Kevin Lee's Estimated UFC Career Earnings/My Opinion On His Career

He just doesn't have it in him to be a great one, it has been obvious for a little while now, he should already have another job.
 
Legendary said:
Does not include reebok money

2014
Loss to Al Iaquinta:8k to show
Win over Jesse Ronson: 8k/8k=16k
Win over Jon Tuck: 10k/10k=20k
=44k

2015
Win over Michel Prazeres:12k/12k=24k
Win over James Moontasri: 18k/18k=36kBar
Loss to Leo Santos: 21k
=81k

2016
Win over Efrain Escudero: 24/24k=48k
Win over Jake Matthews: 27k/27k=54k
Win Over Magomed Mustafaev:30k/30k+50k bonus=110k
=212k

2017
Win over Francisco Trinaldo: 32k/32k=64k
Win over Michael Chiesa: 27k/48k+50k=125k
Loss to Tony Ferguson: 250k
=439k

2018
Win over Edson Barboza: 75k/75k=150k
Loss to Al Iaquinta 84k
=234k

2019
Loss to Raphael Dos Anjos: 86k
Win over Gregor Gillespie: 86k/86k+50k=222k
=308k

2020
Loss to Charles Oliveira:90k
=90k

2021
Loss to Daniel Rodriguez:80k
=80k

Total Career Earnings:1.488 million

Now obviously right off the bat you already know that 10% went to his coaches, 10% went to management/agent, another 10% for miscellaneous things like massages, gym memberships, gear and equipment, paying sparring partners, supplements, travelling for training, food. Im not even factoring in copays for the probable frequent doctors visits for MRIs, xrays, surgeries even with insurance adds up. 35% or even more might be more accurate but we will just 30% to be conservative.

30% of 1480000=444000
=1036000

His tax bracket varied over the years, but lets just say that 30% of his income is taxed, and he was able to deduct his overhead expenses and only had to pay taxes on his 1036000.

30% of 1036000=310800
=725200 after taxes

He gets paid relatively well and doesn't win that much, he might be on the chopping block as he is clearly in his decline. He peaked in 2016-2017, his wins and earnings reflect it, but he will probably never have a year like that ever again. His earnings will probably hover around what he currently makes before getting cut and picked by Bellator or One. Then his earnings will go down even more because they will pay him less. He already barely fights. Despite only being 28, he already has been a professional for 9 years, and his style is so dependent on his physicality, which is in decline. He relied on being the much bigger guy and was one of the biggest weight cutters in lightweight history, walking around 190 pounds very regularly. 725k over 7 years might sound decent, but he is going to have long term physical and probably mental ramifications. The guy has already aged a ton in 7 years. He also will have next to no transferrable skills. Everyone says open a gym or coach, but name a single successful coach who use to be a high level MMA fighter. He could be a wrestling coach at a high school or college, but he will probably fight well into his 30s until he breaks physically.

Unless you are an extremely exiting fighter who can get lots of bonuses, or be a dominant champion(winning the title doesn't mean you are rich by any means) then its not worth it financially. Even if you make lots of money, you will be broken physically or have brain damage.
Click to expand...

Great post actually
 
Not sure if you know anyone personally, but believe it or not there are very arduous and/or more dangerous manual labor jobs out there that have many of the same concerns while paying less, and having zero of the huge upside potential. Perhaps you should go on message boards with people that work those jobs and let them know?
 
This is just his UFC earnings, but the UFC has provided his benefits outside of fighter payouts

He's probably made a lot more $$$ off the books and gained fame

He can get sponsorships, he can do media

Without UFC, no one would have heard of this guy
 
Legendary said:
Does not include reebok money

2014
Loss to Al Iaquinta:8k to show
Win over Jesse Ronson: 8k/8k=16k
Win over Jon Tuck: 10k/10k=20k
=44k

2015
Win over Michel Prazeres:12k/12k=24k
Win over James Moontasri: 18k/18k=36kBar
Loss to Leo Santos: 21k
=81k

2016
Win over Efrain Escudero: 24/24k=48k
Win over Jake Matthews: 27k/27k=54k
Win Over Magomed Mustafaev:30k/30k+50k bonus=110k
=212k

