After Smith/Ladd Falls Apart, UFC Pays Smith Her Show/Win Money & Opts Not to Re-Sign Her

[Emjay]

She could have gotten an extra 5k plus 20% on her way out.

lol @ those in that other thread talking about "she's thinking long term"

 

[Bobby Boulders]

A union would destroy WME.

If they take 50% of net revenue likes other leagues do (or close to it), WME gonna be hurting.

They've spent a shitload of money the last several years. Probably a bad idea to spend that much of it's going to take years and years to recoup. Quite a few of their purchases seem questionable to me, like Neulion and Pro Bull Riding. The UFC at least seemed to have potential to make money, but it seems they kinda got hosed on that deal.

Then again, I'm not business savvy, so I'm probably mistaken.

 

[007]

She isn't worth $62,000 so I think that had the bigger part

 

[Eater of Souls]

UFC paid her Win/Show money even though Ladd didn't make weight and the fight was cancelled. This fulfilled the final fight of her contract and the UFC is not interested in re-signing her to a new deal.

Do you think the fact that she's outspoken about unionizing through Project Spearhead that they opted not to re-sign her to a new deal?

Yep. She has never had a boring fight, they have kept fighters with records that were pure shit (Eye, Kaitlin Curran, etc) and Smith had enough guts to fight Cyborg in her Cyborg's first UFC fight, despite Smith having fought at 125, like many of Cyborg's opponents.

It was only a matter of time, since she kept pissing off Dana, who cannot stand to be challenged.

 

[chitoortiz]

They've spent a shitload of money the last several years. Probably a bad idea to spend that much of it's going to take years and years to recoup. Quite a few of their purchases seem questionable to me, like Neulion and Pro Bull Riding. The UFC at least seemed to have potential to make money, but it seems they kinda got hosed on that deal.

Then again, I'm not business savvy, so I'm probably mistaken.

Nah I don't think you are mistaken brother.

Good post.

 

[Hardkore]

Trying to unionize was the lion's share. But she also didn't take a fight when it is more or less standard to do so in this type of situation. Also, she isn't a good fighter.

Nice gesture by the UFC to give her the win bonus. They should have done the same during the Irishmen Gone WIld incident.

Something tells me they wouldn't have re-signed her even if she took the fight. I feel like they're getting rid of an annoyance and making an example out of her

 

[Paradigm]

Met her in Vegas at some random bar in MGM while she was chilling with the Diaz bros and Joe Schilling...she seemed like a decent person. Sucks it played out this way but she probably shouldn't be surprised.

 

[Hardkore]

They gave her the win money so it doesn't seem like she was outright cut. Which she was.

Not taking this fight was obviously a mistake.

She wasn't cut though

 

[Workaholic]

The union shit didn't help but the fact she has a decent little contract and isn't any good probably had just as much to do with it

Doubtful they were going to re-sign her at her current salary anyways

If the UFC are low balling Anthony Pettis to take a last minute title fight they probably aren't interesting in wasting 64 grand on Leslie Smith

 

[chitoortiz]

Met her in Vegas at some random bar in MGM while she was chilling with the Diaz bros and Joe Schilling...she seemed like a decent person. Sucks it played out this way but she probably shouldn't be surprised.

I've met her too.

Very nice person. I wish her the best.

 

[Negator402]

You are an independent contractor who rails against your principal in demands that they provide you with additional benefits, and refuse to take a fight against an overweight opponent. No shit, it played a major factor. They appeased her with the additional $33,000 win bonus, and sent her down river. They also, I believe, paid for oncological surgery for her last year. Call me callous, but I see her as a malcontent, a rabble-rouser, and a radical. Glad to be rid of her.

 

[Hardkore]

Met her in Vegas at some random bar in MGM while she was chilling with the Diaz bros and Joe Schilling...she seemed like a decent person. Sucks it played out this way but she probably shouldn't be surprised.

She put herself in the crosshairs by being outspoken. Sad part was the majority of fighters weren't willing to back her up on it.

 

[Better Every Day]

UFC paid her Win/Show money even though Ladd didn't make weight and the fight was cancelled. This fulfilled the final fight of her contract and the UFC is not interested in re-signing her to a new deal.

Do you think the fact that she's outspoken about unionizing through Project Spearhead that they opted not to re-sign her to a new deal?

Of course! What other explanation can there be, really? Smith's last fight was a TKO victory. Before that, she got a FOTN victory. Before that she lost, true, but she was arguably helping out the UFC by stepping up to fight Cyborg when nobody else seemed willing to do so (despite Smith being a rather small bantamweight).

 

[Hardkore]

You are an independent contractor who rails against your principal in demands that they provide you with additional benefits, and refuse to take a fight against an overweight opponent. No shit, it played a major factor. They appeased her with the additional $33,000 win bonus, and sent her down river. They also, I believe, paid for oncological surgery for her last year. Call me callous, but I see her as a malcontent, a rabble-rouser, and a radical. Glad to be rid of her.

LOL independent contractor is dubious at best

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

Something tells me they wouldn't have re-signed her even if she took the fight. I feel like they're getting rid of an annoyance and making an example out of her

That theory makes a lot of sense and might be correct.

But why then do you think they paid her the win bonus when they declined to do so with Chiesa/Borg just a few weeks back? Is the example that if you try to unionize they will treat you better than top ten fighters even if you are mediocre?

 

[chitoortiz]

You are an independent contractor who rails against your principal in demands that they provide you with additional benefits, and refuse to take a fight against an overweight opponent. No shit, it played a major factor. They appeased her with the additional $33,000 win bonus, and sent her down river. They also, I believe, paid for oncological surgery for her last year. Call me callous, but I see her as a malcontent, a rabble-rouser, and a radical. Glad to be rid of her.

Dana?

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

Of course! What other explanation can there be, really? Smith's last fight was a TKO victory. Before that, she got a FOTN victory. Before that she lost, true, but she was arguably helping out the UFC by stepping up to fight Cyborg when nobody else seemed willing to do so (despite Smith being a rather small bantamweight).

She's 4-3 and a mediocre fighter and she just refused to help the UFC out. I think it is very plausible that her unionization efforts were a key part of the issue. But it's not true that there's no other plausible explanation. It's also easily explained by pointing out she isn't a very good fighter.

 

[Workaholic]

She could have gotten an extra 5k plus 20% on her way out.

lol @ those in that other thread talking about "she's thinking long term"

She must have thought she was going to lose

Especially since Ladd says she offered an extra 5k on top of the 20%

So we're talking an extra 12k if she beats Ladd and an extra 16k if she loses to Ladd

Taking the win bonus and running is a good move if you think you're going to lose but if you think you're going to win like most fighters do... you'd think she'd want the win bonus, plus the 12k and consider that the extra 16k would offset the loss of her win bonus should she lose

 

[Better Every Day]

Not like she’s valuable to the company or anything she’s best known for getting beat by cyborg

She had a FOTN victory two fights back, followed by a TKO victory. Any fighter who gives the UFC a FOTN should be considered valuable to the company.

 

[Better Every Day]

She's 4-3 and a mediocre fighter and she just refused to help the UFC out. I think it is very plausible that her unionization efforts were a key part of the issue. But it's not true that there's no other plausible explanation. It's also easily explained by pointing out she isn't a very good fighter.

She was good enough as a fighter to be part of the best fight on a UFC card (only two fights back)... that's what getting a FOTN award victory means. And she got a TKO win after that.