Earlier this week it was reported that a ‘redefining’ announcement would be made today (Nov. 30, 2016) by a group of fighters led by former longtime UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and former Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. Speculation immediately turned to the idea that the group, which consists of St. Pierre as well as
Earlier this week it was reported that a ‘redefining’ announcement would be made today (Nov. 30, 2016) by a group of fighters led by former longtime UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and former Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney.
Speculation immediately turned to the idea that the group, which consists of St. Pierre as well as Tim Kennedy, TJ Dillashaw, Donald Cerrone, and Cain Velasquez, would be forming a fighters’ union, and while they haven’t necessarily done that, they have indeed formed what they called the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association (MMAAA).
The group, which will focus solely on UFC fighters for the time being, will aim to improve conditions and pay for not only current fighters, but former fighters and future fighters as well.
Oddly enough, the board didn’t release many details regarding their plans, but the UFC reacted to the news nonetheless (Via MMAFighting):
“We respect all of our athletes and are always open and willing to hear their thoughts on how to improve the sport,” a UFC official said.
Rebney, who will serve as an advisor to the group, said during a conference call earlier today that the members have yet to reach out to the UFC and that they don’t plan to at this time.
Stay tuned to LowKickMMA as more news on the situation unfolds.
The UFC is obviously quite a lucrative company. Earlier this year, the promotion, which is the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion, sold for a record-setting $4.2 billion. The UFC was also recently ranked by Forbes as one of the top ten most valuable brands in sports. Based on these statistics, it’s clear that the
The UFC is obviously quite a lucrative company. Earlier this year, the promotion, which is the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion, sold for a record-setting $4.2 billion. The UFC was also recently ranked by Forbes as one of the top ten most valuable brands in sports.
Based on these statistics, it’s clear that the UFC brass is living lavish, but can be the same be said for those who make the company this successful: the fighters? In today’s day and age, fighter treatment seems to be an increasingly hot topic, and with complaints coming from big name fighters like Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva and Donald Cerrone, it’s clear that change is needed.
Let’s take a look at six specific ways that fighter treatment needs to change within the UFC:
After filling in on an unprecedented three days’ notice to fight light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier when Jon Jones was forced out off July 9’s UFC 200 with a potential USADA violation, longtime former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva expressed his disappointment at what he perceived was disrespect from the UFC. “The Spider” detailed a
After filling in on an unprecedented three days’ notice to fight light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier when Jon Jones was forced out off July 9’s UFC 200 with a potential USADA violation, longtime former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva expressed his disappointment at what he perceived was disrespect from the UFC.
“The Spider” detailed a scene where the promotion had not called him since the card, but instead left him on stand-by as a potential fill-in for either Michael Bisping or Dan Henderson if one of them were to get injured before their title fight at last weekend’s UFC 204 from Manchester. The entire ordeal left him with a sour taste in his mouth, yet UFC President Dana White disagrees with the sentiment.
During an appearance on FS1’s Speak for Yourself yesterday (via MMA Fighting), White said that while some fighters might have a legitimate reason to complain, Silva was far from one of them:
“Let me tell you what, there’s probably some guys that can come out and say they felt like they’ve been mistreated. Anderson Silva is not one of them. Okay? That is a guy who has been far from mistreated. Far from mistreated.”
It’s hardly surprising to hear White refute Silva’s claims, as he’s largely brushed aside all topics concerning fighter pay and treatment despite them being arguably one of the hottest discussions going in MMA. But Silva has most likely been treated better than most as one of the promotion’s top draws during his record-setting title run that ended over three years ago.
Still, it’s a concerning look for a promotion that has long been accused of using fighters during their prime and casting them aside when something new and fresh comes along, as was the case with Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey rising to new levels of stardom in recent years.
Do you believe “The Spider” has a bone to pick with the UFC, or should he be thankful he wasn’t treated like the many fighters simply struggling to make ends meet even while in the UFC?
