Pro UFC Fighter Job Duties

The life of an ultimate fighter is more than just a flurry of punches and kicks. Because they fight only three or four times a year on average, Ultimate Fighting Championship combatants do most of their hard work outside the fighting arena. Whether it's a young up-and-comer or a longtime UFC champion, fighters know their job entails far more than climbing into the ring every three months.

  1. Professional Fighter

    • Despite the other job duties a UFC fighter has, the bulk of his time goes into preparing for the next fight. Mixed martial artists spend weeks or even months in hard-core training, working with other fighters to bolster their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

      Most fighters are paid a base fee for appearing on the fight card, an amount that is doubled if they win. Other cash awards are paid out to fighters who earn fight of the night, submission of the night or knockout of the night honors. The cash bonus, combined with the reality that a lengthy losing streak often results in a fighter's being cut from the UFC, makes fight preparedness the top priority of most fighters.

    Fight Promoter

    • Being on a fight card isn't as thrilling if nobody plans to watch it. The UFC puts together promotional videos prior to every major card. These video clips appear on the organization's official website and on television stations.

      Combatants are encouraged to get creative in fight promotion, which is why they often have unflattering things to say about their opponents. The more heated the exchanges, the greater the chance that people will buy tickets to the show, order it on pay-per-view or watch it at a bar. Fight promotion isn't part of a fighter's official job description, but it's as critical to the success of the show as the quality of the matches.

    Trainer

    • When UFC professionals are between fights, or reach an age or point in their career when they're looking for something more to do, many involve themselves with the training side of the business.

      The best example of this is repeat UFC champion Randy Couture, who opened the XTreme Couture fitness and training center in Las Vegas in 2006. Couture has since expanded his organization across North America. Though not every fighter can afford to start his own training center, many are eager to help train other fighters.