Issue 106
October 2013
The debate over fighter pay rages on and now fighters seeking better remuneration are being encouraged to justify it by thrilling fans instead of securing wins. We ask the FO universe…
DOES IT PAY OFF TO BE EXCITING IN THE UFC?
YES
LEONARD GARCIA
Fan favorite and recently cut ex UFC featherweight 16-11-1
Definitely. For me it definitely worked out; I made more money (being exciting) than what I would have if I’d just been winning. Even when we made the choice to fight for another organization, we helped the UFC out. They were actually debating on cutting me. They were just going to have me sit on the bench until December. So I was going to get benched for seven months, they were going to give me time to go work on my wrestling, and then come back a little stronger, more ready for wrestlers. But I felt like the UFC definitely wanted to hold on to me because of the excitement, so I urge fighters to be exciting. When I say, ‘Be exciting,’ I mean go out there and go for broke. Don’t hold anything back, don’t play it safe. I’ve seen guys who win three fights in a row and then lose one and get cut because they’re boring. Jon Fitch was a top fighter and he got cut because they thought his style was a little bit boring. So, definitely, being exciting keeps you in there.
NO
NICK PEET
Fighters Only and Train Hard Fight Easy magazine’s editor
There’s nothing worse than a boring fight. It kills the momentum in the arena and has fans at home start browsing the TV guide. That’s not good for business, and the UFC, understandably, has a bottom line – not to mention hundreds of people on its payroll – to worry about. There’s little excuse for putting it on the line then pulling a Kalib ‘The Running Man’ Starnes in the final stanza, but when you have a family to provide for at home, and a stone-cold killer staring you down across the cage, lay ‘n’ pray would probably seem a good idea to most of Earth’s population. The real problem is, just being exciting (i.e. having a kickboxing bout with 4oz gloves) doesn’t guarantee you a big fight-night bonus or a swathe of followers. And pleasing fans is all well and good when it goes right, but what about when it goes wrong? Plenty of those fighters on the losing end of the early-round (T)KOs that make the highlight reels stepped into the Octagon looking to ‘put on a show.’ They string two of those defeats together in the UFC and they’re back to small halls and small money.
WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY ON THE MATTER
“Yes it does. How else can you get fight of the night bonuses? Ill tune out if the fight isn’t exciting.”
@THESLAMMER626
“The UFC is a promotion & if your fighting style gets PPV buys you’ll get more exposure & higher wages. Exciting=Promotion.”
@MCR_ANDY
“Fans are more forgiving when you go out and put on a show. Exciting fighters are always in demand, even if they get cut from UFC!”
@KEVINMCALOON
“It seems to! If you’re exciting and lose they seem to keep you around a lil longer, if you boring (Jon Fitch) you’re gone.”
@SAM_DIXON_MMA
