Bellator 199 salaries: Ryan Bader, ‘King Mo,’ Cheick Kongo cash $150,000 purses

[FrankieNYC]

So it was only the undercard guys who had to sell tickets?

Do you know the minimum and/or what would have happened if they hadn't hit that minimum? Would their fights have been canceled?

I know there was a minimum and that if "FIGHTER X" did not hit it than they could not fight or would have to go on either first of nineteen or worse after the main.

I don't know if every fighter has the same deal (or not)

 

[ECC170]

The semantics are different, you are not looking at it the right way. Think of Bellator is really only the main card, and the prelims is called Bellator but really just a regional card.

If Bellator had guys on the problem that are ranked top 100 in the world in their weightclass, and had records of like 14-4 or something, that would be one thing. But a lot of these are literally like 0 and 0, or 1-0, 0-1, 2-4, records like that, and the part that is cool for them is a guy who is barely a professional, but has a Bellator card in his hometown, well sucks he gets 1,000 or 2,000 but at least he can have his friends and family come see him in a big show setting. It's not like that guy was gonna get to the UFC, or Bellator Main card, or one Fc, with maybe a rare exception every once in a while.

Trust me, I wish there was a rule that once you are professional fighter, even 0 and 0 on a small show, you have to get at least 8,000 show.

I see what you mean.. it's Just odd.

 

[jimmy boogaloo]

The semantics are different, you are not looking at it the right way. Think of Bellator is really only the main card, and the prelims is called Bellator but really just a regional card.

If Bellator had guys on the problem that are ranked top 100 in the world in their weightclass, and had records of like 14-4 or something, that would be one thing. But a lot of these are literally like 0 and 0, or 1-0, 0-1, 2-4, records like that, and the part that is cool for them is a guy who is barely a professional, but has a Bellator card in his hometown, well sucks he gets 1,000 or 2,000 but at least he can have his friends and family come see him in a big show setting. It's not like that guy was gonna get to the UFC, or Bellator Main card, or one Fc, with maybe a rare exception every once in a while.

Trust me, I wish there was a rule that once you are professional fighter, even 0 and 0 on a small show, you have to get at least 8,000 show.

to be fair that is well put. tricky one. all of them will (hopefully) have different jobs and this is just a bucket-list type experience for them. [<worded flippantly] should bellator be part of this?

 

[SuperPig]

Paul Daley got fucked and Fitched in the same night. That's rough.

 

[member 3289]

The semantics are different, you are not looking at it the right way. Think of Bellator is really only the main card, and the prelims is called Bellator but really just a regional card.

If Bellator had guys on the problem that are ranked top 100 in the world in their weightclass, and had records of like 14-4 or something, that would be one thing. But a lot of these are literally like 0 and 0, or 1-0, 0-1, 2-4, records like that, and the part that is cool for them is a guy who is barely a professional, but has a Bellator card in his hometown, well sucks he gets 1,000 or 2,000 but at least he can have his friends and family come see him in a big show setting. It's not like that guy was gonna get to the UFC, or Bellator Main card, or one Fc, with maybe a rare exception every once in a while.

Trust me, I wish there was a rule that once you are professional fighter, even 0 and 0 on a small show, you have to get at least 8,000 show.

Bellator didn't do it to give some local guy a chance to have a pro MMA fight, they did it so they'd have additional ticket vendors.

So not only were these guys paid dog shit wages by the #2 MMA promotion, they also had to sell a minimum number of tickets or risk their fight being canceled.

The hypocrisy is unbelievable (not saying you specifically but fans in general). If the UFC did this it would be a shitstorm.

 

[nuraknu]

Did Bellator have their own prelims when they partnered with bamma? Partnering with an actual regional promotion for the prelims seems like a classier move. But I would imagine in the San Jose area, they think of themselves as a regional promotion too.

 

[TheEmperorRises]

Bellator didn't do it to give some local guy a chance to have a pro MMA fight, they did it so they'd have additional ticket vendors.

