Looks like UFC Heavyweight, Roy Nelson has been contracted under Roy Jones Jr.’s Square Ring, Inc. throughout his entire UFC career including his time on TUF 10. The Zuffa legal team is looking into the matter and UFC President, Dana White plans to put Nelson’s fight plans on hold “until the matter is resolved.”
Nelson who didn’t seem to be aware of the fine print on his contract with Roy Jones Jr. has taken to his Twitter account to address the situation and how he plans to deal with it:
“Trying to do some non-MMA related work just in case this fighting stuff doesn’t work out, I need to start the James (Toney) thing. Just pick fights and then get paid, then have the IRS look into my independent contract status.”
Interesting note: Dana White told MMAJunkie :
“There’s organizations that are locking these guys up to the old-school boxing contracts,” White said. “The contracts that King and those guys were doing back in the 60s, 70s and 80s where they have options on top of their options – so your contract never ends with these guys.
“These are the kinds of contracts that some of these guys are signing in these other organizations out there that some of these MMA websites go, ‘Oh, stick up for these guys, they’re the small guys.’ The small guys are the guys that are really [expletive] the fighters.”
Yet, MMAJunkie reports on Nelson’s last fight with Roy Jones Jr.’s Square Ring, Inc.: “According to the Florida State Boxing Commission, Nelson earned $30,000 for his efforts.”
In his UFC 117 bout against Junior Do Santos, Nelson earned a $15,000 purse. Now this “MMA website” isn’t trying to argue who the bad guys are, but there’s a lot more for MMA fighters to consider, read and UNDERSTAND before signing any contract.