2017
Win over Francisco Trinaldo: 32k/32k=64k
Win over Michael Chiesa: 27k/48k+50k=125k
Loss to Tony Ferguson: 250k
=439k

2018
Win over Edson Barboza: 75k/75k=150k
Loss to Al Iaquinta 84k
=234k

2019
Loss to Raphael Dos Anjos: 86k
Win over Gregor Gillespie: 86k/86k+50k=222k
=308k

2020
Loss to Charles Oliveira:90k
=90k

2021
Loss to Daniel Rodriguez:80k
=80k

Total Career Earnings:1.488 million

Now obviously right off the bat you already know that 10% went to his coaches, 10% went to management/agent, another 10% for miscellaneous things like massages, gym memberships, gear and equipment, paying sparring partners, supplements, travelling for training, food. Im not even factoring in copays for the probable frequent doctors visits for MRIs, xrays, surgeries even with insurance adds up. 35% or even more might be more accurate but we will just 30% to be conservative.

30% of 1480000=444000
=1036000

His tax bracket varied over the years, but lets just say that 30% of his income is taxed, and he was able to deduct his overhead expenses and only had to pay taxes on his 1036000.

30% of 1036000=310800
=725200 after taxes

He gets paid relatively well and doesn't win that much, he might be on the chopping block as he is clearly in his decline. He peaked in 2016-2017, his wins and earnings reflect it, but he will probably never have a year like that ever again. His earnings will probably hover around what he currently makes before getting cut and picked by Bellator or One. Then his earnings will go down even more because they will pay him less. He already barely fights. Despite only being 28, he already has been a professional for 9 years, and his style is so dependent on his physicality, which is in decline. He relied on being the much bigger guy and was one of the biggest weight cutters in lightweight history, walking around 190 pounds very regularly. 725k over 7 years might sound decent, but he is going to have long term physical and probably mental ramifications. The guy has already aged a ton in 7 years. He also will have next to no transferrable skills. Everyone says open a gym or coach, but name a single successful coach who use to be a high level MMA fighter. He could be a wrestling coach at a high school or college, but he will probably fight well into his 30s until he breaks physically.

Unless you are an extremely exiting fighter who can get lots of bonuses, or be a dominant champion(winning the title doesn't mean you are rich by any means) then its not worth it financially. Even if you make lots of money, you will be broken physically or have brain damage.
Click to expand...

It depends what you mean by “not worth it.” If you are a guy with a medical degree, sure, not worth it. But do you think Chiesa or Felder made a mistake? The key in my view is to map out a career for yourself. Podcast, broadcaster, are the two obvious extensions of the fight gig, and a gym can work too but is a little riskier IMO.

Agree with you that you can’t just fight a couple times a year and think that’ll be sufficient to retire at 37 and never work again. I hope a guy like Barboza or Cerrone who fought all the time and reliably entertained has banked enough to live off of. Frankly it should be totally doable for those guys, although I recognize that it’s not easy to strike the right balance between spending and saving when you’re young and your income is variable. Most of us see our earnings grow over time, and even if we don’t plan we can just spend what we’re able to and it’ll work out okay.
 
zxyss25 said:
This is just his UFC earnings, but the UFC has provided his benefits outside of fighter payouts

He's probably made a lot more $$$ off the books and gained fame

He can get sponsorships, he can do media

Without UFC, no one would have heard of this guy
Click to expand...

Yea, I wouldn’t call myself super pro-management or anything, but I agree that not enough critics look at the counter factual. Kevin Lee (for example) seems like a bright enough guy, but it’s not like he was learning to program at MIT when he switched to MMA. The median income even in first world countries is not particularly high. Being a six figure earner is not easy, and I don’t think we should blow it off like it’s nothing.
 
Ufc pay is bad for many, FKL is not one of them. Note that in those 7 years are 2-3 years where he fought only once
 
Mr Fahrenheit said:
Yea, I wouldn’t call myself super pro-management or anything, but I agree that not enough critics look at the counter factual. Kevin Lee (for example) seems like a bright enough guy, but it’s not like he was learning to program at MIT when he switched to MMA. The median income even in first world countries is not particularly high. Being a six figure earner is not easy, and I don’t think we should blow it off like it’s nothing.
Click to expand...