With the dust finally settled on former WWE superstar Phillip ‘CM Punk’ Brooks’ long overdue UFC debut at Saturday’s UFC 203 from Cleveland, the results played out just how most seasoned MMA fans and media members predicted it to. Punk was thoroughly handled by inexperienced 2-0 prospect Mickey Gall, who took him down following a wild
With the dust finally settled on former WWE superstar Phillip ‘CM Punk’ Brooks’ long overdue UFC debut at Saturday’s UFC 203 from Cleveland, the results played out just how most seasoned MMA fans and media members predicted it to.
Punk was thoroughly handled by inexperienced 2-0 prospect Mickey Gall, who took him down following a wild early rush before softening him up with a brutal barrage of ground shots that opened a clear path for the inevitable rear-naked choke win in just two minutes and 14 seconds. That was probably to be expected; but what followed could have a much more lasting impact upon the sport of MMA, even if it should have been expected as well.
What happened was the Ohio Athletic Commission (OAC) released the fight purse numbers for UFC 203, and not surprisingly, the list showed that Punk took home an absolutely massive payday of $500,000 base salary for a man who never had a single MMA fight to his name. No, he didn’t take home the biggest purse, as that distinction went to heavyweight title challenger Alistair Overeem and his $800,000 disclosed purse for his thrilling knockout loss to champion Stipe Miocic, who also took home more than Punk with $600,000.
Many experienced MMA fighters immediately took to Twitter to voice their displeasure with Punk’s payday after seemingly having paid far from the dues they had sweat and bled for, and overall, the payday and the subsequent backlash was more or less a microcosm of the growing anti-establishment sentiment brewing about fighter pay and overall treatment in the UFC. In an era where name value essentially trumps actual rankings and skill, those who can drive up pay-per-view (PPV) numbers are absolutely paid more than those who win against top-ranked opponents but fail to draw big numbers.
Punk was certainly able to drive up sales based on his name value alone, as Forbes estimated that his place on UFC 203’s main card added millions of dollars in revenue to the card. In that sense, he earned every dollar of his $500,000 disclosed purse, and probably the rumored pay-per-view points he’ll receive based on sheer numbers alone.
He’s unique in that he was an inexperienced fighter coming from a totally different game of pro wrestling, but he undoubtedly brought a new fanbase with him, at least for that one night (Dana White has said we won’t see Punk in the UFC again).
However, the ‘money fight’ concept has proven to be a go-to one for the UFC this year, where they eschewed a single defense of the featherweight title for Conor McGregor in favor of having him match up with Nate Diaz a second time, and the box office results were potentially record-setting. It will happen again when aging legend Dan Henderson, who sits at No. 13 in the 185-pound ranks and hasn’t won back-to-back bouts in years, faces unlikely champion Michael Bisping in a sort of revenge bout at October 8’s UFC 204 from Manchester.
Like it or not, the formula has been bringing cash in for the UFC on regular basis, and in no small amounts.
There’s already been a growing numbers of fighters lashing out against their contracts in the months after the UFC’s momentous $4 billion sale to talent agency WME-IMG in the days after UFC 200, and Punk’s substantial payday for what many deem an embarrassing effort obviously only served to fuel that fire. The argument that fighters must build their own brand to become top-level pay-per-views draws in their own right is an obvious one, yet Punk earned the big payday they are all seeking without having to do any of that.
Punk deserves respect for having the proverbial guts to set foot into the Octagon; that much is no doubt true. But the fact also remains there was no way to not pay him the amount he had negotiated without alienating fighters who haven’t made as much in their entire careers as Punk did for getting trounced in less than half a round. The backlash was inevitable.
While it could be a case of sour grapes from an increasingly disenfranchised roster, the reality of it is that, coupled with the recent sale and Reebok sponsorships limitations, Punk’s payday has and will continue to galvanize a fighter base that’s only now finding out what they’re truly worth.
Do they have work to do to promote themselves? Yes, without a doubt. Yet that’s going to be hard to accomplish without at least some of the UFC’s promotional machine behind them. The only thing mid-ranked fighters, or event top-ranked competitors who aren’t household names, can do to get that is win a several consecutive fights spectacularly, and that involves a heavy amount of risk on their part.
