The UFC is at the pinnacle of mixed martial arts. Its icons are being worshiped as bloodsport gains world-class audiences. Oddsmakers jumped on the bandwagon and opened the lines as soon as the match was announced.
Betting is not prohibited in UFC circles and fighters can bet on their fights to increase their winnings back home. The organization has a code of conduct policy to ensure that the sport is not tarnished.
Ronda Rousey’s corner bet on her. Rashad Evans did it. Rico Rodriguez bet himself to win half a million dollars on the spot in his upset win over Randy Couture. Fighters can bet on themselves.
In this article, we’ll talk about where gambling is in the UFC, and how the sport approaches this differently from boxing. We’ll also discuss how fighters make money and do they get paid if they lose, along with addressing questions about free tickets. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Are UFC fighters allowed to bet on themselves?
The UFC Fighter Conduct Policy does not directly deal with betting. However, it requires its fighters to act in a legal, ethical, and responsible manner so as not to discredit the organization.
Basically, fighters can bet on themselves; However, there are ethical problems associated with it. Ronda Rousey’s corner regularly bets on her to win. This allowed them to beat their winnings from the match.
It seems that one is allowed to bet on himself or make those close to him bet that they will win. It becomes sketchy when placing bets with specific details regarding a match. In 2014, Norman Park bet on himself to win in the second round by finishing against Naoyuki Kotani. This raises questions about whether Park deliberately prolonged the bout and did he intentionally drag the bout into the second round, given his extra stakes.
While Park won his bet in 2014, Rashad Evans didn’t have the same luck when he faced Lyoto Machida at UFC 98. Machida got a 2 round TKO to add insult to injury.
Based on the UFC’s Fighter Conduct Policy, it can be measured that there are no direct restrictions on betting the same as long as the fight and the organization’s reputation are not threatened.
Can UFC fighters bet against themselves?
The UFC is relaxed in its approach to betting and allows it, many sports do not. The National Football League and Major League Baseball have set an example for those who participate in it. The fighting game is different, and the UFC is still in its infancy compared to other organizations.
Match odds are discussed regularly, and the fighters influence them as well. Furthermore, fighters are allowed to bet on other fighters. Diego Sanchez bet on Tito Ortiz defeating Ryan Bader. It was a legal and allowed bet. Betting is not forbidden, and one can bet on oneself.
On the other hand, for UFC fighters, it is not allowed to bet on themselves. It can be considered a throw fight and is a direct ethical violation of the UFC’s Fighter Conduct Policy.
when fighters bet on the fight they are participating in; They risk not only their reputation but also that of the UFC.
This is a direct violation of the Combat Committee’s rules and is interpreted as illegal gambling behaviour. The UFC has been criticized in the past for not having proper policies or measures. The Victorian Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Alcoholic Drinks even refused to allow gambling on UFC 193 as a result.
To illustrate, there are examples of fighters and their angles betting their matches. Ronda Rousey’s corner bet on her matches; They were straight bets in her favor, not the other fighter’s. Betting against you is forbidden and has serious repercussions.
There are holes in the system. While betting on the results of live matches is questionable, to say the least, fighters can bet on the nitty gritty, such as takedowns avoided, matches going the distance up to a certain round, method of defeat and victory, and so on.
Do UFC Fighters Get Paid If They Lose?
The short and simple answer is yes.
UFC fighters get paid if they lose. Fighters sign a contract stating their earnings from a particular fight. They get paid to gain weight and fight their opponent.
There are incentives in the contract to win. In addition, the top stars also get a share of the gate and a portion of the pay-per-view revenue. Last but not least, there are sponsorship payments from the UFC’s deal with Reebok for Fight Night.
With the context of gambling and UFC superstars, the anecdote about Ricco Rodriguez is worth sharing here. Rodriguez stunned the MMA world when he defeated Randy Couture for the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship title. In his battle against High Fashion, Rico was a heavy underdog at around 5-1. He bet his $30,000 purse to appear and the expected win bonus of $30,000 on himself. He won the match and made about half a million from a walk.
How much do UFC fighters get paid if they lose?
To understand how much UFC fighters get paid if they lose, one must know how fight contracts were structured. Every fighter has a different contract with the UFC and the details are different.
Details about Nate Diaz’s necklace are available, and they share an adorable insight. Prior to his fight with Conor McGregor, Diaz earned a base salary of $20,000 and a win bonus of $20,000 for his fight against Michael Johnson. By the time Diaz took over from Anthony Pettis, his salary was $250,000. Interestingly, he had no win bonus against Betis, and win or lose, he was guaranteed a quarter-million purse.
This should reveal that the amount a UFC fighter gets paid from a fight depends on the individual contract they negotiated. Dustin Poirier recently negotiated out of a fight against Tony Ferguson. There are rumors of a rematch between Poirier and McGregor, where the winner will face Khabib Nurmagomedov in his final fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Poirier, McGregor and Ferguson bring up another interesting aspect of fighter payments. These stars have a massive following, and they take advantage of their star status. Regardless of the outcome, the big names are able to negotiate portions of the gate receipts and pay-per-view shares. Besides, the losing fighters will also earn $50,000 if their bout is selected as Fight of the Night.
For more information, see the article on exactly how much UFC fighters earn.
Do UFC Fighters Get Free Tickets?
Fighters on the night card get tickets. In addition, guest fighters also receive tickets. If you are on the UFC payroll but not in these two categories for the night, then you should ask the organization for tickets.
It is not certain that you will get tickets if you ask. Dana White has the final say on whether you can get tickets and how much you can save. Nobody gets free/free tickets automatically. There are over 620 fighters on the UFC roster and it is not possible to get free tickets for each of them for each fight card.
Can boxers bet on themselves?
Like MMA, boxing has no set rules but is governed by various state sports commissions. The Nevada Sports Commission has nothing specifically condoned, but since sports betting is allowed in Nevada, a fighter can place bets on the outcome of their fight.
However, it is not viewed positively. Floyd Mayweather Jr. sparked controversy when he said he would bet himself against Conor McGregor. It is not known if he went ahead with the bet but he would not have been alone if he did. Former middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins bet himself to beat Felix Trinidad in 2001. He followed suit in 2006 and earned $250,000 when he beat Antonio Tarver.
Similarly, across the pond, British heavyweight David Haye has courted controversy. Prior to his fight against Audley Harrison, Haye claimed that he bet on himself to win the third round. The first two rounds were boring before the score in Hay’s favor in the third. This led to an investigation by the British Boxing authorities.
Betting damages the reputation of the sport when you bet on your opponent. However, this was not the case when Irish boxer Stephen Donnelly bet his rival Tuvshinpat-Byamba to win and then defeated him.
In short, betting on oneself is permissible in boxing, but it adds more questions and uncertainties about the nature of the sport. Match-fixing and corruption are real dangers to any sport, and boxing has its fair share of qualms.
Check out this article to learn more about boxing betting.