Insurance for Fighters, Should You Get Coverage and What Kind?

Fighters, just like individuals in any other occupation, need insurance. This does not mean that it is as easy to get insured if you are a fighter. Depending on the type of insurance, people in this profession can struggle to find a good insurance company willing to give them coverage because of the risk that comes with this profession. Due to this, most fighters do not bother to get insured. 

Fighters can be prone to injuries, accidental deaths and this makes them very risky to insure. On the flipside, these are the very reasons that fighters should be covered.

The good news is, you will always find an insurer willing to take the risk. There are a couple of insurance companies that only deal with insuring fighters and with that guidance, you will be able to choose a suitable policy for yourself.

Are Boxers and MMA Fighters Covered by Their Organizations?

Oftentimes, boxers and MMA fighters do not get insurance policies from their organizations and if they do, very few get individual coverage.

For instance, UFC, the biggest and most popular martial arts promotion company does not offer insurance policies for their fighters. This is because the fighters are not seen as employees of the organization, which makes sense.

However, this does not mean that boxers and MMA fighters cannot get coverage from other insurance companies. Insurers will look at a few aspects before insuring an MMA fighter or boxer, and below are some of these factors;

1. The type of combat you are involved in will play a huge role in deciding the coverage you will get. Are you a boxer, MMA fighter or a Wrestler? The level and frequency of what you do will go into deciding your insurance policy. Some types of combat will have higher rates as compared to others because of the risk involved.
2. Boxers and MMA fighters also incur flat extras of $5 for coverage of about $1000. This means that fighters will pay way more than what other individuals pay on average.
3. Just like as with other types of insurance, your health will play a role in determining the type of coverage you get. To begin with, you should be in good health and shape for you to be in a fighting career. But if you have some medical or health conditions you may be limited to the type of insurance you qualify for. This can include career-related injuries like concussions.
4. Insurers will also want to know your kind of lifestyle. Do you fly a lot? Do you like high-risk activities like skydiving or bungee jumping? Your career is already high-risk, and if you also indulge in other activities which increase the risk, it may be very difficult for you to get an insurance coverage.
5. Family history, background history, and build ratio are also some of the factors that help determine whether you can be insured, and if so, what type of coverage you would get.

Types of Insurance for Fighters

Depending on what you want to get insured for, there are different types of policy covers for fighters. While fighting is a high-risk career, there is just so much that can go wrong, and much like a fight, you need to be prepared for any scenario. The following are the types of insurance that fighters can get;

Disability

Anything can happen during a fighting contest. Most fighters get injuries which take weeks, months and in other scenarios, it may even take the fighter a year or more before resuming back to work. 

During this time, the fighter does not receive any payment. It may be devastating for someone who hadn’t stashed away cash for such situations. That is where a disability insurance coverage comes into play.

With such a policy, you will be covered during the period of recovery from an injury. This amount may not be as much as the commissions are given for a fight but it will be just enough to see you through that period.

Different insurance companies have different names for such coverage. While most carriers do not offer coverage for individual fighters, but rather that teams/groups, it is good to check with your insurer for such information. 

Health Insurance

Health insurance for a fighter is vital. If you incur a serious injury, you may find yourself using every penny you own to pay off hospital bills. Only a few fighters receive enough to be able to comfortably pay high hospital bills, and only in some organizations are hospital bill paid, when they are combat-related. If you happened to suffer an injury during training, it is out of pocket for you.

To be on the safe side, you will need to lock in a health insurance policy that will cover most of your bills. 

Your body is what you use to make a living. Even a small ankle sprain can escalate to a big issue if not taken care of. You may find yourself in need of medical attention every now and then after matches. Accumulatively, this may be a lot of money that you may end up paying. 

To avoid the headache of having to use money out of your pocket for treatment, it is advisable to find a policy. Your manager should also be in a position to advise you about the insurance to choose.

Life Insurance

Everyone needs life insurance, whether their career is highly risky or not. The truth is that most boxers and fighters don’t like accepting the reality that they put their lives on the line every time they go for a match or training. No one wishes for themselves to die, but it can happen to anyone and you have to be prepared.

Insurance professional Jason, founder of Life Insurance for SBA Loan had this to say on the matter:

“When you partake in high-risk occupations or activities, it becomes more expensive to get coverage, but it is also becomes more important to lock something in. You want to make sure that the one thing you’re not risking is your family’s well being in the case that something does happen to you.”

The last thing you want is to leave your loved ones suffering. The best way to protect them is to lock in an insurance policy. This way, if anything happens to you can be sure that your spouse and kids, if you have any, are safe.

Take Away

While most fighters usually depend on their teams and the organizations to provide insurance for them, it is important to go out of your way and get insurance for yourself. You risk your health and life every day trying to make a living, and the last thing you want to do is to ignore insurance in the proccess. 

The first step is to do in-depth research because you may not find a policy as easily as an average joe would. You probably have friends in the same profession as you are, ask them about their insurance policies and compare the different options if any. There are chances for such an insurer to cover you but when push comes to shove, find an insurance agent to help you. 

Most of them will have a list of different carriers, but make sure that your agent is well-versed in dealing with situations like yours. This way, it will be easier to identify a suitable carrier and choose the best policy for you.