Episode 11 discussion: Our latest episode features questions from our listeners including one from a UFC fighter (anonymous)

Welcome to Hey Not the Face!, the podcast that provides expert analysis on all aspects of combat sports finance with an intense focus on fighter pay. Hey Not the Face! will also feature updates on both antitrust suits against the UFC, in-depth comparisons of boxing pay vs. MMA pay, thorough examinations of contracts and more. The show is hosted by John Nash and airs twice monthly. No permanent schedule has been worked out, but we’ll make sure to notify everyone via our various social media platforms when new shows are released. As always, we hope you enjoy listening.

June M. Williams

EPISODE 11: LISTENER Q & A

• How much were UFC fighters making from sponsors prior to the Reebok and Venom deals? And how much are they losing compared to what they were/are paid in the Reebok and Venom deals?
• Boxing promoters are apparently funneling money to sanctioning bodies through some form of lobbying. Can you explain how this works?
• Why do you think Bellator and PFL struggle financially? Is it just because the UFC has superior talent? If not, what are Bellator and PFL doing wrong that they can improve on?
• Do you see the influencer/YouTube star thing in boxing (and coming to MMA with Jake Paul) as a temporary thing or will it last a while or possibly even become permanent? Do you think it has the potential to create any lasting changes in MMA?
• Someone recently asked Dana about the low ratings his Power Slap league has gotten on TV. He said that Power Slap is more successful on social media and digital than on TV. He said that the clips do ten million views on TikTok, much more than other sports. Is there any way it can survive and even be profitable that way?
• Why do we WANT to use a sport that is a “structural disaster” as a benchmark for MMA in pushing the Ali Act expansion and why is it imperative that MMA fighters be paid their “free market value”?
• In order to have a successful sport, isn’t it imperative that both the athletes and the fans are taken care of? In boxing, this is clearly not the case for the fans. So, why is it critical that a “free market” prevails in MMA with all of the issues this will likely create?
• People compare the UFC’s revenue split (17-18%ish) with those of the major sports leagues (50%ish). Is this a fair comparison, considering the UFC’s margins are 50% and profitability is critical to it because it is publicly traded company, whereas sports team franchises are generally bought for their asset appreciation as opposed to profitability?
• Instead of signing a washed Pettis for 800k a fight or million dollar tournaments, why doesn’t Bellator try signing the whole UFC bantamweight division since some of those guys have name value yet make less than $100K/ fight. If they were able to get 60% of the top ten fighters, that would be a much bigger blow to the UFC.
• Josh Barnett’s thread: https://twitter.com/JoshLBarnett/status/1619205302334951424

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