Tag: Fighter Treatment

Six Ways UFC Fighter Treatment Needs To Change

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

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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:

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Dana White Says Anderson Silva Was Never Mistreated By 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

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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.”

anderson silva fired

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?

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Dana White Says ‘Awesome’ Announcements Regarding Fighter Pay Are Coming

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

The post Dana White Says ‘Awesome’ Announcements Regarding Fighter Pay Are Coming appeared first on LowKick MMA.

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?

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TJ Dillashaw: Fighters Are Treated Like Employees With No Benefits

Fighter treatment and fighter pay have long been hot topics regarding the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization, and with the UFC recently being sold, these topics may just be heating up. The UFC has implemented ground breaking policies over the years to ‘clean up’ the sport including the controversial Reebok outfitting policy as well

The post TJ Dillashaw: Fighters Are Treated Like Employees With No Benefits appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Fighter treatment and fighter pay have long been hot topics regarding the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization, and with the UFC recently being sold, these topics may just be heating up. The UFC has implemented ground breaking policies over the years to ‘clean up’ the sport including the controversial Reebok outfitting policy as well as the USADA (United States Anti-doping Association) drug testing policy.

While some fighters have gotten behind the UFC’s plans, others have voiced their displeasure with how the promotion is handling things. Former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw is one fighter who doesn’t seem to be too happy with how he’s been treated, recently blasting the UFC:

“They treat us like employees, but they don’t give us benefits like employees,” said former UFC Bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw on a recent edition of Team Alpha Male’s Stud Show Radio (h/t MMA Fighting). “It’s kind of crazy when you think about it. We have to tell them where we’re at at all times, so USADA can show up and drug test us. But we don’t get health benefits. It’s kind of crazy that we are controlled. Any time you have to tell work where you’re at and what you’re doing, that’s considered an employee, not a contractor. They can’t tell a subcontractor what to do and when to do it. So this whole drug-testing thing is kind of crazy and the way they’re making us wear Reebok and all this stuff we have to do. They’re treating us like employees, but not giving us the benefits of an employee.”

Continuing on, Dillashaw also discussed the fact that fighters are usually ‘left in the dark’ regarding upcoming changes, adding that it’s ‘crazy’ how he and his fellow fighters are treated:

“With UFC, we’ve pretty much stayed in the dark as much as possible,” added Dillashaw. “They’re telling us they’re not selling the company when everyone knows they’re selling it. It’s public record, but they’re still trying to tell us they weren’t. They’re just going to wait for the last minute for everything for us to find out.”

“They’re trying to make us do things and we’re not employees. So it’s kind of crazy.”

Do you feel as if it’s time for the fighters to band together and form a fighters’ union?

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