(Props: wandfightteam)
Now that he’s been permanently drummed out of the sport for dodging a random drug test in May, Wanderlei Silva is continuing his quest to become the voice of ethics in MMA, or something like that. His latest video (titled “Round 2 – For the Warriors. Pelos Guerreiros”) is another assault on unfair fighter pay and the general mistreatment of MMAA fighters by promotions.
Silva begins by explaining that fighters’ love of the sport can blind them to people taking advantage of them, but when promotions — and he’s really only talking about the UFC, here — are worth billions and fighters need to beg for money, something is very wrong. “What would happen if the events shared, in a more dignifying manner, their profits with the athletes?” Silva asks. “The athletes are already out there giving their blood, imagine if they got paid better.”
While the video doesn’t reach “screaming in a basement with heavy metal blasting” levels of intensity, Silva does get rather fired up talking about the responsibility of promoters to take care of their fighters. He seems especially pissed about fighters having to travel in economy class with only one trainer’s flight being covered, and the UFC’s time-honored practice of burying its own fighters. But, “things will change once they start to feel it in the only place that matters to them. Which is not in their heart because they don’t have one. It’s in their pockets.” SHOTS FIRED.
Other notable quotes include…
– “You don’t put your face in there to get punched, so there is nothing for you to say. You can’t speak of the gladiators, you can’t speak of the warriors. Only who is a warrior can speak of warriors. Only who gives blood can speak of blood. You guys are playboys, you can’t say anything. You can not call us names when you’ve never been punched in the face.”
– “This monopoly doesn’t allow for a free market. We have to free the fighters! So that they can fight wherever they want. Not to be tied down to only one event…We have to open a competitive market! Where who pays better has the better show.”
– “Once there is a competitive market, I want to see if they will still call us names.”
– “I have always been tied down by oppressive contracts so I can’t take advantage of the changes that I’m trying to cultivate for the next generation. But I am standing up for the sport, for a cause, for fighters to have a better life! Because if we don’t stand up for ourselves, who will?”
– “Now you have a guy with the guts to say the truth because I am not afraid of anyone. I never was and I won’t start now.”
– “No more of the suits and ties in the business class when us warriors are in the back in economy class with only one coach.”
– “I am not against anyone, I am in favor of our class! And our class will have better life conditions, whatever it takes.”
Wanderlei stopped short of claiming that the workers should control the means of production, but that’s basically where all of this is headed. Revolution is in the air, comrades.