Leslie Smith dishes on the UFC's underhanded tactics - interview with Luke Thomas

[Judge]

Apologies if this has already been uploaded.

I wish I could say that I'm shocked. Leslie has been supposedly "cut" so to speak, with very little reasoning provided. Some cliff notes below:


- Leslie was going to be paid 31k to show, 31k to win if she fought Aspen.

- Due the nature of the NJAC contracts, she was asked if she wanted to fight Aspen even though she missed weight or would she prefer to decline the offer. The T&Cs stated that if she refused to fight she would receive her full purse (including win bonus). If she fought Aspen she would get 20% of her purse, but with Aspen's contract not being very good she wouldn't make much more.

- Leslie decided that it made much more sense to take 62k with no risk than fight with the chance of going home with only 35-40k if she was to lose.

- Leslie had one fight left on her contract so when the UFC paid her for this "no fight" scenario they counted it as her last fight on the contract, therefore Leslie is now "out of contract".

- Even though Leslie is 4-3 in the UFC (with a 2 fight win streak), in what I must say is a very weak division, the UFC turned around and said that they no longer wanted to negotiate a deal and they would not be renewing her contract.

- Leslie believes that it has a lot to do with her current "fighter's rights" campaign.

- Leslie mentions that the UFC made her pay for her own luggage allowance.

Those mosquitoes got her good. Two big old bites.

 

[The Natural Born Runner]

what you fail to mention is that

- She initially asked for 100k per fight on a new deal

- The UFC paid for her to have a malignant tumour removed from her stomach in 2016 which they didnt have to

They treated her pretty well. She in return went out and compared them to an abusive husband on twitter.

Not really surprising they declined to offer her a new contract all things considered.

if she was 20-25 maybe.. but shes 35 years old now

I may be wrong, but I think she said 100k over the course of two fights, flat fee, which is 50k a fight.

I'll be honest I had no idea about the tumor, that's pretty crazy. I will admit that I don't think that should be the UFC's responsibility and I'd like to understand more behind it.

 

[Amst3rdam]

i cant believe these crummy woman get paid so much.

 

[Organic Damage]

Well I kind of wonder how this was going to play out had Aspen not missed weight. OK, she fights and wins... and they decline to re-up her contract. Samesies, right?

Also I don't buy that Smith is some horrible ingrate for lobbying for a union after the UFC paid for her surgery. Does that one gesture invalidate all the sheisty dealings between management and fighters over the years? I almost wonder if it was done in an attempt to buy her off...

 

[bad seed]

i cant believe these crummy woman get paid so much.

even more insulting when you consider that paying wmma leaves less money available to real prospects. And men have to suffer CTE to move up the ranks while making 15k a fight, while women just get a little boo boo.

 

[smart.feller]

Everyone is assuming she was “cut” for her unionization views.

She wasn’t cut, her contract was not renewed. There is a difference...but I don’t think it’s her activism that caused them to let her go.

Refusing to take a fight the day before an event because of two pounds is a fighter’s right...she got paid what she was owed, but did herself no favors in the eyes of her bosses, and at that point the UFC owed her nothing.

 

[msm1981]

With Pay & contract disparities being prevalent at UFC
the easiest way to solve both is use the policies that
Shannon Knapp at Invicta FC uses which is fighter pay
is determined by experience and Initial Contracts feature
4 fights while returning fighters to the promotion get 6
fight contracts.

 

[Mike]

Well I kind of wonder how this was going to play out had Aspen not missed weight. OK, she fights and wins... and they decline to re-up her contract. Samesies, right?

Also I don't buy that Smith is some horrible ingrate for lobbying for a union after the UFC paid for her surgery. Does that one gesture invalidate all the sheisty dealings between management and fighters over the years? I almost wonder if it was done in an attempt to buy her off...

People itt are acting like basic health care makes any level of pay or treatment ok. For some reason I bet they don't apply those third world standards too their own jobs

 

[MUSTANG!]

Apologies if this has already been uploaded.