Plus Kevin Lee could get a job as a UFC media personality or analyst...probably make good money

He probably also gets a lot of non monetary benefits from his celebrity status

Easier to get girls as a ranked UFC fighter

Probably eats for free at some restaurants

There;s a lot of perks from his career
 
Well, you could retire if you were frugal, but most young athletes don't want to stay at a Motel 6, eat the $5 breakfast special in Vegas, get the cheap back row show tickets, etc.. They want the several hundred dollar suite, $65 Vegas buffet, front row $150 show ticket, etc.. Most young athletes in general and a lot of black ones in particular have a party mentality. Part of it is wanting to live it up in general and part of it is competing with the other athletes that make several times more. Dudes making $300K want to act like they're making $3 million.
 
elreece said:
I just find it a fucking weird that some posters have a hard on about how much another man makes. Who the fuck cares as long as they put on a good fight.
Click to expand...

This is a MMA forum, specifically a UFC forum. In the event that you may not know what a forum is: a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged.
 
Solid write-up, I guess the is it worth it part is all up to a case by case basis. Some fighters can make extra with sponsorships and side gigs, including autograph sessions, training camps and expert classes etc. What were there alternative options is a big part of it as well. That is solid income in comparison to average and median salaries worldwide without the extras and perks that come with the job.
 
elreece said:
I just find it a fucking weird that some posters have a hard on about how much another man makes. Who the fuck cares as long as they put on a good fight.
Click to expand...
just admit that you didn't even read the thread, or the topic, you just clicked the thread looked, and said WHO CARES LMAO!?

It's perfectly reasonable, It's not about the money, I know you dont know this because you clearly didn't read the post, it was information to accompany the point he was making
 
Legendary said:
Does not include reebok money

2014
Loss to Al Iaquinta:8k to show
Win over Jesse Ronson: 8k/8k=16k
Win over Jon Tuck: 10k/10k=20k
=44k

2015
Win over Michel Prazeres:12k/12k=24k
Win over James Moontasri: 18k/18k=36kBar
Loss to Leo Santos: 21k
=81k

2016
Win over Efrain Escudero: 24/24k=48k
Win over Jake Matthews: 27k/27k=54k
Win Over Magomed Mustafaev:30k/30k+50k bonus=110k
=212k

2017
Win over Francisco Trinaldo: 32k/32k=64k
Win over Michael Chiesa: 27k/48k+50k=125k
Loss to Tony Ferguson: 250k
=439k

2018
Win over Edson Barboza: 75k/75k=150k
Loss to Al Iaquinta 84k
=234k

2019
Loss to Raphael Dos Anjos: 86k
Win over Gregor Gillespie: 86k/86k+50k=222k
=308k

2020
Loss to Charles Oliveira:90k
=90k

2021
Loss to Daniel Rodriguez:80k
=80k

Total Career Earnings:1.488 million

Now obviously right off the bat you already know that 10% went to his coaches, 10% went to management/agent, another 10% for miscellaneous things like massages, gym memberships, gear and equipment, paying sparring partners, supplements, travelling for training, food. Im not even factoring in copays for the probable frequent doctors visits for MRIs, xrays, surgeries even with insurance adds up. 35% or even more might be more accurate but we will just 30% to be conservative.

30% of 1480000=444000
=1036000

His tax bracket varied over the years, but lets just say that 30% of his income is taxed, and he was able to deduct his overhead expenses and only had to pay taxes on his 1036000.

30% of 1036000=310800
=725200 after taxes

He gets paid relatively well and doesn't win that much, he might be on the chopping block as he is clearly in his decline. He peaked in 2016-2017, his wins and earnings reflect it, but he will probably never have a year like that ever again. His earnings will probably hover around what he currently makes before getting cut and picked by Bellator or One. Then his earnings will go down even more because they will pay him less. He already barely fights. Despite only being 28, he already has been a professional for 9 years, and his style is so dependent on his physicality, which is in decline. He relied on being the much bigger guy and was one of the biggest weight cutters in lightweight history, walking around 190 pounds very regularly. 725k over 7 years might sound decent, but he is going to have long term physical and probably mental ramifications. The guy has already aged a ton in 7 years. He also will have next to no transferrable skills. Everyone says open a gym or coach, but name a single successful coach who use to be a high level MMA fighter. He could be a wrestling coach at a high school or college, but he will probably fight well into his 30s until he breaks physically.

