There should be new law specifying the UFC contract

[KillaZs]

UFC makes slaves from their fighters, once they sign contract, they can´t fight anywhere else, until they cut them or contract is finished. There should be also the time expiration, like you can´t sign contract which would have effect longer than 2 years. For example the Jones or GSP thing, they basically have 0 leverage in negotiation with UFC.
In other sports you also sign for seasons/time not for matches..
Commission / law change/ fighter union would fix that.

 

[Rajon Rondo]

 

[Shoden]

Ali Act needs to apply to MMA...it makes no sense why it doesnt.



We need to pressure the biden administration.

 

[Get To Da Choppa]

UFC makes slaves from their fighters, once they sign contract, they can´t fight anywhere else, until they cut them or contract is finished. There should be also the time expiration, like you can´t sign contract which would have effect longer than 2 years. For example the Jones or GSP thing, they basically have 0 leverage in negotiation with UFC.
In other sports you also sign for seasons not for matches..

Aren't most professional sports contract like this?

Though I do agree on some sort of time limit or number of fights, whichever comes first. Of course, fighter pay is the biggest issue that needs to be addressed. Can't have top fighters working a second job to help cover living expenses

 

[Carrotman23]

Aren't most professional sports contract like this?

boxing isnt and other major sports aren't really relevant considering the relatively astronomical pay their athlete's get .

 

[KillaZs]

Aren't most professional sports contract like this?

No

 

[KillaZs]

,

Aren't most professional sports contract like this?

Though I do agree on some sort of time limit or number of fights, whichever comes first. Of course, fighter pay is the biggest issue that needs to be addressed. Can't have top fighters working a second job to help cover living expenses

Stipe is good example

 

[CannotWin]

This thread is ill-conceived, poorly informed drivel, tbh. Fighters know what they are signing off on, they have managers and lawyers, and to compare these contracts to slavery is so fucking stupid I can't even process it. There is a lot that goes into those contracts you obviously don't know about, and even if you had one of them in front of you, I doubt you would be able to make anything out from the text.

 

[KillaZs]

This thread is ill-conceived, poorly informed drivel, tbh. Fighters know what they are signing off on, they have managers and lawyers, and to compare these contracts to slavery is so fucking stupid I can't even process it. There is a lot that goes into those contracts you obviously don't know about, and even if you had one of them in front of you, I doubt you would be able to make anything out from the text.

So let´s imagine a situation, you are UFC mma fighter with two wins, UFC gives you new contract on 5 matches, you win next 3 in fashion, but to get higher pay you would have to finish the contract and you don´t really want to get in war with UFC if you are new.
Second situation - You are UFC veteran past prime, you are hurt and have last match in you, but on UFC contract are still 3 fights left - even if you have offer on some moneyfight in box or anywhere else you can´t leave..
UFC tactic is "dirty" atleast.

 

[Kyler Ruxin]

If you sign on for, let's say, 2 years in another sport, you have to actually play those years. If you decide to sit out for a year and not play, it doesn't count towards one of your years. So if you sign a 2 year contract, play the first year, and then just decide not to play the 2nd year, your 2 years are not up. You don't become a free agent and just get to go anywhere you want, you still need to play another season with the team you signed a 2 year contract for.

 

[CannotWin]

So let´s imagine a situation, you are UFC mma fighter with two wins, UFC gives you new contract on 5 matches, you win next 3 in fashion, but to get higher pay you would have to finish the contract and you don´t really want to get in war with UFC if you are new.
Second situation - You are UFC veteran past prime, you are hurt and have last match in you, but on UFC contract are still 3 fights left - even if you have offer on some moneyfight in box or anywhere else you can´t leave..
UFC tactic is "dirty" atleast.

Again, you are assuming that you dont get more money after each win, which I know is not true. There have been talks in the past of pay growing with each bout won in the very least in some cases if not all. One more time, you dont know what is in these contracts. At all.

 

[Sticko]

If you sign on for, let's say, 2 years in another sport, you have to actually play those years. If you decide to sit out for a year and not play, it doesn't count towards one of your years. So if you sign a 2 year contract, play the first year, and then just decide not to play the 2nd year, your 2 years are not up. You don't become a free agent and just get to go anywhere you want, you still need to play another season with the team you signed a 2 year contract for.

