UFC Quick Quote: Fighters are taxed 30 percent of purse when competing in Brazil

"Professionally, I liked to fight at UFC Brazil's, but financially, I found it absurd. Brazil charges many taxes of our purses, so I was unmotivated to fight in Brazil because of that. People pay taxes, I have no problem, but the money does not go to health, it does not produce benefit for the public. If it was a tax you paid, but you see the benefit, that's fine... The politics in Brazil is a very big robbery, that left me very sad. If I had fought in the United States, I always declare my purses at the end of the year. In Brazil, the check is already deducted, so is $50,000 that I no longer receive. It is a very heavy tax rate. I and other friends who fought in Brazil complained... We lose 30% of our purses."

-- Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight Gleison Tibau tells TATAME about the financial difficulties involved with competing in Brazil, revealing that the government deducts 30 percent of a fighter's purse for tax purposes. The 29-year-old fought in his first UFC bout in his home country last October, winning a unanimous decision over Francisco Trinaldo at UFC 153. He is next scheduled to face Evan Dunham at UFC 156 next month, which, much to Tibau's pleasure, takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC has held five fight cards in Brazil since August 2011, which, considering 30 percent is a significant portion of a fighter's purse, makes it all the more interesting that Tibau is the first to reveal this nugget of news. With the UFC adding more and more dates in Brazil to their calendar every year, it will be interesting to see if fighters attempt to avoid being scheduled on fight cards in the country due to the heavy tax.