Bobby Green Says He Beat UFC Pay Scale by Re-Signing Often

Bobby Green says he found his own way around the UFC's pay structure: keep fighting, keep re-signing, and make the promotion pay more every time a new contract comes up. He credits that plan with getting him through the early years of his career and into good money.

Many fighters have complained about UFC pay lately, with Sean Strickland the latest example. Green's own story starts at the bottom of the scale. New fighters can begin on contracts worth $12,000, and when he first came in he was making $12,000 to show and $12,000 to win, so $24,000 for a victory.

"What I tried to do was outsmart the system, and I went, if I keep fighting, and they keep resigning me to contracts, and I keep resigning them, they gotta go up in the price, and they gotta go up in the price, they gotta go up in the price," Green said. "I think I'm on my last fight of the contract, they gotta go back up in the price, you know what I'm saying? So I just keep doing that."

Green believes he is now on the last fight of his current deal, which means another raise should be coming.

Why activity matters

He also did the math on fighters who compete rarely. Green pointed out that at that starting rate, a fighter who competed only once a year would make less than he did by staying active. Fighting more often gives a fighter more chances to get paid and to raise the number on the next contract.

Dana White has made a similar point. He said a fighter who came up through the Contender Series, has never fought for a world title and has still made more than $11 million in his career. White did not name him. "Staying active is the move, I love it," White said.

Source: MMA Sucka