News Pro-Ali Act Anderson Silva Talks Fighter Pay with Weidman: "Why Don't [UFC] Respect the Fighters"

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After they discuss their injuries, Anderson Silva discusses the UFC and fighter pay at length. It's interesting because Silva, for my memory, is by far the most famous UFC fighter to not only raise the larger fighter pay issue but also express support for the Ali Act in mma.

Also, so to the thread isn't all doom and gloom, Silva mentions that he called Jon Jones to get his blessing to replace him against Cormier at UFC 200, which is peak Silva and goddamn hilarious.


Cliffs (starts about 23 min)
-"Of course I make a lot of money with UFC, but it's not comparable to how much I make for the UFC." The UFC gave him fame, but "Why don't you pay me correctly?"

-"UFC is a very strong brand, but UFC is nothing when you don't have you [Weidman], me, or the fighters."

-"Me and you and the older fighters make a lot of success for the UFC and give the UFC a lot of power [he's talking about the UFC's market power here, not actual power between fighters/promoter]." Wonders how many fans keep watching because they saw their two fights, and mentions how the UFC still makes money off of them.

-Complains about lack of health care for retired fighters, says he's lucky because he saved money. Implies the UFC did Jacare dirty by not resigning/releasing him out right after he got his arm broken.

-Older mma promotions didn't have the power the UFC had. Interesting given Silva fought in Pride.

-Says UFC changed after WME purchase, didn't feel like home. Lorenzo made the UFC feel like family. Implies that WME doesn't understand the fight business/martial arts

-Says it's strange that the UFC doesn't put everything [I assume he means financials] on the table, but answers his question by saying it would give fighters too much power.

-Mentions that fighters don't talk about these issues because they're scared. Weidman jokes that's why he hasn't said a thing yet and is only listening.

-Silva hints that he didn't get along with Dana because he would speak his mind.

-Silva says the new generation needs to wake up and realize that the UFC hasn't gotten better.

-Silva considers the UFC both a singular promoter and manager. [Pretty significant opinion because that's an Ali Act violation in boxing]. He, no surprise, prefers the promoter landscape in boxing.

 
Would you want your boss to have this much control over your career?
1. He or she can break the contract anytime.
2. If you try to leave at the end of the contract, your boss has the option to block you from leaving by adding $1 more than the competing offer.
3. You cannot have sponsors on your clothes. You have to sign away your likeness for a video game for the rest of your life.
The UFC holds all the cards.

NFL players on losing teams still make millions of dollars.
NBA players who sit on the bench as backup still make millions of dollars.
Baseball players who are injured for the season still make millions of dollars with a guaranteed contract.
But the UFC can cut you for any reason and not give you healthcare or a pension.

The UFC is a C-tier sports organization when teenagers think about being a professional athlete.
"...revenues going to fighters as compensation ranged from 18.6% to 20.3%".

 
I want him to talk about how Dana bought him a car to keep him on the roster after he contemplated retirement.

Around this time the UFC was giving Bentleys and I know Jones and Silva got one, but at the time it was just reported as gifts of service, not a desperate attempt to keep him fighting. And how many times did the UFC fuck him over during his contracts, were his number of fights extended beyond his control?

Just seems like a lot of these vets are extremely relived to escape the UFC, and usually get shitty matchups on the way out no matter who you are. Silva should've gotten a more respectful matchup for his last fight, that Uriah Hall fight always rubbed me the wrong way. I know that fight had steam behind it for years, but that's how you want your legends to go out? Just thrown into very difficult fights in their 40's so you can do what exactly, see their value drop? No matter what they sacrificed and did for the company?

These legends deserved better, it's hard not to have very mixed feelings about the UFC.
 
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I want him to talk about how Dana bought him a car to keep him on the roster after he contemplated retirement.

Around this time the UFC was giving Bentleys and I know Jones and Silva got one, but at the time it was just reported as gifts of service, not a desperate attempt to keep him fighting.
It's pretty rare in the grand scheme, but some UFC contracts are weird. Rampage's last or second to last contract explicitly stated the UFC will buy him a hell cat srt.
 
It's pretty rare in the grand scheme, but some UFC contracts are weird. Rampage's last or second to last contract explicitly stated the UFC will buy him a hell cat srt.
Wow, what in the hell.

Seems like when stars are near the end, they get thrown these extra incentives to keep going.

Conor is pretty much the only guy that can scoff at the UFC. So I wonder what the UFC will do to keep him fighting and bringing in that PPV revenue, no way are they gonna let him go easily, he's too valuable.
 
-Says UFC changed after WME purchase, didn't feel like home. Lorenzo made the UFC feel like family. Implies that WME doesn't understand the fight business/martial arts

Pretty much confirms what I had always felt. WME is all about entertainment and Hollyweird so it's no surprise that there's no integrity in the sport:


patrick-whitesell-and-ari-emanuel-wme.jpg
 
Would you want your boss to have this much control over your career?
1. He or she can break the contract anytime.
2. If you try to leave at the end of the contract, your boss has the option to block you from leaving by adding $1 more than the competing offer.
3. You cannot have sponsors on your clothes. You have to sign away your likeness for a video game for the rest of your life.
The UFC holds all the cards.

NFL players on losing teams still make millions of dollars.
NBA players who sit on the bench as backup still make millions of dollars.
Baseball players who are injured for the season still make millions of dollars with a guaranteed contract.
But the UFC can cut you for any reason and not give you healthcare or a pension.

The UFC is a C-tier sports organization when teenagers think about being a professional athlete.
"...revenues going to fighters as compensation ranged from 18.6% to 20.3%".



