'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A common misconception is that fighters often strike gold after finding fame in the UFC. However, that is not always the case. Fans assume that athletes in the promotion deal with hefty paychecks. However, the fact that they fight only once or twice a year is often overlooked.
They must also keep funding their gyms, trainers, dieticians and nutritionists. These factors levy a significant toll on their wallets.
What's more, due to the nature of the sport, chances of suffering serious damage are overtly high. In the event of an injury, fighters are often shackled to the sidelines for long periods and sometimes indefinitely. This results in a financial drought, especially if they are the only breadwinners in the family.
Other widespread factors that lead to financial trouble include debilitating spending problems and fighters' tendency to engage in extravagant lifestyles. Although some earn millions of dollars, spending money on excessive cars, houses, clothes and parties often costs them heavily.
Fighter pay in the UFC has been a rather contentious topic. Athletes have been complaining about remuneration for quite some time. Moreover, the structure of sponsorships that bars fighters from capitalizing on income independent from the UFC is yet another factor that plays into this highly disputed issue.
This article looks at some fighters who made it big in the UFC but suffered a massive fall from grace that led to significant financial strife.
#5. Jared Cannonier - UFC middleweight
Coming off a massive win against Kelvin Gastelum, one would imagine that Jared Cannonier would look to enjoy life before competing again. However, his comments during the post-fight interview hinted at his life heading in a completely different direction.
While in conversation with Daniel Cormier, Jared Cannonier detailed his intentions of picking another fight instead of waiting for a title shot against Israel Adesanya. He cited financial strife as the main reason behind his reluctance to stay on the sidelines.
In a subsequent sit-down with Ariel Helwani, Jared Cannonier went on to detail how his inability to fight due to injuries cost a lot of money. He had no source of generating revenue like sponsors or deals in the entertainment business; however, he was spending a significant amount of money on gyms, taxes, credit cards, his kids, and more.
Cannonier is an elite contender in the UFC. He is the No.3-ranked middleweight, only behind Paulo Costa and former interim champion Robert Whittaker. The fact that a top contender is facing financial issues paints a sorry picture for the UFC's remuneration policy. Cannonier's estimated net worth is currently $1M.
#4. Mike Perry - UFC welterweight
Mike Perry has always been an eccentric presence in the UFC. He has endured a significant number of problems throughout his career. Perry has also been a constant presence in the debate about fighter pay. He famously took to Instagram to offer fans some insight into his remuneration in 2019.
“58 to show, Uruguay took 17, management and team 15%,” Perry wrote. “Still got last year’s taxes. Nose job priceless. Money in the bank $6.00. 400k fans on IG tho,” wrote Mike Perry on Instagram.
In fact, Mike Perry found himself in such a deep hole that he was forced to rely on unusual tactics to earn some coin. In a post on social media, Perry offered the highest bidder the opportunity to feature in his corner during a fight. According to CelebrityNetWorth, Mike Perry is currently worth $1M.
#3. Mark Coleman - Former UFC heavyweight
Inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at UFC 82, Mark Coleman was highly regarded as a true legend of the game. Having given a tremendous amount of value to the promotion, one would imagine he would have sailed through his retirement.
Struggling to deal with medical bills following a hip infection, Coleman was forced to rely on different tactics to earn money. His long-time training partner and UFC veteran Wes Sims set up a GoFundMe account for the HoFer, unbeknownst to him.
Sims, while in conversation with MMAFighting, revealed that Coleman had not saved up a significant amount of money. In addition, he had lost a lot of funds to bad investments.
#2. Diego Sanchez - Former UFC welterweight
Diego Sanchez was a formidable fighter who stumbled onto the wrong path before losing almost everything. Mixing with the wrong crowd cost him more than just money. While in conversation with Bleacher Report, Sanchez detailed his fall from grace.
"'Go big or go home.' I used to say that. I was addicted to that. The lifestyle, the fame. The girls. The parties. And with that came a lot of people who didn't really care about me. They were just leeches. Just very bad people. I had to learn a lot. I was very gullible," admitted Diego Sanchez.
It took losing most of his fortune to Ponzi schemes and getting cheated by a trusted friend to shake him out of his delusion. It forced him to get his life back on track and return to his craft. Diego Sanchez is currently worth $3M.
#1. Tyron Woodley - Former UFC welterweight
Having consolidated his position at the top of the UFC welterweight division for years, Tyron Woodley had unsurprisingly gotten accustomed to a certain lifestyle. A seemingly perennial flow of cash only stood to bolster his decision to live a lavish life.
However, his extravagant lifestyle came to a standstill after the title changed hands in his loss to Kamaru Usman. While in conversation with Ariel Helwani, Tyron Woodley offered fans insight into his faltering financial decisions.
"I blew through a lot of f***ing money, man. A lot. When you come from where I come from, you never imagine making that type of money. You work hard for it, and I didn't get there by accident, but nobody taught me finance. Everybody taught me 1+1 is 2. That's math. That ain't finance. That ain't wealth, that ain't investing, that ain't saving. That's basically: you made money and, f***ing, you spend it," said Tyron Woodley.
It is admittedly a tale as old as time. Fighters coming from humble beginnings often tend to lose themselves in the glamor and limelight. Woodley admitted that his tendency to act like a spendthrift cost him a significant amount of his fortune. However, Woodley has seemingly done well ever since, bagging the biggest payday of his career in a fight against Jake Paul. According to CelebrityNetWorth, Tyron Woodley is currently worth $4M.