I wish I could say that I'm shocked. Leslie has been supposedly "cut" so to speak, with very little reasoning provided. Some cliff notes below:


- Leslie was going to be paid 31k to show, 31k to win if she fought Aspen.

- Due the nature of the NJAC contracts, she was asked if she wanted to fight Aspen even though she missed weight or would she prefer to decline the offer. The T&Cs stated that if she refused to fight she would receive her full purse (including win bonus). If she fought Aspen she would get 20% of her purse, but with Aspen's contract not being very good she wouldn't make much more.

- Leslie decided that it made much more sense to take 62k with no risk than fight with the chance of going home with only 35-40k if she was to lose.

- Leslie had one fight left on her contract so when the UFC paid her for this "no fight" scenario they counted it as her last fight on the contract, therefore Leslie is now "out of contract".

- Even though Leslie is 4-3 in the UFC (with a 2 fight win streak), in what I must say is a very weak division, the UFC turned around and said that they no longer wanted to negotiate a deal and they would not be renewing her contract.

- Leslie believes that it has a lot to do with her current "fighter's rights" campaign.

- Leslie mentions that the UFC made her pay for her own luggage allowance.

She also tried to renegotiate a new contract for 2 more fights and she was asking for a 100K per fight with no win bonus

 

[Foppa21]

Most of these WMMA fighters are stealing a living anyway as they are not any good, no one wants to watch them and they are only there for political reasons. Lets not sugar coat it.

"Political reasons"? for the longest time the UFC (ie Dana) didn't want women's divisions. It was under the auspices of "I'm just not comfortable watching women fight" but really, if we translate it, it was "We don't think we can make enough money off it". Remember the UFC had no LW division for about 5 years because there was no one there to make them money.

Ronda could move the needle and arguably, I bet if Gina Carano had a few more people not named Cyborg to fight he might've given it the go then too.

Unfortunately(?) Ronda's flamed out, PvZ hasn't really panned out and he's stuck with divisions that he can't get rid of and can't make them $$$

 

[Foppa21]

The UFC didn't have to offer her a new contract.

It was probably a mix of all those issues highlighted before.

 

[Skarr]

Isn't it more Aspen Ladd's fault for not even making weight?

Shouldn't the UFC pay Leslie considerably more to take the fight i.e. some incentive. If Aspen makes 12k to show, then Leslie would only make 3k extra, that my friend is ridiculous.

why would the UFC pay that? she gets what most other fighters get when their opponent misses weight, that money comes from the fighter that missed weight's purse....not the UFC so yeah the 20% of 12k isnt alot...but what are they going to do...give aspen's whole purse plus double it because 12k still isnt alot? lol Im not sure where youre going with that

Leslie knew herself that with her involvement in project spearhead was most likely going to end her tenure in the UFC((shes says as much))
she knew already she was on her way out the door, chose NOT to fight when she had the chance((for whatever reason...doesnt matter)) which she has to know isnt going to look good with the bosses especially considering it was the last fight of her contract

she didnt spill any dirt and nothing she is saying is particularly surprising...its just business as usual....she expected this to happen

I do think they do shady and underhanded tactics and I do think there should be some sort of fighter union or oversight to the UFC's business practices, but I dont believe they are really in the wrong here....

squeaky wheel gets the grease but only until it becomes apparent that no amount of grease gets rid of the squeak....then the wheel gets replaced....

 

[Workaholic]

Normally I'm pretty anti-UFC on these things but I don't think they did a single thing wrong here

This is a woman who is paid a pretty decent purse given she brings absolutely no name value, drawing power or "top fighter" prestige to the product and shits on the company every opportunity she gets. She wasn't cut, she just didn't have her contract renewed, she was allowed to fight out her contract. When she opted not to take the fight she was paid in full for not fighting. The UFC paid for her surgery when they didn't have to. Basically they treated her pretty well and then informed her "thanks but no thanks"

What value does she bring them? The UFC have shown that if you are a pain in their ass but still draw or are a talent they will keep you around and keep paying you handsomely. Look at Mark Hunt. But if you provide no value to them and shit on them why would they renew your contract? That would just be stupid.