Unless you are an extremely exiting fighter who can get lots of bonuses, or be a dominant champion(winning the title doesn't mean you are rich by any means) then its not worth it financially. Even if you make lots of money, you will be broken physically or have brain damage.
Click to expand...

This was great

Would love to see this for a couple other fighters
And agreed
Paid more than your average bear, but with his steep decline and no real shining promise in his performances... the man is at a crossroad for sure
 
RockyLockridge said:
just admit that you didn't even read the thread, or the topic, you just clicked the thread looked, and said WHO CARES LMAO!?

It's perfectly reasonable, It's not about the money, I know you dont know this because you clearly didn't read the post, it was information to accompany the point he was making
Click to expand...
A thread about how much a fighter has made isnt about money? Good one dick head.
 
Scathing career analysis

Name a successful gym owner that was a high level ufc fighter? Alan belcher.

or do you mean successful coach as in having their fighters in the ufc?
 
Legendary said:
Does not include reebok money

2014
Loss to Al Iaquinta:8k to show
Win over Jesse Ronson: 8k/8k=16k
Win over Jon Tuck: 10k/10k=20k
=44k

2015
Win over Michel Prazeres:12k/12k=24k
Win over James Moontasri: 18k/18k=36kBar
Loss to Leo Santos: 21k
=81k

2016
Win over Efrain Escudero: 24/24k=48k
Win over Jake Matthews: 27k/27k=54k
Win Over Magomed Mustafaev:30k/30k+50k bonus=110k
=212k

2017
Win over Francisco Trinaldo: 32k/32k=64k
Win over Michael Chiesa: 27k/48k+50k=125k
Loss to Tony Ferguson: 250k
=439k

2018
Win over Edson Barboza: 75k/75k=150k
Loss to Al Iaquinta 84k
=234k

2019
Loss to Raphael Dos Anjos: 86k
Win over Gregor Gillespie: 86k/86k+50k=222k
=308k

2020
Loss to Charles Oliveira:90k
=90k

2021
Loss to Daniel Rodriguez:80k
=80k

Total Career Earnings:1.488 million

Now obviously right off the bat you already know that 10% went to his coaches, 10% went to management/agent, another 10% for miscellaneous things like massages, gym memberships, gear and equipment, paying sparring partners, supplements, travelling for training, food. Im not even factoring in copays for the probable frequent doctors visits for MRIs, xrays, surgeries even with insurance adds up. 35% or even more might be more accurate but we will just 30% to be conservative.

30% of 1480000=444000
=1036000

His tax bracket varied over the years, but lets just say that 30% of his income is taxed, and he was able to deduct his overhead expenses and only had to pay taxes on his 1036000.

30% of 1036000=310800
=725200 after taxes

He gets paid relatively well and doesn't win that much, he might be on the chopping block as he is clearly in his decline. He peaked in 2016-2017, his wins and earnings reflect it, but he will probably never have a year like that ever again. His earnings will probably hover around what he currently makes before getting cut and picked by Bellator or One. Then his earnings will go down even more because they will pay him less. He already barely fights. Despite only being 28, he already has been a professional for 9 years, and his style is so dependent on his physicality, which is in decline. He relied on being the much bigger guy and was one of the biggest weight cutters in lightweight history, walking around 190 pounds very regularly. 725k over 7 years might sound decent, but he is going to have long term physical and probably mental ramifications. The guy has already aged a ton in 7 years. He also will have next to no transferrable skills. Everyone says open a gym or coach, but name a single successful coach who use to be a high level MMA fighter. He could be a wrestling coach at a high school or college, but he will probably fight well into his 30s until he breaks physically.

Unless you are an extremely exiting fighter who can get lots of bonuses, or be a dominant champion(winning the title doesn't mean you are rich by any means) then its not worth it financially. Even if you make lots of money, you will be broken physically or have brain damage.
Click to expand...


This is bullshit...

And you know very little about the fight game...

Or fighter kevin lee..

Or how UFC does business
 
Quality thread and analysis. If your numbers are right, he averaged almost 100k per year throughout that tenure. Granted he fought for peanuts at first like most guys do, but it seemed to level off during the end. Hope he saved or invested some money though, because his time of being a UFC regular may be over soon...
 
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