No me personally I would never sign a contract like that
 
Even on sherdog i'm a little surprised when people seem confused that it takes two parties to sign a contract
 
I want him to talk about how Dana bought him a car to keep him on the roster after he contemplated retirement.

Around this time the UFC was giving Bentleys and I know Jones and Silva got one, but at the time it was just reported as gifts of service, not a desperate attempt to keep him fighting. And how many times did the UFC fuck him over during his contracts, were his number of fights extended beyond his control?

Just seems like a lot of these vets are extremely relived to escape the UFC, and usually get shitty matchups on the way out no matter who you are. Silva should've gotten a more respectful matchup for his last fight, that Uriah Hall fight always rubbed me the wrong way. I know that fight had steam behind it for years, but that's how you want your legends to go out? Just thrown into very difficult fights in their 40's so you can do what exactly, see their value drop? No matter what they sacrificed and did for the company?

These legends deserved better, it's hard not to have very mixed feelings about the UFC.

It's pretty rare in the grand scheme, but some UFC contracts are weird. Rampage's last or second to last contract explicitly stated the UFC will buy him a hell cat srt.

Pretty sure that's the Fertitta's and Zuffa, not WME
 
Wow, what in the hell.

Seems like when stars are near the end, they get thrown these extra incentives to keep going.

Conor is pretty much the only guy that can scoff at the UFC. So I wonder what the UFC will do to keep him fighting and bringing in that PPV revenue, no way are they gonna let him go easily, he's too valuable.
Yeah, I can't really think of why a fighter would want a car instead of its cash value, but whatever. There have been stranger requests in UFC contracts, like Holly Holm's.

And Conor's self destructive ways will probably keep him fighting a little longer, as long as he doesn't keep getting smashed.
Pretty much confirms what I had always felt. WME is all about entertainment and Hollyweird so it's no surprise that there's no integrity in the sport:
Yeah, I do think Silva still has rose tinted glasses when it comes to the Fertitas and how they ran the UFC, and I don't expect WME to suddenly run the UFC into the ground. But they are definitely noobs in the fight business terms.
Pretty sure that's the Fertitta's and Zuffa, not WME
Yes, Rampage's contracts would have been pre-WME.
 
My question is this: if they raise fighter revenue share to say 30% do we see a scenario where the lower level/dark card fighters get a raise or do the top 10%-20% of fighters see a significant pay increase while the rest of the roster gets left behind?
 
I want him to talk about how Dana bought him a car to keep him on the roster after he contemplated retirement.

Around this time the UFC was giving Bentleys and I know Jones and Silva got one, but at the time it was just reported as gifts of service, not a desperate attempt to keep him fighting. And how many times did the UFC fuck him over during his contracts, were his number of fights extended beyond his control?

Just seems like a lot of these vets are extremely relived to escape the UFC, and usually get shitty matchups on the way out no matter who you are. Silva should've gotten a more respectful matchup for his last fight, that Uriah Hall fight always rubbed me the wrong way. I know that fight had steam behind it for years, but that's how you want your legends to go out? Just thrown into very difficult fights in their 40's so you can do what exactly, see their value drop? No matter what they sacrificed and did for the company?

These legends deserved better, it's hard not to have very mixed feelings about the UFC.

andersons last contract was absurd like 10-12 fight deal or something crazy like that. I didn’t think he would do half let alone fulfill it.
 
My question is this: if they raise fighter revenue share to say 30% do we see a scenario where the lower level/dark card fighters get a raise or do the top 10%-20% of fighters see a significant pay increase while the rest of the roster gets left behind?
Probably more tilted toward the middle and upper tiers of fighters, since that's how it would work in most industries jist based on power dynamics. I think it would trickle down some since lower tier fighters should get more power by seeing higher paydays are possible. But it would be complicated and a lot of that solution depends on how you feel about a 600 fighter roster.
 
Probably more tilted toward the middle and upper tiers of fighters, since that's how it would work in most industries jist based on power dynamics. I think it would trickle down some since lower tier fighters should get more power by seeing higher paydays are possible. But it would be complicated and a lot of that solution depends on how you feel about a 600 fighter roster.
I do believe that the top of the roster would feel the boost and that's not really who I'm advocating for.

I'm trying to get situation where if you're in the UFC you can make at minimum $50K a fight. I'm not trying to get top fighters more money but rather lower level fighters more money.
 
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18% of revenue going to fighters is highway robbery.

I respect what Dana and Lorenzo achieved, its absolutely spectacular, but its long overdue to give these guys a fair share.
 
I had all the respect in the world for anderson but now i have even more. For things to change, fighters have to talk about it.

The ones still fighting have reason to be scared and dont want to lose their jobs so i have a very hsrd time blaming them but those that have retired should speak up.

God bless you Anderson! We love you forever.
 
I don't believe that the top of the roster would feel the boost and that's not really who I'm advocating for.

I'm trying to get situation where if you're in the UFC you can make at minimum $50K a fight. I'm not trying to get top fighters more money but rather lower level fighters more money.
Yeah, I agree that would be ideal, but it's also one of the least viable outcomes just for the simple fact that most of the lower half of the UFC roster is interchangeable and consequently have very little market value and leverage. They are there to provide content so ESPN can sell a couple extra hours of commercials essentially, most will never be more than that. It sucks, but that's just the truth of the ESPN era.

Having said that the silver lining is that increasing the wage floor is pretty cheap in the grand scheme for the UFC, certainly cheaper than paying headliners more.

I guess the fundamental question is if you're basing fighter pay on market value or something more along the line of morality (they obviously overlap some).
 
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