Bubba (photo) was part of Team Jones on TUF 17. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
If you, experiencing a serious financial crisis, could choose between paying a fine of US$159 (approximately R$500, at the current rate) or paying off your debt by remaining in prison for 24 hours, what would be your option? Former UFC fighter Bubba McDaniel didn't think twice and, for “economic” reasons, according to himself, preferred incarceration.
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It all started when McDaniel, who participated in the 17th season of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter and had three fights in the octagon between 2013 and 2014, he received a traffic ticket for driving without a seat belt. Unable to pay the penalty amount, the approximately R$500 already mentioned, Bubba adopted the behavior that he considered more pragmatic and, instead of working for a day, paid his debt with this time in prison.
“What’s wrong with that? I just wouldn't make as much money as I would sitting there in jail. That's just the way things happened. It was more economical to go to jail than to go to work,” said McDaniel, who also revealed that he had access to three free meals during his time in prison, in an interview with the “MMA Fighting” website.
When asked about his choice, and the money he earned from performing in important MMA events, Bubba made a point of defending himself and said that the life of a fighter is not that glamorous. “A lot of fans are saying, 'Oh, but you won this and that.' Yes, I won that once, but everyone forgets that your manager gets 20%, your coach, wherever you are, gets 20%. If you have someone handling your sponsorships, they also get their 20%. It's not that glamorous. People also forget that there are taxes on this money, and I have children to take care of too. So, everything is spent”, he commented.
After playing in the UFC and Bellator, Bubba McDaniel, whose professional record is 24 wins and nine losses, had difficulty maintaining a sequence of fights due to physical problems resulting from a herniated disc. Last weekend, the athlete signed a contract to fight for just US$1.000 (around R$3,12) – a value corresponding to less than 15% of the smallest purse paid by Ultimate, for example.
To the other athletes, Bubba has some advice, that they should also prepare in other ways, in case MMA can no longer be a source of their livelihood. “Go to school, get an education, get a good job. Something like that. Have job skills that you can fall back on if MMA doesn’t work out for you,” he concluded.
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