Are UFC fighters entitled to a pension fund?

UFC fighters are yet to receive a pension, although talks of creating a pension fund for MMA athletes have now surfaced.

The California State Athletic Commission is set to hold a stakeholders meeting on May 11 to discuss the expansion of a boxer’s pension fund to include MMA fighters. The meeting will take place via Zoom and is open to the public as well as members of the combat sports industry.

CSAC aims to add MMA fighters to boxer’s pension fund https://t.co/jZT7n7I0Od pic.twitter.com/0VdcMfYYjy

— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) May 4, 2021

The boxer's pension fund, which is administered by the state and funded by a tax to promoters on ticket sales, was first established in 1982. For every ticket sold to a boxing event, 88 cents goes to the fund with a cap of $4,600 per event.

Boxer's who are over the age of 50 and have fought a specified number of rounds with no more than a three-year break, are eligible to avail a portion of the money from the fund which is valued at approximately $5.3 million.

According to CSAC Executive Director Andy Foster, the money received by the fighters is not life changing in most cases. It does, however, provide a safety net for the athletes who put their health on the line. Optimistic about extending the pension fund to MMA fighters, CSAC Chair John Carvelli told MMA Fighting:

“Hopefully, we’ll get a lot of good support from the athletes themselves. This is the right thing to do.”

CSAC is determined for MMA fighters to get their due

According to Foster, the idea of adding MMA fighters to the fund was first proposed in 2013 by the commission's oversight committee. In 2019, the commission was already assessing the fiscal impact of such a decision. Andy Foster said:

“The commission is now, I think, on a solid enough ground fiscally and management-wise where we can look at this. This is a significant undertaking.”

Former boxers are eligible for part of a $5.5M pension fund in California. If you are a former fighter, read this: http://t.co/qxU1NWMsVE

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) February 6, 2014

Though the process could be expected to take some time, John Carvelli is confident of it coming into effect. John Carvelli further added:

“This is a matter of us being persistent and dedicated to the process, and we’ll come up with something for these fighters, even if it takes two or three years.”