UFC Star Mike Perry Wins Big But Suffers Financially

An oft-repeated sad tale in the fight game tells the story of a fighter who ended up broke. Usually, the fighter finds him/herself with no money long after a successful career ends. Ultimate Fighting (UFC) welterweight Mike Perry is both currently a top fighter and also went broke. He just earned a decent payday after his performance a few days ago at the UFC’s Uruguay event. Despite receiving a bonus for “Fight of the Night,” Perry notes he only has six dollars in the bank.

“Fight of the Night” goes to competitors who engage in the most exciting event of the evening. The associated bonus pay acts as an incentive for fighters to perform better. Considering the UFC’s relatively low pay scale for non-main event talent, the bonus money helps pay training and other bills. Perry, apparently, finds himself dealing with bills from the Internal Revenue Service. Perry publicly stated he owes taxes from last year’s filing period. Honestly, in comparison to other celebrities, owing one year of back taxes isn’t too horrible. However, dealing with past-due taxes does create added burdens to someone dealing with the stress of the fight game.

Perry noted on social media that his management team received 15% of his fight money. The country of Uruguay took about 17%. Likely, the nation’s cut covered local taxes. A cryptic mention about a “nose job” suggests he had fight-related medical fees to cover. Mike Perry then pointed out his bank account bears $6, and his Instagram following amassed 400,000 followers.

With 400,000 followers, Perry could launch a successful GoFundMe campaign. His fans should understand his debt situations. Perry suffered a horribly broken nose, one of the worst in UFC history, during a highly publicized bout. Sending donations to cover a struggling fighter’s medical expenses is reasonable. That said, Perry hasn’t launched a GoFundMe. Perhaps he should think about doing so.

Reportedly, Perry received $100,000 for the fight and $50,000 in bonus money. The stated 32% deduction leaves a decent amount left, but fans don’t realize fighters must cover expenses the average person doesn’t. The special diet a fighter eats, for example, can cost thousands of dollars a year. And there are other costs, too.

Perry did amass great fame as a fighter. Maybe he can leverage his fame for additional notoriety somehow.