This is sort of true but the actual details of what happens when a player holds out depend on the collective bargaining agreement which is different for every sport. Also a lot of teams will just trade players who are unhappy because a player who refuses to play or has a bad attitude doesn't help you win.
Also if you sign a 2-year contract, and you miss the entire second year with injuries, you'll be placed on injured reserve or something but it still counts as a year so you could then sign a new contract.

 

[Cpt Migraine]

The concept of a contract is very difficult to some..

 

[Cpt Migraine]

Aren't most professional sports contract like this?

Though I do agree on some sort of time limit or number of fights, whichever comes first. Of course, fighter pay is the biggest issue that needs to be addressed. Can't have top fighters working a second job to help cover living expenses

Is the pay really that low though?

Don't get me wrong here.. people seem to always compare fighting to american nische sports (baseball, football and basketball domestic leagues)..

How many fighter jerseys do you see, does your work take you to the ufc game, do you and your neighbours take your families to the ufc? Is vincente luque a household name?

How many aspiring football players does america produce every year? I'm asking because i don't know.. how big is the percentage reaching the nfl?

In mma there are soccer moms making a doctors salery.. hunt made 800k per match..

No, they aren't making floyd or shaq money but i don't watch boxing and i don't watch basketball but i still know those guys and have passively watched hours of them in screen time..

 

[Feardoesnotexistinmydojo]

UFC makes slaves from their fighters, once they sign contract, they can´t fight anywhere else, until they cut them or contract is finished. There should be also the time expiration, like you can´t sign contract which would have effect longer than 2 years. For example the Jones or GSP thing, they basically have 0 leverage in negotiation with UFC.
In other sports you also sign for seasons/time not for matches..
Commission / law change/ fighter union would fix that.

The thing is, it’s a double edged sword. The Ali act would protect fighters more no doubt but with that comes the entertainment factor and fans missing out. One thing the UFC can do is limit ducking from other fighters. Boxing is completely rife with ducking and a lot of fighters actively avoid one another, PAC and Mayweather happened about 5/6 years after it should’ve and Manny was on the decline. The fighters win or the fans win really

 

[Le Choad]

Ufc was better off with Italian mobster owners. The 1% don't even have dignity. Fucking sad

 

[kyokugen86]

Fighters should be allowed to sign only 1 fight contract for every fight,

It will give them the ability to continue fighting for the promotion or go elsewhere after each fight without a problem.

 

[Carrotman23]

The thing is, it’s a double edged sword. The Ali act would protect fighters more no doubt but with that comes the entertainment factor and fans missing out. One thing the UFC can do is limit ducking from other fighters. Boxing is completely rife with ducking and a lot of fighters actively avoid one another, PAC and Mayweather happened about 5/6 years after it should’ve and Manny was on the decline. The fighters win or the fans win really

If only the fighters weren't 90% Meatheads and actually realized solidarity is in their best interest and they need a union to leverage power against the UFC . At the same time they'd still be in the promotion so the UFC would have leverage to make the fights the fans want to see .

 

[HHJ]

Fighters should be allowed to sign only 1 fight contract for every fight,

It will give them the ability to continue fighting for the promotion or go elsewhere after each fight without a problem.

People say this like their OK with it,but get mad whenever something like Whitaker gets hurt and holds things up,or GSP chooses to vacate,or Khabib retires unbeaten. MMA fans arent ready for this kind of freedom.

 

[DestinedAussie]

UFC makes slaves from their fighters, once they sign contract, they can´t fight anywhere else, until they cut them or contract is finished. There should be also the time expiration, like you can´t sign contract which would have effect longer than 2 years. For example the Jones or GSP thing, they basically have 0 leverage in negotiation with UFC.
In other sports you also sign for seasons/time not for matches..
Commission / law change/ fighter union would fix that.

The issue for the UFC is fighters can just sit out to get more leverage. Having contracts for x number of fights is normal. It is actually easy to get out of a UFC contract, you simply need to take the fights and not sign a new contract. The UFC is obligated to offer you fights in the contract so you can't just hold on to a fighter indefinitely. Dana once mentioned he had to offer at least 2 fights a year with 2 options for each fight.