UFC Fighters With Second Jobs (2020)
It’s hard to imagine a top athlete from any sport competing on an elite level and having a full-time job at the same time. In our minds, professional athletes and full-time jobs simply don’t go together. But as we are about to see, this is more common than you think, especially when it comes to MMA fighting.
Looking at the MMA fighters like Jon Jones or Conor Mcgregor, it’s easy for the one to make a wrong perception about the lifestyle of the MMA fighters and how much money they make.
But in reality, it’s not a secret that UFC/MMA fighters are severely underpaid. To support our claim, we have done a deep analysis of why MMA fighters are paid much less than boxers and you can check it here.
Thus, many MMA fighters must have second jobs to keep their fighting dreams alive. In some way, this is normal when you are working your way up. But there are plenty of elite UFC fighters who have been competing while having a second job.
So, we have decided to find out who they are and what are their daily jobs.
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Geoff Neal
Neal is perhaps the hottest UFC prospect and one of the most talented MMA fighters. He made his presence known by scoring two great KO’s against tough rivals in Mike Perry and Nico Price. But what most people don’t know is that Neal regularly works as a waiter in Dallas.
Neal literally has no free time as he trains and works almost every day of the week at Moxie’s grill and bar. But he also enjoys a bit of fame at the restaurant since he has grown into a quite famous UFC face.
Yet, non-fight fans are probably puzzled to see an elite fighter working as a waiter. I mean, why would you do that when you are earning “millions of dollars” from fighting?
Emily Whitmire
Emily is a true example of a young and talented fighter who must work extra hours to keep their fighting dreams alive. She started her UFC career with two stoppages, and fans see her as one of the best upcoming MMA fighters.
Just three fights into her UFC journey, Emily is still competing deep in the preliminary cards. This means she is earning just a couple of thousand dollars per fight. So it’s fair to say that her UFC incomes are not enough for her to live a normal life.
Emily has to work as a waitress in various pubs and restaurants like Hard Rock Cafe, Cabo Wabo Cantina, and Three Angry Wives.
According to Emily, she was able to find a balance between pursuing her UFC dream during the week. And waiting tables at the weekends where she can earn up to 400$ per shift.
It’s weird to even think that you can earn more waiting tables than fighting in front of millions of people.
Paul Craig
We know Paul as one of the toughest light heavyweight fighters. But in his native Scotland, friends and kids know him as a humble man and a great teacher.
Inside the cage, Paul is a tough matchup for anyone and one of the best BJJ fighters. But outside of it, he is one of the nicest guys ever and a former teacher at Bellshill Academy in Lanarkshire. He was a part of the charity project called “Skillforce”.
“We work on things like communication, team work, taking responsibility for things and looking after yourselves. I show them first aid, health and safety, and teach stuff like map reading in my own classroom. — Source
Before joining the charity work, Paul earned his DTTL teaching license at the Open University. His main task is to help children to improve their vocational skills and make sure they are on the right track in life. The kids absolutely love him, and he is a very inspirational figure for all of them.
But unfortunately, he had to quit the job as a teacher to pursue his UFC dreams.
Eddie Wineland
Eddie has been with the UFC for many years now and it’s fair to say he is a true veteran of the octagon. People know him the best for the bantamweight title fight against Renan Barao at UFC 165. Yet, most people don’t know that he has a second job as a firefighter.
Eddie works around 120 days a year at the fire station in Northwest Indiana. This is just about right for him to prepare for the UFC matches and spend some time at home. A little to know fact is that Eddie worked a full shift a day before his title fight against Barao. That is some next level of work ethic and discipline.
Despite the loss to Barao, Eddie is still working as a firefighter and going strong inside the UFC octagon.
Al Iaquinta
Better known as the “Ragging Al”, Iaquinta has been fighting as a top 10 lightweight for many years now. Despite having a solid UFC career, Al has also been working as a real estate agent since 2017.
In his words, knee injuries and being away from fighting forced him to search for a job outside of the UFC. As he was recovering from the injuries. he started attending real estate classes. Shortly after, he would land a job with a very good company.
The real estate — that’s going to be the long-term. The fighting thing, I have goals in fighting that are going to be within the next five years. Then after that, real estate is where it’s going to be. — Said Iaquinta in the interview with the ESPN
Despite having a lot of work, Al didn’t give up on his MMA dreams. He is still going strong and according to his words, he balances well between the two professions. What’s more, he is doing so well that his UFC and real estate incomes are very similar.
It’s always good to see MMA fighters think about the life after the fighting.
Dominick Reyes
For many fans, Reyes is the biggest light heavyweight prospect and a man who came the closest to beating Jon Jones. In the eyes of many, he did beat the champ fair and square. But despite the decision loss, it’s crazy to even think that Reyes went on to challenge for the UFC title while working a full-time job.
I mean, the guy has an admirable work ethic. Even before joining the UFC, Reyes worked as a teacher at the school district. Today, Reyes works as an IT technician at Oak Hills high school in California and is one of the most popular MMA fighters in the world.
What a guy!
Stipe Miocic
Stipe is synonymous with professional MMA fighters having a full-time job. For many people, he is a true representation of a hard-working American. Despite being the UFC champ, Stipe still works as a fireman in Cleveland.
Even though he is earning a lot from fighting (about $600,000 per fight), Stipe keeps his job as a fireman. The reason for this is simple: He loves it! In fact, he loves it so much that he went to the fire station to clean toilets a day after he defeated Cormier at UFC 241.
We must all admire his work ethic and how much effort he is putting in. You see, Stipe has been working three shifts a week for over a decade now and training five to six times a week.
Some of his shifts are 24h long. Though this is too much work for most of us, it didn’t stop Stipe from becoming one of the greatest UFC fighters ever.
“I love what I do, man. I work real hard here, and I love especially helping out people. Why would I give it up? Plus, it keeps my mind off MMA.” — Source
