When can you say you are a Professional Fighter?

[Roger]

Okay, a little rant but I'm getting sick of many idiots coming off saying they are professional fighters when they just started martial arts and 4-6 months later they are fighting in a local event at some bar and probably made 150.00 for fighting.

What makes you a professional fighter? Is it once you're fighting at a larger venue or promoter? I've been taking martial arts for over 4 years and have entered competitions but have never thought of myself as a professional fighter just a competitor. What are your thoughts.

[Ryan]

You are a professional as soon as you make money fighting. It doesn't necessarily have to be a large sum of money or even a good organization. You don't even necessarily have to have sponsors. You could pay $200 out of pocket to fight and only earn $150 and your still considered a professional. Your always 1 of 2 things. Your either an amatuer or a pro. The minute you make money on a fight your no longer an amatuer.. That is my take on it.


See, I don't think the UFC fighters make a whole lot of money either. I mean, they train for 4 months or so between fights and some make only $4k-12K a fight..... depending on contract. Some fighters can fight 5 times a year and only make 20-60k a year..... no healthcare and all that money is before taxes.

Back when baseball first started out they could have made 50 bucks a month but they were considered pro

[Ari Bolden]

The term PROFESSIONAL is a funny one Roger and I agree that every Tom (sorry no pun Mr. Gavrilos), Dick and Harry out there say they are pro fighters. With the popularity of MMA and the UFC just starting to peak, you have SOOOOO many people training nowadays.

I get at least 6 guys a week telling me that they are "pro fighters" or they train in " MMA man!!!"

(rolls eyes and gags)

I think Ryan is right. The moment you get paid for fighting makes you a "Pro". It certainly doesn't mean you are any good though.

On a side note: I know several doormen that would wipe the floor with MMA PRO Fighters. Why? Because they've been "fighting for years' and the arena in which they train is different than a cage. I've been working the door for 12 years and doing the arts for over 20. I've seen some crazy shit and I know a couple of guys who are, hands down, some of the scariest and toughest fighters in the wolrd.

You are a product of your enviroment and how you train. Skill and talent go a long way but never under estimate experience.

My 2 cents.

[Ryan]

The term PROFESSIONAL is a funny one Ryan and I agree that every Tom (sorry no pun Mr. Gavrilos), Dick and Harry out there say they are pro fighters. With the popularity of MMA and the UFC just starting to peak, you have SOOOOO many people training nowadays.

I get at least 6 guys a week telling me that they are "pro fighters" or they train in " MMA man!!!"

(rolls eyes and gags)

I think Ryan is right. The moment you get paid for fighting makes you a "Pro". It certainly doesn't mean you are any good though.

On a side note: I know several doormen that would wipe the floor with MMA PRO Fighters. Why? Because they've been "fighting for years' and the arena in which they train is different than a cage. I've been working the door for 12 years and doing the arts for over 20. I've seen some crazy shit and I know a couple of guys who are, hands down, some of the scariest and toughest fighters in the wolrd.

You are a product of your enviroment and how you train. Skill and talent go a long way but never under estimate experience.

My 2 cents.

I fixed it for you Ari..... you said "Tom" is right just under the rolls eyes and gags parenthesis. Anyway, lol. I was on myspace reading a bulletin that Mr. Justin (Justin McCorkle) wrote about how he is pissed off about people buying tapout shirts and gloves from UFC.com and calling themselves "Ultimate Fighters" I pointed out how just because a person is in the UFC or PrideFC doesn't mean they couldn't get their asses handed to them by a legitimate badass on the street. Like you said Ari- there are truly scary guys out there. They could probably bust Matt Hughes up pretty good and they don't necessarily have to be 250 lbs. to do so either. Anyway, he just laughed at me and said whatever.

[Roger]

my personal opinion on what is a pro fighter is someone who trains full time and which fighting is the source of income as well as sponsors or what not.

It just pisses me off seeing so many people calling themselves fighters by watching every UFC and Tae Bo video,getting in some Joe Schmoe event at your local Pub and then calling themselves a fighter.

[Tom Gavrilos]

As soon as you get in a ring/cage and fight a "Pro Fight" (that means FULL CONTACT RULES) you may now say you have "Pro Fighter experience"

As soon as your name is on Sherdog.com and it says PRO on the record you have pretty much solidified your self as a Pro Fighter weather you call yourself one or not. This is the MMA worlds general barometer at least.

As far as the streets:

Alcohol & NO RULES seems to be the biggest 2 factors that differentiate the real world from the "Cage"

I would act very differently if I mounted someone in the real world than I would in competition. Strikes to the face AND back/top of the head using elbow points and also grabbing hair/head and slamming it into the concrete changes the effectiveness of your offense dramatically.

As far as alcohol I can tell you from solid sources that Edwin Dewees got his @ss handed to him in a bar fight. Should he have been sober he would have wrecked this kid but he was drunk & cocky and his guard was down.

Also Size matters but only to an extent. Ari remember that bouncer hillbilly who challenged us to a push up contest! : D
His crackhead girlfriend had to try and save him!


Just My .02

[Ari Bolden]

Here is the story Tom is talking about:

We walking home from the bar when Tom calls up to one of the town homes and asks if his buddy is in. The girl tells us "whose asking!"...anyways, we disregard her and go in. As Tom and I walk up the stairs, we see this hillbilly kid with his shirt off doing push ups.

It's like 3am and he's challenged this other guy to a push up match. Tom and I look at each other and we both think " What the f*ck is this jack ass doing?" So this guy goes on about how strong he is and such. I tell him "what are you going to do? Bentch press me to death?"

The guy decides to 'spar' with Tom. He's all roided out and I watch Tom own the kid and tap him out 3 times in about a minute.

The hillybilly says: Hey man...you gotta teach me that stuff. I don't know anything on the ground.

Yeah...no sh*t.

Point of the story: The guy is a UFC fan, big, strong and fancy's himself as a fighter. Guess he was wrong....

[Tom Gavrilos]

He lucky he didnt get Ari's rath who has even more grappling experience than I do! I think you could have tapped him 4 times Ari + a nice Japaneese JuJitsu hand lock ;)

If you didnt know if Ari grabs your wrist he can twist and bend your arm and body probably 50+ different ways. I was impressed I want to learn more!

As far as the Hilbilly hes about 5'10 240.
My favorite part was the crack head girlfriend running in trying to pry his head from my triangle choke!

Moral of the story:
Doing more push ups than someone does not make you "tougher"

But instead of video taping that Ari decides to video tape my creepy amountof BOOST quantities instead....jackass!:D

[Ari Bolden]

Shit...I didn't even think to tape it...I was hammered dude...give a guy a break! lol

[Ryan]

As far as alcohol I can tell you from solid sources that Edwin Dewees got his @ss handed to him in a bar fight. Should he have been sober he would have wrecked this kid but he was drunk & cocky and his guard was down.





Wow! Deweese got his ass handed to him? He is no joke. Actually, besides Cole Miller vs Joe Louzon..... Edwin had my favorite TUF show fight with all the blood.