So not only were these guys paid dog shit wages by the #2 MMA promotion, they also had to sell a minimum number of tickets or risk their fight being canceled.

The hypocrisy is unbelievable (not saying you specifically but fans in general). If the UFC did this it would be a shitstorm.

Then you agree that Bellator is on the same level as the UFC. Nice to have that cleared up

 

[member 3289]

Then you agree that Bellator is on the same level as the UFC. Nice to have that cleared up

Of course they're at least close. They have two of the top 5 welterweights in the world (MacDonald and Lima) and a top 10 lightweight (Chandler).

But a lot of the shit they do is bush league, including this recent example of putting 19 fights on a card (when their four prior major cards had 14, 12, 11, and 11 fights respectively) so that you can have 10-20 extra ticket vendors.

 

[MMAHAWK]

Bellator didn't do it to give some local guy a chance to have a pro MMA fight, they did it so they'd have additional ticket vendors.

So not only were these guys paid dog shit wages by the #2 MMA promotion, they also had to sell a minimum number of tickets or risk their fight being canceled.

The hypocrisy is unbelievable (not saying you specifically but fans in general). If the UFC did this it would be a shitstorm.

Fighters selling tickets has been apart of Mma since day 1. You are aware that the fighters get a percent of the sales right? @FrankieNYC i believe I’ve asked you before but have you ever heard of a fight being cancelled due to ticket sales? As far as the UFC goes, if they had 14 prelims with 0-0 fighters I’d have no issue with the pay. Anyone acting like the Bellator prelims is anything more then a local bar show is ignorant.

 

[member 3289]

Fighters selling tickets has been apart of Mma since day 1. You are aware that the fighters get a percent of the sales right? @FrankieNYC i believe I’ve asked you before but have you ever heard of a fight being cancelled due to ticket sales? As far as the UFC goes, if they had 14 prelims with 0-0 fighters I’d have no issue with the pay. Anyone acting like the Bellator prelims is anything more then a local bar show is ignorant.

This isn't a regional promotion, it's Bellator, the #2 MMA promotion in the country and a company that's owned by Viacom.

Putting 5-8 extra fights on your prelims just so those guys can sell tickets for you is a bad look if you're Bellator/Scott Coker.

 

[MMAHAWK]

Of course they're at least close. They have two of the top 5 welterweights in the world (MacDonald and Lima) and a top 10 lightweight (Chandler).

But a lot of the shit they do is bush league, including this recent example of putting 19 fights on a card (when their four prior major cards had 14, 12, 11, and 11 fights respectively) so that you can have 10-20 extra ticket vendors.

Last four big shows
198- 14 fights
194- 12 fights
192- 18 fights
186- 14 fights
Other shows where small reservation shows or combined with Kickboxing that also had a ton of fights.

 

[MMAHAWK]

This isn't a regional promotion, it's Bellator, the #2 MMA promotion in the country and a company that's owned by Viacom.

Putting 5-8 extra fights on your prelims just so those guys can sell tickets for you is a bad look if you're Bellator/Scott Coker.

I guess you fall under my last sentence. If you can’t see the difference between the UFC prelims and Bellator prelims with guys averaging 1 career fight.

Have you ever watched all the Bellator prelims before?

 

[member 3289]

Last four big shows
198- 14 fights
194- 12 fights
192- 18 fights
186- 14 fights
Other shows where small reservation shows or combined with Kickboxing that also had a ton of fights.

I was only looking at numbered events.

195 - 11 fights
196 - 11 fights
197 - 12 fights
198 - 14 fights

Why are 75% of these being given numbers if they're only small reservation shows?

 

[MMAHAWK]

I was only looking at numbered events.

195 - 11 fights
196 - 11 fights
197 - 12 fights
198 - 14 fights

Why are 75% of these being given numbers if they're only small reservation shows?

Every Bellator event has Had a number since the beginning. They didn’t have any big show till 106. so they never really had a reason to not number them.

 

[member 3289]

I guess you fall under my last sentence. If you can’t see the difference between the UFC prelims and Bellator prelims with guys averaging 1 career fight.