True, that’s their job, but it’s a wholly unforgiving, brutal one that has no guarantee whatsoever of success, pay, or health after their insanely short window at or near the top is over. It’s simply time for fighters to be paid what they’re worth and treated fairly for putting their bodies on the line day in and day out for the sake of mere entertainment. Luke Rockhold and TJ Dillashaw have been speaking out for change lately, and it’s time for more UFC athletes to follow suit.
The issue of fighter pay has never been more at the forefront of MMA’s hottest topics, so it’s strange that a scenario like that involving Punk arose right when talk of a fighter’s union has been swirling more fervently than ever. Baseball super agent Jeff Borris recently founded a fighter’s association to hopefully create that union and introduce the Muhammad Ali Act into MMA, and while many have cried that he’s simply looking to cash in on an opportunity involving fighters, that’s just what the UFC has been doing for years. With most fighters focusing on themselves and their camps, the fact that they have failed to band together and unionize is a big part of why they are constantly complaining about their pay.
So at the end of the day, it’s time for the UFC to make some overarching changes for their fighters – the writing is on the wall, and it could easily be argued that it has been for years now. Fighters just haven’t noticed it as much until they compared their paycheck to the UFC sale that they helped create by risking their long-term health.
CM Punk’s massive payday only further brought that into question, and the UFC’s current roster of athletes fully has the right to be mad.
Fighter pay has consistently been a hot topic within the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) in recent years, as a plethora of fighters, specifically regarding the UFC, feel as if they aren’t being treated properly. In fact, talks of the potential formation of a fighters’ union have increased over time, and the Professional Fighters
Fighter pay has consistently been a hot topic within the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) in recent years, as a plethora of fighters, specifically regarding the UFC, feel as if they aren’t being treated properly. In fact, talks of the potential formation of a fighters’ union have increased over time, and the Professional Fighters Association (PFA) recently announced its creation in hopes of assisting ‘the fighters in this historic quest to take control of their careers and their future.’
If you ask UFC President Dana White, however, fighters shouldn’t worry, as ‘awesome’ announcements regarding ‘making all of these athletes more money’ are coming in the next few months:
“To make this the biggest sport in the world. We’re not even close. Not even close. Just the announcements we’re going to make in the next three months are so awesome they are going to blow peoples minds, man. This is what I love. I love building, I love winning, I love the grind and getting in any everyday and making this thing bigger and bigger and better and making all of these athletes more money. In the next three months we are going to be popping out announcements left and right.” White told The Herd.
The UFC was recently sold for a record setting $4.2 billion to a team of investors led by WME-IMG, who announced its plans to open up a plethora of new opportunities to fighters. Perhaps this is what White is referring to.
Do you see any noteworthy changes pertaining to fighter pay truly coming to fruition in the future?
With the announced acquisition of the Ultimate Fighting Championship by the William Morris Endeavour – International Management Group, WME-IMG, and speculation has run rampant. The larger than life personality to meet Dana White at the helm of the UFC will be none other than Ari Emanuel, the man often touted as the most powerful agent
With the announced acquisition of the Ultimate Fighting Championship by the William Morris Endeavour – International Management Group, WME-IMG, and speculation has run rampant. The larger than life personality to meet Dana White at the helm of the UFC will be none other than Ari Emanuel, the man often touted as the most powerful agent in Hollywood, alongside his longtime partner Patrick Whitesell. The pair have long, storied backgrounds in media representation on all fronts and larger than life personalities to match, specifically Emanuel.
Given their insightful reputation surrounding media properties, experts were surprised by the UFC’s sale price not only for the amount but for the fact that it was agreed upon by Emanuel and Whitesell, which alone speaks to the validity of the UFC’s deemed worth.
With Dana White’s experience and strong visionary qualities that have helped the UFC reach the heights in which it resides today, fans are curious to see how the addition of Emanuel and Whitesell will shape the organization going forward. Visionaries in their own right, the WME-IMG pair have connected the dots on the biggest media properties for years in terms of music, movies and sports- even having a hand in the sale of the UFC’s TV rights prior to the purchase.
In this article, we take a look at four distinct ways the UFC is about change following the sale. Given the hefty purchase price, the resources available by the new owners and the potential for more funding from it’s new equity partners like Silver Lake, the UFC is about to scale drastically and we outline exactly how they’ll do it.
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