So You're Thinking About Becoming an MMA Referee

Unemployment is pushing 10% and even if you have a job you may be thinking of way to supplement your income. But how do you find a nice weekend job that doesn't land you at the local sandwich shop?

How about trying to become a mixed martial arts referee?  After all, there is no better way to pay the bills then by being apart of something you love.

Is this a viable option for those young go-getters looking to get into the MMA economy or is this a pipe dream that should be stowed away with your screenplay, conclusion mat and your six-legged chair?

Luckily for you, Katrina Belcher over at The Fight Nerd delved into the economics of being a MMA referee and came away with some general trends within the profession.

Once you get your MMA referee degree, and get back from finding yourself on a backpack trip through Europe, you will need to be selected by your state's athletic commission for an upcoming event. Now there will be a difference in pay if the fight card is an amateur event compared to a professional event. The athletic commissions usually don't set fees for the amateurs but if you are apart of a professional show you can make, "between $200 and $1200 per event, depending on the expected revenue (gate) of the event."

If you are thinking that you can increase your pay by refereeing as many fights as possible you may be chasing a red herring. The athletic commissions usually, "limits a referee to no more than 5 bouts in most states." Besides even if you could officiate all the fights the commission pays you by event, not by fight.

Bank on one event a month and you are looking at anywhere from $2,400 to $14,400 a year.

Maybe you should try to sell that screenplay after all...