Have you ever watched all the Bellator prelims before?

I honestly don't watch Bellator(main card or undercard) unless Rory MacDonald is fighting. I may have made exceptions for other big-name fights, but I can't remember. And I'm not a UFC fan boy, despite my lack of interest in Bellator. I couldn't care either way.

And while I understand they don't make as much money as the UFC, Bellator is owned by a multi-billion dollar company, is shown on a national TV network, and pulls comparable TV ratings to the UFC.

Doing the regional show thing where you get fighters to sell your tickets and tell them their fights are gonna be canceled if they don't sell a minimum number of tickets is a bad look for a company in Bellator's position.

 

[member 3289]

Every Bellator event has Had a number since the beginning. They didn’t have any big show till 106. so they never really had a reason to not number them.

Is the Monster Energy Fight Series event they held on March 3 kind of like a Dana White looking for a fighter kind of thing?

I don't watch either one but I think I have an idea of what the Dana White thing is.

 

[MMAHAWK]

Is the Monster Energy Fight Series event they held on March 3 kind of like a Dana White looking for a fighter kind of thing?

I don't watch either one but I think I have an idea of what the Dana White thing is.

not even broadcast and the fights are basically 5 of these prelims. I’d forgot about those and I really don’t even consider those Bellator events.

 

[FrankieNYC]

Fighters selling tickets has been apart of Mma since day 1. You are aware that the fighters get a percent of the sales right? @FrankieNYC i believe I’ve asked you before but have you ever heard of a fight being cancelled due to ticket sales? As far as the UFC goes, if they had 14 prelims with 0-0 fighters I’d have no issue with the pay. Anyone acting like the Bellator prelims is anything more then a local bar show is ignorant.

Only thing I heard was one fighter was told he had to have a minimum sold by a certain date before the fight or else they could cancel.
I know of one fighter that paid out of pocket for the tix he did not sell.
I also heard they pick order of some fights based on sales.

Things might change per fighter and/or event though

Again (because I know how some are on here - NOT YOU), I have zero issue with what Bellator pays undercard fighters. They are not in a position to pay more fiscally.
I just don't agree with so many fights & ticket selling for a company that size.

 

[Jehannum]

we need sources for all these claims

 

[FrankieNYC]

Fighters selling tickets has been apart of Mma since day 1. You are aware that the fighters get a percent of the sales right? @FrankieNYC i believe I’ve asked you before but have you ever heard of a fight being cancelled due to ticket sales? As far as the UFC goes, if they had 14 prelims with 0-0 fighters I’d have no issue with the pay. Anyone acting like the Bellator prelims is anything more then a local bar show is ignorant.

@MMAHAWK

I just found this out of nowhere

Brian "The Professional Predator" Rogers was supposed to fight Gary "Freak Train" Tapusoa on Bellator 113. Tapusoa failed to sell enough tickets and was told his purse would be $400 to fight Rogers. Tapusoa allegedly was to sell 100 tickets. For the cheapest tickets he would have brought in $5,000 for the event promoter Bellator. They would have used these sales to pay the fighter. Bellator waited until Brian was in Kansas and on weight to inform him.

 

[TheEmperorRises]

@MMAHAWK

I just found this out of nowhere

Brian "The Professional Predator" Rogers was supposed to fight Gary "Freak Train" Tapusoa on Bellator 113. Tapusoa failed to sell enough tickets and was told his purse would be $400 to fight Rogers. Tapusoa allegedly was to sell 100 tickets. For the cheapest tickets he would have brought in $5,000 for the event promoter Bellator. They would have used these sales to pay the fighter. Bellator waited until Brian was in Kansas and on weight to inform him.

Bjorn era. Coker took over 3 months after this event.

 

[FrankieNYC]

Bjorn era. Coker took over 3 months after this event.

I answered a Q
They still do it (sell tix)
Its pretty well-known
@MMAHAWK was wondering if they ever canceled & while looking up something else I found an answer to @MMAHAWK query