UFC heavyweight Brando Pericic made headlines at UFC Perth not only for his devastating first-round knockout debut, however for a stark revelation that exposes the tough monetary realities going through fighters pursuing their goals in blended martial arts. After flattening Elisha Ellison with floor strikes at 1:55 of the opening spherical, the Australian-Croatian fighter disclosed he had taken out a $100,000 mortgage to make his UFC debut attainable.
Brando Pericic
“Brother, the final eight years I’ve been sleeping in vehicles, sleeping gyms. That is my life. Nobody’s going to beat me tonight. Hey, I took out a 100 grand mortgage to return work for this firm. So if I get a bonus tonight, perhaps I will pay half of that off,” Pericic advised interviewer Paul Felder contained in the Octagon.
The 31-year-old heavyweight’s admission highlights the substantial monetary burden fighters face when pursuing careers in skilled MMA. Pericic, nicknamed “The Balkan Bear,” moved from South Australia to New Zealand three years in the past to coach on the world-renowned Metropolis Kickboxing health club alongside former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and different elite fighters. The relocation and prolonged coaching camp preparations required important funding that in the end pushed him into substantial debt.
Brando Pericic gained a Efficiency of the Night time bonus at UFC Perth. He was considered one of 4 fighters to obtain the $50,000 bonus for his first-round knockout victory over Elisha Ellison. The UFC awarded 4 Efficiency of the Night time bonuses at UFC Struggle Night time 260, with no Struggle of the Night time bonus being handed out. The bonus winners had been Carlos Ulberg, Jimmy Crute, Tom Nolan, and Pericic. The $50,000 Efficiency of the Night time bonus will certainly assist him pay down roughly half of his mortgage, simply as he had hoped.
Coaching Camp Economics Drive Fighters to Extremes
The monetary pressures Pericic describes usually are not distinctive within the sport. Coaching camp bills for UFC-level fighters usually vary between $8,000 to $30,000 relying on location, period, and degree of preparation. These prices embody health club charges, teaching salaries, sparring companion bills, medical payments, nutritionist charges, dietary supplements, and journey lodging for coaches and coaching companions.
John Cholish, a former UFC fighter, beforehand broke down the hidden prices of competing on the sport’s highest degree. For a typical eight-week coaching camp, fighters can count on bills of $8,000 to $12,000 only for preparation, not together with extra journey prices when preventing internationally. These bills come instantly out of fighters’ pockets, because the UFC covers solely primary journey for the fighter and one nook particular person.
UFC featherweight Myles Jury offered an in depth breakdown displaying how rapidly struggle purses disappear after bills. For a fighter incomes $20,000 complete ($10,000 present cash plus $10,000 win bonus), typical deductions embody $2,000 for health club charges, $4,000 for administration, $6,000 for taxes, $500 for medical necessities, $1,000 for teaching, and $1,000 for miscellaneous bills, leaving simply $5,500 in precise revenue.
The Pericic Story: Years of Battle Behind the Highlight
The heavyweight started his skilled MMA profession in 2019 however fought simply as soon as earlier than shifting to kickboxing on account of problem securing opponents. His document stands at 5-1, although this modest quantity belies years of coaching and preparation interrupted by opponent withdrawals and cancelled bouts.
“I’ve all the time puzzled how the cost of the folks concerned with the preparation of a struggle camp truly works,” displays the broader query going through the MMA neighborhood about sustainable fighter compensation. At Metropolis Kickboxing, Pericic skilled alongside among the sport’s greatest names, however even entry to elite teaching and amenities got here with substantial prices that in the end required exterior financing.
The fighter’s revelation about sleeping in vehicles and gymnasiums over eight years underscores the lengths athletes go to pursue their UFC goals. Regardless of the hardships, Pericic’s funding seems to be paying dividends following his spectacular debut efficiency.
Business-Vast Monetary Challenges
In response to trade evaluation, entry-level UFC fighters typically battle to interrupt even after accounting for coaching bills, taxes, and administration charges. The UFC’s pay construction offers base salaries beginning round $10,000 to point out and $10,000 to win, however these quantities often fail to cowl the true value of competing on the sport’s highest degree.
Chase Hooper, one other younger UFC fighter, has documented how fighters can lose as much as 60% of their earnings to administration charges, taxes, and coaching bills. The high-performance atmosphere required for UFC competitors calls for year-round coaching, specialised teaching, and important monetary funding that many fighters battle to maintain with out exterior funding.
The promotion’s shift to unique uniform offers has additionally eradicated conventional sponsorship alternatives that beforehand helped fighters complement their earnings. This modification has positioned extra monetary stress on athletes who should now rely totally on struggle purses and efficiency bonuses for his or her livelihood.
Pericic’s story serves as each an inspiration and a cautionary story concerning the monetary realities of pursuing a UFC profession.
