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Jon Fitch On Changing Priorities, Financial Burden & New Outlook on Making Money

Jon Fitch On Changing Priorities, Financial Burden & New Outlook on Making Money in MMA

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He’s had more surgeries on his body than he’s had fights, and the time off has been physically, mentally and financially very taxing. Despite having 16 fights in the UFC, Fitch fell on hard times over the last 12 months and it has taken its toll on his body, but mostly it has taken its toll on his bank account.

“It’s awful and it goes back even further because last February 2011 I had shoulder surgery, so I fought in February and then I was out again until December. Then I fought once and I haven’t fought since, it’s awful. It’s a terrible mental burden, terrible physical burden, terrible financial burden,” Fitch revealed when speaking to MMAWeekly Radio.

“We don’t make millions of dollars as it is, but if you’re not fighting, you’re not getting paid, so things have been a little bit rough in the bank account.”

Looking back on his last fight against Johny Hendricks in December 2011, it almost seems like Fitch didn’t even get a chance to compete. Hendricks caught him with a big punch early, and in only 12 seconds, Fitch was handed the second loss of his UFC career.

Fitch actually took the fight with an injury, but he’s not making any excuses as to why he lost. He’s not even saying he looks back on that fight with regret of any kind. He did exactly what he wanted to do when he fought Hendricks and that’s all that matters to him.

“Honestly, there’s zero bad taste from that fight because, at the end of the day, it was mission accomplished. I shouldn’t have fought that night. I had no business fighting that night. I had a second degree MCL tear; my mind wasn’t in the fight. The only reason I stepped through that cage door is because I needed the money,” said Fitch.

“I had a pregnant wife and two mortgages. If I didn’t fight, I probably would have had to retire and get a day job. I did what I set out to do in that fight. I have no negative feelings towards that fight at all.”

Fitch is quick to point out that his financial burden isn’t uncommon because like any job, when you’re not working, you’re not getting paid. The last two years, Fitch has fought twice and between the time off and all the medical costs, his bank account has seen better days.

Sixteen fights in the UFC, a load of seniority in the welterweight division and Twitter followers don’t equate to money in the bank to pay the bills and Fitch has seen the ugly side of that a lot over the last 24 months.

“It can go away in a flash. We get paid okay money. It’s not great money. We’re not making NFL or NBA money; we’re making okay money. But if you’re not fighting, you don’t get paid. So that okay money is gone and now you have (expletive) money,” said Fitch.

“If you’re not finding a way to get in the cage, you’re not getting paid.”

Luckily for Fitch, he has had the support of a couple of great sponsors that helped keep him afloat during these long stretches of inactivity, but as a whole, he knows the sponsorship market in MMA isn’t exactly flourishing these days.

“Especially in this economy, sponsors aren’t awesome right now,” Fitch stated. “I have some really good sponsors and they’ve really been helping me out. Without them, I probably would have had to get another job because money has been tight. It’s just the environment we’re in right now, we don’t have sponsors throwing tons of money at us on monthlies because the economy just doesn’t really allow that now.”

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“Priorities have changed and things I’ve had to accept. I think I was kind of just stubborn with wanting this sport to just be a sport kind of like an amateur sport. Well, it’s not, it’s an entertainment industry and at the end of the day, the people who get the opportunity are the people who sell tickets. It doesn’t matter who you beat, it might matter how you beat them, but if people see you as boring and you don’t sell tickets, you’re not going to get opportunities,” Fitch said.

“It doesn’t matter how many times you win. It doesn’t matter who you’ve beaten. All that matters is: do you put butts in the seat? With that acceptance and my priorities changing towards me needing to take care of my family, me needing to make money, you have to make those changes, you have to adapt and evolve into the system that’s there.

Jon Fitch On Changing Priorities, Financial Burden & a New Outlook on Making Money in MMA | MMAWeekly.com

so it turns out that reading what fitch has to say is just as boring as watching him fight...who would have thought that??

CM

When did MMA fighters become such whiny babies? Or fighters who won't fight.

UGH.

2 mortgages Jon? Living outside your means much? Someone needs to teach these babies how to manage their money a little bit better to PLAN FOR INJURIES.

Jesus christ.

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Originally Posted by Sakara=Excitement (Post 973432)

fitch needs to watch this Broke - ESPN Films: 30 for 30

^Espn made that for young atheletes so they dont go out and blow their money like fools, its actually a good watch if you are a fan of all sports not just MMA.

They also posted a picture with a list of atheletes that have filed for bankruptcy but i cant figure out how to post the picture in the comment...some key names Charlie Batch, Archie Griffin, Terry Long, Deuce Mcallister, Darren McCarty, Warren Sapp, Lawrence Taylor, MIKE TYSON, Johnny Unitas and Mike Vick (just to name a few off the list)

CM

Take a look at my recent posts to find out how much Jon Fitch really makes.

Hes the 35th highest paid UFC fighter in history and is in the top 2% of the wealthiest people in the US. (No Joke)

Josh Koscheck owns a fucking jet and two Lambos and he was in the 20 range for highest paid fighter. If Jon Fitch cant survive on what he makes he should just shut the fuck up, because hes making the other 98% of the population pissed.

I think he's just gotten used to laying on guys for 3 rounds and getting paid for it. His last fight didn't go the same way that ALL OF HIS FIGHTS GO and he wasn't financially prepared for that.

