Are UFC fighters underpaid?

Posted on March 30, 2013 by admin

There’s no doubt there are a lot of overpaid athletes in the world, but nobody will ever accuse UFC fighters as being among them. In fact, for what they go through to earn as a living, they can be considered to be some of the lowest-paid of all. That’s why none of them have ever made it to the annual Forbes magazine list of the top-100 paid athletes. That list is usually topped by boxers, as it was in 2012 with American Floyd Mayweather Jr. coming in at number one with total earnings of $85 million followed by Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines who raked in $62 million. They each fought twice between June 2011 and 2012, the time period the list represents.

There were athletes from 11 different sports on the top-earners list including boxing, baseball, basketball, cricket, football, golf, soccer, and tennis, but members of the UFC were noticeably absent. The last-placed person on the list earned approximately $16 million.

As far as boxing and the UFC are concerned, there’s an ongoing debate about which sport is tougher to master. However, in reality they’re both grueling combat sports that consist of endless training and punishing bouts. When it comes to earnings though, boxing and the UFC are simply worlds apart. Legendary boxers such as Muhammad Ali and George Foreman were sharing $10 million purses as far back as 1974, while according to estimated records, no UFC fighter has made that amount in their entire career.

Athletic commissions started releasing UFC purses publicly back in 2004 with the UFC 46 event. These figures include a fighter’s salary, plus bonuses made for their bouts. They don’t include sponsorship money or any unreported bonuses though, such as a percentage of pay-per-view earnings. Still, without any possible added income public records show that the now-retired  Chuck Liddell is the highest-grossing UFC athlete of all time with career earnings of $4,320,000,. This is about $30 million less than Mayweather makes for one boxing match.

You can read more of this in our March/April 2013 issue of ModelsMania. Subscribe now so you don’t miss a single issue!

Posted in Sports

Photo shoots in the Maldives

Posted on March 28, 2013 by admin

The Maldives are a group of 26 coral atolls blessed with a tropical climate. Whoever comes here will leave with the impression they have been in paradise. Why? Just imagine a place with white sand, cool salty water, blue sky, and you sitting on a peaceful beach. Not to mention the beautiful sunset with the sun melting in the deep blue sea. In one word this exotic place can be described as divine. The atmosphere created by the islanders, the palm trees, the turquoise waters, these are just a part of what Maldives truly is.

Maldives has a diverse and unique territory like every paradise island. Besides one of the top destinations for spending a perfect honeymoon or cruise, practicing water sports and relaxing on the beach, it is also known as one of the best places for exotic photo shoots.  Even with a random camera you will have great photos thanks to the terrific landscape. Many say this is the one place on earth which has modern services but offers that feeling of “hiding from the rest of the world” and experience adventures of a lifetime. If you love photography then this is the place where you will feel at home. Maldives is an offering place for great photo shoots in the middle of nature or in the urban jungle. Discover its charm step by step and then decide which is the perfect spot for you. We thought it would be helpful to know some of the best places which deserve to be seen and immortalize. So you can find below a list of seven places and ideas where you can create the scenery you like.  Each one has infinite potential and puts your imagination to the test.

  1. Beach huts

Not far from the mysterious sea and the white beaches there are the huts. Maybe at first sight they don’t inspire you too much. Maybe you will find them too rustic for your tastes. But imagine this… Maldives is an exotic tourist destination with elegant hotels and first class services. Everywhere you look you can see this sight has been blessed by Mother Nature. Their geographical location offers a tropical climate and luxuriant vegetation. People from this part of the world have discovered how to build in harmony with nature. But how can you not when you are in the middle of an inspiring place? Take your camera and surprise your muse walking on the small bridge of a bungalow. It’s like seeing a small building rising from the sea. All around there is this magical crystal clear blue water which embraces the wooden logs. On the outside they may look old and dusty, with roofs made from palm tree leaves, still enduring the hot sun or cold rain and the rough winds of monsoons. It seems to have the air of a hut in the wilderness. But take a look inside… The floors are paved with perfectly crafted wood covered by mats, thick bamboo or coconut pillars firmly holding this romantic hiding place. Baldachin bed, soft blankets made from the finest cotton, each evening arranged in some other way. How do you feel now? The thought of an old hut disappeared. Instead, it turned to be a terrific place for photo shoots out in the open or inside between the worm coconut wood walls. Just get the perfect light and your pictures will be amazing.

You can read more in the March/April 2013 issue of ModelsMania. Subscribe today and don’t miss a single issue!

Posted in Photography