ESPN just released a special Outside the Lines piece that questioned the salaries that the UFC pays its fighters. The piece focused on the expansion of the promotion and how some fighters made as low as $6,000 to show and $6,000 more if they won. …
ESPN just released a special Outside the Lines piece that questioned the salaries that the UFC pays its fighters. The piece focused on the expansion of the promotion and how some fighters made as low as $6,000 to show and $6,000 more if they won. The piece was somewhat flawed because no fighter with the company […]
(“If they aren’t with us, they’re against us, and in that case we will crush them.”)
The much ballyhooed ESPN: Outside the Lines (which we originally erroneously identified as E:60) episode dealing with UFC salaries and the assertion that the promotion is becoming a monopoly will air Sunday morning on the sports network and Dana White says he’s looking forward to it.
According to the UFC president, the company is preparing to counter-program the show with the uncut and unedited version of the interview with UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta to expose ESPN and the outlet’s main MMA analyst Josh Gross, who contributed to the episode.
(“If they aren’t with us, they’re against us, and in that case we will crush them.”)
The much ballyhooed ESPN: Outside the Lines (which we originally erroneously identified as E:60) episode dealing with UFC salaries and the assertion that the promotion is becoming a monopoly will air Sunday morning on the sports network and Dana White says he’s looking forward to it.
According to the UFC president, the company is preparing to counter-program the show with the uncut and unedited version of the interview with UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta to expose ESPN and the outlet’s main MMA analyst Josh Gross, who contributed to the episode.
White and Gross have a tumultuous history, and White makes no bones about his feelings about the former managing editor of Sherdog.com, who revealed the finalists of TUF 4 prior to the season finale of the show and wrote a vitriolic open letter to White, pointing a finger at him and the UFC for the epidemic of fighter PED use.
According to an ESPN story posted yesterday about Sunday’s piece, several UFC fighters who expressed displeasure about fighter salaries were too afraid to speak about the issue on record. The only past and present fighter who would talk about it was Ken Shamrock who recently lost a legal battle with the MMA juggernaut. White has promised to expose Shamrock as well.
Perhaps the most telling tweet by White touches on why ESPN, who has a lucrative UFC broadcasting deal in the UK would attack Zuffa on this front.
Coincidentally, MMA-Manifesto released a comprehensive list of all of the UFC base salaries this week and although they are a far cry from those of their counterparts in other professional sports, fighters don’t do *that bad*, considering they often receive back room bonuses and sponsorship money as well. Keep in mind that a lot of these guys made minimum wage (or approximately $16,000 a year) prior to being signed by Zuffa. That being said, hopefully the disparity in pay eventually matches the 70/30 split boxers share with promoters some day, but unless a union eventually happens, it’s unlikely.
Check out the rest of The Baldfather’s tweets on the show below:
Sports giant ESPN seems to be sending a message to the UFC with its latest exposè that the gloves are coming off, and UFC president Dana White has responded in kind.”Can’t stand the lying 2 faced media [expletive]!! So glad we did this one right…
Sports giant ESPN seems to be sending a message to the UFC with its latest exposè that the gloves are coming off, and UFC president Dana White has responded in kind.
“Can’t stand the lying 2 faced media [expletive]!! So glad we did this one right cause ESPN can NOT be trusted,” White tweeted earlier today in response to ESPN’s recent actions.
What actions could be so heinous as to elicit such a response?
First, ESPN released a video in which it was suggested that the UFC had a monopoly over the MMA business.
The video wasn’t egregiously offensive as it was more or less unbiased.
However, what recently earned White’s ire was an editorial (that hits harder than an Anderson Silva front kick to the face) by ESPN reporter and longtime Dana White/Zuffa nemesis Josh Gross.
The article—which won’t be summarized at length—harshly criticized what the UFC pays its fighters and suggested that Zuffa brass sleep on mattresses made of money whilst low to mid level UFC fighters struggle to make ends meet.
Does this mean that the gloves are coming off between ESPN and the UFC?
After all, the UFC and ESPN aren’t strangers in terms of controversy. Back in August 2011, ESPN canceled an interview with Dana White after the UFC’s deal with FOX was announced.
These recent developments show that the UFC and ESPN will likely never be friends. So don’t expect to see more UFC footage on Sports Center or any other ESPN show in 2012.
A full-blown confrontation between the two may not come to pass but as long as Josh Gross writes for ESPN and as long as ESPN is owned by FOX rival ABC (which is owned by Disney), the UFC will always be treated as minor in terms of coverage on ESPN.
You’ll see more of the world series of poker and championship bowling than you’ll see UFC highlights.
Does this constitute “open war” between the UFC and ESPN?
Only Dana White and the Fertita brothers can answer that.
ESPN may keep the UFC from entering the top echelon of sports organizations or, on the flip side, the UFC may rise up and ESPN may look inept for not covering the next big thing.
All that is known for sure is that relations between the two jilted parties are not on the mend and may never be.
In an effort to take some of the growing workload off of the backs of color analyst Joe Rogan and play-by-play man Mike Goldberg, the UFC announced today that it has added veteran sportscaster Jon Anik to its broadcast team.
Anik, who has anchored MMA Live since 2008 and hosted several ESPN pre-UFC shows, will be involved with the November 12 Fox broadcast in some capacity and will likely take the reins of commentating duties for the next season’s weekly live broadcast of The Ultimate Fighter on FX among other events.
“We’re very happy to have Jon as part of the team,” UFC president Dana White said after making the announcement at today’s UFC 137 press conference.
“It’s a dream come true. I believe the UFC’s a strong a brand as there is in professional sports, but what really drew me to this organization was the people behind it. I think as strong as this organization is, it’s the people behind it,” the 33-year-old Boston native said Thursday. “It’s a well-oiled machine, I just hope I don’t get in the way. I’m very excited to get started.
(Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland/ESPN)
In an effort to take some of the growing workload off of the backs of color analyst Joe Rogan and play-by-play man Mike Goldberg, the UFC announced today that it has added veteran sportscaster Jon Anik to its broadcast team.
Anik, who has anchored MMA Live since 2008 and hosted several ESPN pre-UFC shows, will be involved with the November 12 Fox broadcast in some capacity and will likely take the reins of commentating duties for the next season’s weekly live broadcast of The Ultimate Fighter on FX among other events.
“We’re very happy to have Jon as part of the team,” UFC president Dana White said after making the announcement at today’s UFC 137 press conference.
“It’s a dream come true. I believe the UFC’s a strong a brand as there is in professional sports, but what really drew me to this organization was the people behind it. I think as strong as this organization is, it’s the people behind it,” the 33-year-old Boston native said Thursday. “It’s a well-oiled machine, I just hope I don’t get in the way. I’m very excited to get started.”
Anik’s last day at ESPN was today. A successor for Anik at MMA Live has not been named, but if it’s Franklin McNeil, we predict a drastic drop in ratings.
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The phrase “Jon Jones bares all” now has a new meaning as the UFC champion has been featured, in the buff, in this month’s ESPN Magazine Body Issue. This will be the third annual edition of the “Body issue,” the first of which was released in 2009 and has been highly anticipated as it highlights […]
Sports giant ESPN seems to be sending a message to the UFC with its latest exposè that the gloves are coming off, and UFC president 