Ken Shamrock voiced his displeasure about fighter treatment and pay Monday evening on Twitter, calling out UFC President Dana White in the process.
After receiving the above YouTube video in a tweet (h/t MMAjunkie.com) from a concerned fan, Shamrock and UFC Hall of Fame inductee Randy Couture chimed in on the topic, echoing the video’s sentiments about fighter pay.
@JayTWarsh @titoortiz @ShamrockKen @frankshamrock @sonnench seems pretty straight forward to me ! The video speaks for it self .
— Randy Couture (@Randy_Couture) September 16, 2013
While Couture sounded off first, Shamrock promptly took the mic and commanded it for the remainder of the set, as he touched upon fighter pay and the overall lack of respect fighters receive from White.
So what [you’re] saying is that the fighters did not make the ufc what it is today, that disrespectful promoter did all of that. Wow, what a smart guy you are. Why didn’t I think of that? Who needs fighters when you can just disrespect the guys who made your promotion and talk trash and make loads of money and not give what is partially the fighters money.
This is not uncharted land for Shamrock.
In an April 2013 video filmed for The FightNetwork, Shamrock used firsthand experience and observations to make these claims:
I don’t like to see people get taken advantage of, and I speak my mind when I see something wrong and other people are being hurt…I’ve seen things that are wrong. I see the lies that are being told. I know the money that is being made, and I know that people are being lied to…There’s more money being made there, and they’re lying to people about the money being made.
A 2012 ESPN article detailed fighters’ reluctance to discuss fighter pay, saying that the topic activates their “flight instincts.”
On the other hand, legends like Chuck Liddell have spoken candidly on the subject, concluding that the pay scale is more than fair for fighters, while White himself consistently tosses positive metrics back in the faces of critics.
The fact that fighter pay is a recurring theme—one that we’ve seen discussed for years—tells me that the situation is not perfect.
While Shamrock and Couture are not exactly UFC advocates at this point in their respective careers, ex-UFC fighters like Jon Fitch, Jacob Volkmann and John Cholish have also expressed their discontent with the organization’s pay scale.
There is no doubt that the top fighters enjoy significantly steeper pay grades than undercard inhabitants, but, as Liddell points out, those who continue to win impressively will reap the rewards.
Shamrock, still displeased by the video and the ensuing conversation it spawned, capped off his tirade by reminding White where to direct the credit for his successes:
@danawhite THE FOUNDATION of the HOUSE ~ without a foundation you can’t build. Give respect where it’s due pic.twitter.com/VU7I4Ml1Z6
— KEN SHAMROCK (@ShamrockKen) September 17, 2013
Whose corner do you find yourself backing? Does each side make a relevant point concerning fighter treatment and pay?
Sound off, and we’ll discuss this ever-burning issue.
Like MMA, heavy metal and life’s absurdities? Follow @HunterAHomistek
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com