Strikeforce Fighter Begs for Bonuses

Lorenz Larkin made a scene during his post-fight interview on Saturday, June 14 when he begged for bonuses for Strikeforce fighters. The fighter had just won is match for the evening and, after encouraging Muro Ranallo to join him, he got on his knees and asked that the fighters in Strikeforce receive the same sort of compensation that UFC fighters get. UFC and Strikeforce are both owned by Zuffa, LLC.

The Differences

According to an article in Yahoo Sports, UFC fighters tend to make far more than do the fighters in Strikeforce. In addition to winning bonuses that range into the tens of thousands of dollars at times, the fighters in UFC also receive bonuses based on how well they performed in the cage and for winning bouts in particularly impressive ways—submissions, knockouts, and other events that tend to get the fan base excited. Strikeforce fighters receive no such compensation.

The article points out that UFC fighters tend to get far more fights—and therefore, opportunities to earn—every year compared to the Strikeforce fighters. The combination of lower pay and fewer fights can make professional fighting a very low-paying proposition for the fighters in Strikeforce.

Not everything is sunny for UFC fighters, either, according to the article. The UFC fighters sometimes depend upon the bonuses they make just to get by and, of course, professional cage fighting carries with it the risk that the fighters could be seriously injured at any time and, thus, lose their ability to make a living.

Strikeforce has been having its share of difficulties recently as far as churning up a large fan base goes. While UFC continues to expand and to be held in a growing list of nations, even press interest in Strikeforce has been comparatively minimal and presents yet another contrast between the realities for fighters in the two leagues