Not like he's at the bottom of the UFC pay scale. I understand that there are a lot of expenses that come with being a professional fighter be shouldn't be hurting for money.

Wow, people on here talking like they know exactly what this guy has in his bank account and how much money he took home over the years.......2 morgages could be his home and maybe a parent's home or family member. Not working in two years and having kids and other expenses can't hurt just about anyone who isn't a millionaire. who's to say he didn't lose a lot of money in the markets or never made nearly as much as people thought to begin with? Between taxes, training fees, paying for your own surgeries (health care is fucking expensive, especially with that many surgeries), and all the other little bills that add up for a guy supporting a family. I just don't see how someone can sit there and brow beat a man without knowing in any real detail what his financial situation is. I'm not saying that he didn't blow money, but I'm doubtful that this guy is a Micheal Vick or MC Hammer, I think he probably had little choice but to spend most of his money on bills. If anyone can prove otherwise, then please do so.

I will give Fitch props for recognizing reality, unlike some guys out there who complain about the fans, he swallowed his pride and made up his mind to go out and be entertaining. That might mean that he takes more losses, but if he can finish guys and be entertaining, then his bills will get paid and maybe then he can provide better security for his family. And hell maybe even win the title, he has the wrestling, learning how to strike isn't impossible, hell if Koscheck can do it, so can he.....

Hate, hate, hate, hate. So much hate in this thread for Fitch (hell, so much hate on the forum for him). Strange that most people likely still ranked him #2 in the WW division for YEARS, even if he was "boring". Suddenly he's stating that he's going to try and be more entertaining, and he continues to get ripped on? Let the man fucking fight Saturday, then talk shit about him if he loses, or has a "boring" fight. Until then, you're just hating on someone, that you wish you had the skill of, to actually fight professionally. The same damn people who will swing on GSP's nuts when he actually finishes a fight, or talk about GSP's P4P ranking regardless, but talk shit about him when he just wins by freaking winning. </drunkenrant>

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Originally Posted by Spoon (Post 973563)

for me its more of a "What have you done for me lately" situation, and for fitch hes been KTFO and dry humped his way to so many wins. The guy hasnt had a finish since 07 and he thinks all of a sudden hes going to start finishing fights?? I'll believe it when it happens

CM

As MMA industry sputters, UFC 153's Jon Fitch and others find financial struggles

As MMA industry sputters, UFC 153's Jon Fitch and others find financial struggles | MMAjunkie.com

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"The economy itself is slow," Fitch told MMAjunkie.com Radio (MMAjunkie.com Radio | MMAjunkie.com). "It's a lot harder to make money outside the UFC now, as far as sponsors and stuff go. The sponsors have kinda dried up. The appearances have almost dried up."

Personal appearances, training seminars and various hosting duties used to be a surefire way for big-name fighters to pad their wallets. But with the economy still in the tank and MMA perhaps reaching a saturation point this year, the opportunities aren't there. And fighters such as Fitch don't want to start slashing costs.

"You don't want to start doing appearances for like $500, and then everyone hears that, and they never offer you anything higher than that even if the economy comes back," he said.

For now, Fitch (23-4-1 MMA, 13-2-1 UFC) is focused on Saturday's UFC 153 fight with fellow welterweight Erick Silva (14-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), which is part of the pay-per-view main card from HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. It's Fitch's first appearance since a February 2011 draw with B.J. Penn and a subsequent knockout loss to Johny Hendricks this past December. Before the winless appearances, Fitch was on a 21-1 run, and the lone defeat came in a title fight with champ Georges St-Pierre.

Fitch, the captain of the famed American Kickboxing Academy team in California, was married a few years ago and now has a kid. But living in California isn't cheap, especially with a young family.

Fitch said he's "very careful with my money," but he also has the strain of two mortgages. He bought a condo before the real-estate market got real bad, and the property is steadily losing value, and he also bought a larger house for his family after he got married.

In fact, he said it's a big reason he hasn't traveled down to Fresno to train with friend and former AKA teammate Josh Koscheck. When Koscheck split from the camp, it admittedly put a small strain on their friendship (one the recent "Fight Factory" TV series focused on).

Fitch had still hoped to train with his friend, but right now, he said it's just not feasible. Not for this camp, anyway.

"It's just not economical for me right now," he said. "I just don't have the money or the time to travel down there. I have a son now. It's too hard for me to travel down there and stay and train. It's been limited contact. The last time I got to work with [Koscheck] was the one time they filmed on the show."

So back to full health, the former Purdue University wrestler hopes to fight more frequently. He sometimes wonders why it's such a struggle even when fighters are healthy.

"I would love for us to be able to fight three times a year," he said. "I think that's more than realistic. ... But we're pretty lucky to get three in a year. If you get three, that's ideal. But when you get one or two, it can be difficult. If I still lived in Indiana, it wouldn't be such as much an issue, but I live in California, and it's expensive. Even the cost of food at the store is more expensive."

And as he mentioned earlier, outside-the-cage opportunities aren't just as lucrative as they were during the initial MMA boon of four or five years ago, and sponsors are stingier with their money.

So right now, there's really just one way to make money.

"If you're not fighting, you're not getting paid," he said. "It's not a comment in any way to pay scales or anything. It's just a simple fact: If you don't fight, you don't get paid."