Who Earns More Boxers Or MMA Fighters?

It is difficult to compare Boxing to MMA, especially when there is nothing common. Both the sports are very unlike other major league sports or NJ gambling games that involve multiple athletes and teams that compete with others. In Boxing and MMA, the two individuals contracted for a contested fight for the prize money presented by a promoter. The money is the only aspects that can form the base of comparison as there is nothing else to compare the two. So, can one compare the earnings made by boxers and MMA fighters? Who makes more? Read on to know more on the subject.

When making the comparisons between boxing and MMA, they make a tiny percentage of actual prizefighters. A UFC prelim fighter making more than a boxer on the prelims doesn’t mean much as more card opportunities pay higher for boxers. When the Athletic Commissions were asked to give a complete picture of the pay distribution for MMA and boxing in Florida, Nevada, and California for all the professional events held in their states, they reported 148 professional events for MMA and boxing. The total purses ranged from $0 to $100 million.
The top MMA fighters and boxers receive pay-per-view points, and those at the lower side are paid on consignment with tickets. The combined paid amount for purses was more than $228,200,000 and an average individual average of $173,000, 000. Floyd Mayweather, JR. payouts were $100 million while Manny Pacquiao’s reported purse was $25 million. The mean average is the median average of what most boxers earn, and the median average for a boxer was $3,250 in 2015. The mean average for the mixed martial arts or MMA was $21,714. This shows that the median average for MMA fighters is slightly lower than the boxers.

Thus, it is apparent that most athletes in MMA and boxing make very little but the MMA fighters are worse off than the boxers. A greater number of boxers rank at the top of the pay ladder, and those making more than $116,000 are boxers. Anderson Silva reports the highest MMA purse from UFC 183 with his $800,000. However, those numbers and figures might be distorted because the top MMA fighters do not report to athletic commissions. Boxers payouts are underreported as well, and the issue gets even bigger with the very top UFC fighters. According to several sources, top MMA fighters contracts with PPV bonuses and side agreements can make them earn in millions. Some good examples are Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, and Conor McGregor, with each earning between $4 million to $5 million. The upper middle class of prizefighters in MMA does much better.

When comparing those numbers, it is obvious that boxers appear to make more on average and all the huge paying purses in MMA are focused in the UFC. It is sad that matching boxing could be the best thing MMA fighters can ask for.