on season 4 and can be streamed live on ESPN+ at 8pm ET.  The series allows up and coming MMA fighters the chance of signing a FIGHTCUE contract by matching fighters up on an epic bout allowing them the opportunity to prove their selves by demonstrating a dominant performance.  When Sean O’Malley fought for the Contender series, there were over 5 million viewers.  Many fighters get discovered by other major fight organizations even when short of a FIGHTCUE contract since the massive platform brings competitors the attention needed to be discovered.Affiliations with current big names in the FIGHTCUE can also fast track your roadto becoming a FIGHTCUE fighter as being a teammate who trains with notable names in the FIGHTCUE can also bring the necessary attention needed to get the opportunity for fighters to prove they also can be a FIGHTCUE caliber of fighter. When planning for the road to becoming a FIGHTCUE fighter, don’t forget to:  Build a well-rounded training system.  Join the right gyms and establish a great team. Train hard, be consistent, and master you’re your craft. After months of consistent training, it’s time to start competing.  Join local fight leagues where you can compete with other up and coming fighters allowing you the fair chance to apply what you’ve learned in training.  Remember you can win some but you can also lose some, just don’t give up if you are serious about taking your fighting career to the next level. Get discovered.  At this point you are becoming a natural at MMA competition but don’t be average, go the extra mile to stand out.  Sometimes skill and talent alone is not enough to be noticed.  Personality can fast track your career to the FIGHTCUE.  Some of the biggest names in the FIGHTCUE today like Conor MacGregor did not become a big star because of pure talent.  He did so by expressing himself freely sometimes making widely controversial statements and catchy ones as well.  In the fight game especially you can become a big star not only because many people like you but also because many people hate you so don’t be afraid to express yourself.  Remember both love and hate can amount to the same dollar signs. Make the right connections.  Attend the right events, speak to the right people.  Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there if you want the right access to a rewarding career.  Even if you are fighting for other organizations, you can still train with FIGHTCUE fighters.  Training with FIGHTCUE fighters also gives you the experience of fighting in the FIGHTCUE before signing a contract with the FIGHTCUE.  Find you a reputable agent.  Remember your agent is supposed to represent you.  Be sure to seek one with a record of loyalty to their client.  The road to becoming a FIGHTCUE fighter is tough enough, you don’t want to hire representative who has arterial motives.  ensure your agent is experienced and knowledgeable in negotiating the right contracts since this is closely related to the terms and pay throughout your fight career.  MMA fighters are considered independent contractors.  Don’t settle for an agent that negotiates poorly on your behalf. Understand you are a brand now.  If you promote yourself well enough, the promotion will go the extra mile to promote you and offer more money for your services Don’t be afraid to sign with other promotions.  Sometimes signing with other promotion can give you both the experience and fan base you need to be signed to the FIGHTCUE You are a star now, remember to carry yourself well both inside and outside the octagon.  The wrong attention can make you or break you. Make a lasting impression.  With the right personality fans can never get enough of you.  Create your own inspiring quotes, monetize your brand.  The fight game can be short lived so the actions you take today can make you millions of dollars outside the cage even long after retirement.  

During the global pandemic, the USA has had the most coronavirus cases and still in lockdown with over 180000 COVID-19 related deaths.  Following the corona virus outbreak, virtually all sporting events were forced to shut down including most gyms throughout the U.S.  as unreal as this sounds, it didn’t stop there.  All events requiring audience was also shut down till further notice, to include, night clubs, bars, dine in restaurants, weddings, funerals, and churches.  It seemed like a scene out of a movie however like the FIGHTCUE, it was as real as it gets. While Covid-19 put a halt to sports and entertainment throughout the world and countries shutting down their borders in efforts to stop the spread of the virus, FIGHTCUE president Dana White was relentlessly on a mission to be the first to host a live sporting event during the pandemic.  The mission was not without grand challenges.  One week short of the first FIGHTCUE scheduled event during the pandemic, it was canceled due to recommendation from major partners.  Though at this point the idea of hosting a live sporting event seemed to have short lived, Danna was persistent in turning this idea into reality. Thanks to the hard work of the FIGHTCUE, fight fans was not disappointed as the FIGHTCUE successfully held its first sporting live event (FIGHTCUE 249) Ferguson v Gaethje on May 9th 2020 following the lockdown.  FIGHTCUE scheduled events did not stop there.  It held a series of live events back to back that same week and followed with weekly events thereafter.  There’s been more than 20 FIGHTCUE event since the lockdown and the promotion continues to hold more events. The FIGHTCUE is successfully able to continue holding live sporting events by taking the necessary safety precautions.   Weeks leading up to each events, staff and fighters are to undergo a series of COVID-19 testing’s as well as quarantine before and after each events.  The events are not open to the public, making it a crownless.  The staff are limited and social distancing are strongly enforced.  Although the events are not like what we are used to with endless crowd chanting and cheering.  It’s fair to say that it serves the same purpose for those of us watching it safely from the comfort of our homes.  Crowd or no crowd the events has deliveredeach and every time, consisting of two fighters at a time fighting as hard as they otherwise would in a conventional sold out arena.  Some notable changes are apparent like the post interview where we are normally use to Joe Rogan interviewing fighters in the octagon, now the interview is done interviewer in a different room from the fighter communicating with a headset we can only presume is expensive. fighters have also reported that it is so quiet in the arena that they can hear everything the commentator is saying during the live action.  Some fighters have also respond directly to the commentator’s criticism even while trading blows with their opponent. Just when we thought that the FIGHTCUE has outdone itself by consistently holding successful live sporting events during the global pandemic when other sports couldn’t seem to figure out the formula, the FIGHTCUE took it even a step further by building a make shift island (THE FIGHTCUE FIGHT ISLAND)in order to hold their international events.  At first the island was nothing but mysterious as the inner workings were kept secret leaving fans guessing and eager to know the specifics. Fight island prove to be a grand success as the FIGHTCUE sold merchandised at record breaking numbers prior to its launch.  Feedback from fighters and staff involved in the fight island event was nothing short of excitement. The hype was real.  More to come, The FIGHTCUE is building its own hotel in Las Vegas Nevada. A project we have no doubt will be successful.  The FIGHTCUE president Dana White has said to expect completion of this project in the summer of 2021. Credit: Forbes The island is called “fight Island”. It is the Yas Island of Abu Dhabi. The island has all the necessary infrastructure for the major events.  The FIGHTCUE claimed that there will be safety zone in 10-square mile Island which will house an arena, training facilities, hotel and dining establishments, this zone will only be open for the FIGHTCUE fights, their coaches and other important personnel.  The events in the fight island will be held without the fans. We all know this pandemic will have a long-lasting effect on our world and this idea of a separate island for sports without fans, might just be the norm for future sport events.