MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz has defended the UFC for
pressing ahead with their April 18 card, saying the fighters want to compete.
The Dominance MMA CEO is one of the most powerful figures in the sport. He guides the careers of UFC stars Khabib Nurmagomedov, Henry Cejudo, Kamaru Usman and many more. Speaking to MMA Fighting, he defended the UFC for pressing ahead with events at all costs and insisted fighters want and need to compete.
“I think the UFC or any other promotion
who has fighters under contract, they have to find a solution,” Abdelaziz said.
“Because these guys, the fighters, are independent contractors. They do not get
a salary. Some of these guys make $10k and $10k, $12k and $12k, $15k and $15k
and they live paycheck to paycheck. This is how they make money and this has
been going on for 20 years.
“For you as a media member to criticize or a coach or a fighter, whoever you are, if you’re a fighter and don’t want to fight, that’s fine. Don’t fight. If the UFC is willing and Dana White is willing to put his reputation and money and getting potentially f*cking sued, put that on the line and put on a fight and the fighters are willing to fight, I don’t think anybody has the f*cking right to tell them not to put on the fight.”
The plan is for UFC 249 to go ahead
without delay despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. According to Abdelaziz fighters
scheduled to fight on the card don’t have to and will still be getting paid
even if they don’t.
“Dana White reached out to me and said ‘if
any of your fighters need money to support their families, reach out to me, and
they don’t have to fight if they don’t want to,” Abdelaziz said. “For me, that
means a lot. I want to go ahead and say that because that’s the truth. He
didn’t have to say that. He’s telling me if any of my fighters need money,
reach out to him. I haven’t yet but I’m sure I will.”
Abdelaziz was adamant that fighters should be given the chance to earn money despite the difficult times we find ourselves in. The powerful manager also appeared to take shots at the media who are criticising the UFC for pressing ahead with events.
“It’s about the fighters, who need to provide for their families,” Abdelaziz said. “They need to pay rent. They need to pay bills. Why can we not put on a safe event? I believe Dana White can put on a safe event. I believe Hunter [Campbell], Sean Shelby, Mick [Maynard], Dr. [Jeff] Davidson, all these guys, they’re going to take the right measurement to put on a safe event. I trust them. Some of the people who are sitting behind the computer saying they can’t but they’re the reason we’re fighting today.”
“If they can put it on in an arena with
no fans, have the fighters at the hotel and bring them one by one to the arena
with their corner men, let them do it,” Abdelaziz said. “Let them do it.
They’re the ones putting their reputations on the line. But if you’re not the
fighters, you should not talk. This is my opinion.”
Do you agree with Ali Abdelaziz about UFC
holding event despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?