How much money do Muay Thai fighters earn?

Compared to most martial arts, Muay Thai fighters don’t really earn much. The reason for this may be due to the economy of Thailand which is historically viewed as a poor country. Because of this and other reasons, there’s just not much money in Thailand. Unlike combat sports like boxing, it also doesn’t have a huge, televised audience which doesn’t help.

Nonetheless, there are a select few Nak Muay who have become millionaires from the sport. So, even though it’s very tough and competitive, you can make a fortune from Muay Thai. This means being the very best – but it is doable. In this article, we shall look at the Muay Thai pay scale and give our own take on things.

How much does the average Muay Thai fighter earn?

Firstly, we will assume that we’re talking about professional Muay Thai fighters here. Obviously, amateur fighters don’t get paid anything. Anyway, the life of a professional Muay Thai fighter is not particularly glamorous and notoriously doesn’t pay very well. Typically, a Muay Thai fighter will earn a few hundred dollars per fight. When you think about it, this isn’t much at all and most professional MMA fighters get at least a few thousand dollars.

Having said this, in some cases, a fighter can fight a few times per month which is more than most martial arts. To earn significant money in Muay Thai, the trick is to do volume (and win of course). This may not be great for your body but there are always lots of fights available, which can mean a steady stream of income. Remember, Thailand isn’t a particularly expensive country though, so a few hundred dollars can go further than you may think.

How much do top Muay Thai fighters earn?

If you’re good enough to be a skilled Muay Thai fighter with an international reputation, then the money can increase dramatically. Instead of earning a few hundred dollars per fight, you may now be able to earn a few thousand. Obviously, if you’re doing a few fights per month then this makes a drastic difference.

Let’s imagine you did three fights per month. This may be the difference between earning $1000 and $7000. When thinking about living standards and wealth, that’s a pretty big increase, especially over the course of a career. Although this isn’t a bad salary, it comes with its own set of problems.

Basically, you’ll have to keep winning to stay relevant which isn’t always easy. Nonetheless, if you’re good enough then you can earn decent money from Muay Thai. Whether it’s worth it for the punishment your body gets though is a different matter.

How much do elite level Muay Thai fighters earn?

Now, if you’re literally the best in the world then you can earn even more. These days, two examples of this would include Saenchai and Buakaw. We should reiterate that these are two athletes at the very top of their game and most won’t get to this peak. Still, someone has to fill this role. Due to their reputation, it’s not uncommon for them to get big fights in front of a global audience.

Wealthy countries such as the UK and Netherlands may have events that pay them tens of thousands of dollars. In some rare cases, they can even earn over $100,000 for a single fight. So, if you’re truly the best then you can become a millionaire from Muay Thai. Although this may sound impressive, just imagine what the MMA or boxing equivalent would earn. The difference would be massive.

Can Muay Thai fighters earn money elsewhere?

Generally, there are two separate competitions that Nak Muay can pursue outside of Muay Thai. The first is kickboxing, and the second is MMA. Due to the rules of kickboxing, this is a pretty easy transition. Typically, Muay Thai fighters will dabble in kickboxing to earn extra money, especially if it pays well. Usually, kickboxing can pay a little more than Muay Thai but is still quite low in the big scheme of things. Regardless, if a kickboxing promotion offers you $5000 to fight, you’re probably going to take it.

The second way of earning is by going into MMA. This is quite tough as MMA is very different from Muay Thai and uses a lot more grappling. As a result, it isn’t rare for a top Muay Thai fighter to go into MMA and lose due to wrestling and BJJ.

However, if they’re good enough then the pay-off may be worth it. For example, Muay Thai champion Valentina Shevchenko went into the UFC and earned millions in fight money. This wouldn’t have been possible for a female Muay Thai fighter. If honest, she also had other skills such as Judo and Sambo. However, it just goes to show that some people do successfully transition from Muay Thai to MMA.

Why do Muay Thai fighters fight so much?

So far, we’ve established that Muay Thai doesn’t pay particularly well but you can do the volume as a Muay Thai fighter. Whilst this may hurt your body in the long run, it does mean you can spam fights and make extra money, especially if you’re good enough. This brings us to our next question which is why do Muay Thai fighters fight so much?

Muay Thai can be less damaging than boxing

The answer to this question is that typically, Muay Thai fighters don’t take as much damage compared to those in boxing or MMA. Due to the nature of Muay Thai, it means it’s quite hard to get hurt (within reason) compared to other martial arts. For example, in boxing you may get knocked out by a big hook.

Whilst this could happen in Muay Thai, it’s more unlikely and generally, you’ll see a lot more decision victories, as opposed to knockouts. This means the losing fighter should recover quickly and be able to fight again.

Another reason is due to the size of Muay Thai fighters. Generally, they’re quite small and even the bigger weights tend to be lanky, as opposed to bulky. Once again, this means that Muay Thai fighters are less likely to take significant damage in comparison to boxing.

Muay Thai has fewer regulations than other martial arts

In professional MMA, if you get a concussion then you’re legally not allowed to fight for several months afterward. In some cases, if a concussion is bad enough, this ban can even last up to a year. The reason behind this is to preserve the fighter and make sure they’re ok regarding brain damage.

Sadly, in Thailand the rules are way more relaxed. You won’t have as much red tape which means that even if you take a real beating, you can still continue and fight weeks later. This obviously isn’t a good thing and has serious consequences for your health. Regardless, as some Nak Muay view themselves as warriors, they will continue anyway and keep fighting. This results in a culture of lots of consistent fights, sometimes with several happening on the same night.

Other ways to make money as a Muay Thai fighter

Aside from fighting, there is another way to make money. This is through using a gym. If you own a Muay Thai gym then this can act as a regular stream of income. If you get enough consistent members then it can actually turn into a full-time business that pays a decent amount. In fact, Muay Thai gyms are fairly popular across the globe which shows that it can be done.

The alternative is to use your reputation to teach private classes. For instance, Saenchai is said to charge $200 for a private class in Thailand at the Yokkao gym. This isn’t too much, considering his reputation. Regardless, if he could do three classes per day then that’s $600 which is a lot of money in Thailand.

In the west, you may be able to charge around $30 per private lesson if you have a good reputation. By good, we mean having a few professional fights and a bit of a career, but nothing special. This isn’t much but it’s better than nothing – especially considering that there’s not much money in Muay Thai anyway.

Conclusion

The amount that a Muay Thai fighter can earn really depends on how good they are. It’s almost like asking how much a soccer player earns. On the extreme end, they could easily earn millions per year. However, those in lower leagues may earn a few hundred dollars per week. This is like Muay Thai, where most professional fighters struggle to get by – but those at the top do quite well for themselves.

As you may have gathered by reading this article, there are far easier ways to earn a living though. If you did want to earn millions from Muay Thai you’re in for a shock and it’s incredibly difficult. When you throw in injuries then it becomes even more off-putting. Nonetheless, there is money to be made in Muay Thai if you’re good enough with the right amount of passion.

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