 

[Rizz]

Well I kind of wonder how this was going to play out had Aspen not missed weight. OK, she fights and wins... and they decline to re-up her contract. Samesies, right?

Also I don't buy that Smith is some horrible ingrate for lobbying for a union after the UFC paid for her surgery. Does that one gesture invalidate all the sheisty dealings between management and fighters over the years? I almost wonder if it was done in an attempt to buy her off...

Well you just proved that the UFC can never do right in your eyes. If they do something good for a fighter they obviously had bad intentions so that is the reason why they did it. If they decline to re-enter a working relationship with a fighter who in every interview talks disparagingly about them they are doing something wrong. They literally paid her in full and got nothing out of it and are still seen to have done something wrong.

 

[Organic Damage]

Well you just proved that the UFC can never do right in your eyes. If they do something good for a fighter they obviously had bad intentions so that is the reason why they did it. If they decline to re-enter a working relationship with a fighter who in every interview talks disparagingly about them they are doing something wrong. They literally paid her in full and got nothing out of it and are still seen to have done something wrong.

Plenty of fighters talk disparagingly about the UFC and keep their jobs. Smith is an entertaining fighter on a 2 fight streak in a thin division, yet they're willing to pay her 2x show just to fulfill the last fight on her contract to get her off their hands. While Aspen Ladd still has a job?

I'm willing to be proved wrong. Let's see what happens to Raging Al. He talked mad shit about the UFC and they gave him a main event slot (under duress).

 

[Organic Damage]

People itt are acting like basic health care makes any level of pay or treatment ok. For some reason I bet they don't apply those third world standards too their own jobs

It's like it's ok if the pimp slaps you around as long as he shells out for your abortion.

 

[sissypunch]

I don't like it that she took 62k not to fight, rather than risk getting only 40k if she lost. She was a fighter and should have been in it to win it. If she won she would have gotten all the marbles - Her show fee, her win fee, 20% of Ladd's purse plus the extra 5k Ladd offered. Plus a much needed W in her record.

Even without her union activities pissing off the management, she should have been cut for that shit. How many other fighters just take the cash for doing fuck all when their opponent comes in heavy? But there was a way for the fight to go ahead. Has it ever happened before?

Also UFC paid for her to have cancer surgery, she didn't mention any of that when she was claiming she was the abused victim of their harsh policies.

Also pay for your own fucking luggage.

Leslie comes across as the type of woman who no matter what's done for her she will never be satisfied and always feel entitled to more and ready to play the victim.

I hope invicta passes on her too.

 

[Norman Khabib]

Trying to figure out who I care less about, Luke Thomas or Leslie Smith.....


Can't decide.

I'd rather bang Luke Thomas, that's how I'm looking at it

 

[Hard To Tell]

If she is worthy of making the kind of money she thinks she deserves then this shouldn't be a problem. Other promotions will still sign her and people will still want to watch.

Do you think if the UFC fired McGregor he couldn't just put on his own fight in Ireland and still make millions?

I know the UFC often short changes fighters but this is not the case here. 50K plus per fight? GTFO. She simply isn't worth that much money and is just whining because of a sense of entitlement and the fact her days of suckling at the UFC teat are now over. If anything she has been overpaid and over valued during her time with the company so should be grateful, especially as WMMA is often pushed on us at the expense of far more talented, hard working and entertaining men. But she is now trying to dress it up as some kind of victimhood and battle against injustice, which seems to be par for the course these days.

 

[Iroh]

Everyone is assuming she was “cut” for her unionization views.

She wasn’t cut, her contract was not renewed. There is a difference...but I don’t think it’s her activism that caused them to let her go.

Refusing to take a fight the day before an event because of two pounds is a fighter’s right...she got paid what she was owed, but did herself no favors in the eyes of her bosses, and at that point the UFC owed her nothing.

They already didn't want to renew her contract before she refused to fight as I understand it.

She also volunteered to be the sacrifical lamb and fight Cyborg when they had a hard time finding a good opponent. So it's not like she did the UFC no favors.