Traditional MMA managers will get run out by bigger agencies like CAA which hate Endeavor/UFC

[Mesos]

I think traditional mma managers like you see with Abdelasleaze, Kawa and smaller talent agencies that traditionally have represented mma guys will fall to wayside or be stuck with the scraps( mid/low level guys)

I think with UFCs growth in popularity, powerful agencies like CAA have started to pay attention. They will start to represent more top UFC talent and hope they find the next Conor money maker.

This is noteworthy because CAA is a powerful talent/sport agency that competes directly with Endeavor for signing talent. And both companies famously hate each other.

So CAA will probably drive harder bargains, wouldn’t surprise me if they try to push there fighters to unionize down the line to. Since that benefits them and screws over UFCs owner Endeavor

Most recently, CAA is main reason Ngannou/Lewis fight fell apart. CAA made a deal for Ngannou with UFC and then pulled it last minute(according to Dana) I can totally see this type of scenario happening again with other fighters.

TLDR: In future CAA, a major talent agency is gonna become a key player in mma and will negotiate harder because of there rivalry with wme. May be a good thing for the fighters represented by them

 

[Azure]

Don't care

 

[TitoDome]

Hopefully so. Can endeavor sign the ufc guys? Kind of a conflict of interest (I’ve done zero research). I think we’ll also see a big wave of former fighters jumping in the Managment game (like tiki).

 

[Otto!]

I don’t know enough about the ins and outs of fighter representation, but I am definitely in favour of anything that will result in better pay for the fighters.

 

[Local Plata]

Not for 99% of fighters, no.

 

[Mesos]

I don’t know enough about the ins and outs of fighter representation, but I am definitely in favour of anything that will result in better pay for the fighters.

Most mma fighters are represented by shady, small time managers (used car salesmen types) that will sign bunch of guys in hopes that one of them becomes a golden goose.

More professional agencies coming is a good thing for fighters but realistically this affects top talent the most

 

[Mesos]

Hopefully so. Can endeavor sign the ufc guys? Kind of a conflict of interest (I’ve done zero research). I think we’ll also see a big wave of former fighters jumping in the Managment game (like tiki).

Interesting question, it clearly would be a conflict of interest. I dont think they can

But I think Endeavor can represent them if its for stuff outside of UFC. I think Ronda did that when she got her movie deals, wwe deal etc

 

[Pierced7681]

I think Holly Holm has one of the better managers. Dana hates him, so there must be a reason why lol

 

[StoneColdSteveAustin]

Will these new agents get fighters more than 7k to get brain damage?

 

[Willek]

Because all of the "traditional" MMA managers have such sterling reputations.

 

[avenue94]

Not sure most of the Hollywood agencies will be willing, no offense, to go after relative crumbs, which is most of the UFC roster in the grand scheme. Not to mention it's not only fighters who have a say in who reps them, the UFC could blackball agents who piss them off and put their thumb on the scale that way. The UFC likes working with most of the big mma managers, they aren't looking for actual managers who will be standing up for their clients/fighters.

 

[avenue94]

Interesting question, it clearly would be a conflict of interest. I dont think they can

But I think Endeavor can represent them if its for stuff outside of UFC. I think Ronda did that when she got her movie deals, wwe deal etc

Hopefully so. Can endeavor sign the ufc guys? Kind of a conflict of interest (I’ve done zero research). I think we’ll also see a big wave of former fighters jumping in the Managment game (like tiki).

It's legal and not uncommon. Michelle Waterson, Cody Garbrandt, Ronda were all repped by WME off the top of my head. So if anyone is wondering why Garbrandt and his utter lack of charisma of all people got an instant rematch after getting deaded instead of time to develop his game, now you now.

 

[Siver!]

I think traditional mma managers like you see with Abdelasleaze, Kawa and smaller talent agencies that traditionally have represented mma guys will fall to wayside or be stuck with the scraps( mid/low level guys)

I think with UFCs growth in popularity, powerful agencies like CAA have started to pay attention. They will start to represent more top UFC talent and hope they find the next Conor money maker.

This is noteworthy because CAA is a powerful talent/sport agency that competes directly with Endeavor for signing talent. And both companies famously hate each other.

So CAA will probably drive harder bargains, wouldn’t surprise me if they try to push there fighters to unionize down the line to. Since that benefits them and screws over UFCs owner Endeavor

Most recently, CAA is main reason Ngannou/Lewis fight fell apart. CAA made a deal for Ngannou with UFC and then pulled it last minute(according to Dana) I can totally see this type of scenario happening again with other fighters.

TLDR: In future CAA, a major talent agency is gonna become a key player in mma and will negotiate harder because of there rivalry with wme. May be a good thing for the fighters represented by them

CAA will only achieve that if they end up signing the specialist MMA agents who know what they're doing, in which case it won't make any difference.

Good agents will still be good agents.

 

[blurple]

CAA is a powerhouse in the sports industry, and them finally focusing on combat sports has to have WME shaking in their boots. Tie this info with the rumors of a new MMA league, and you start to see a bit of the behind the scenes picture of what may be on the horizon.

 

[The Chosen]

Fighters are already going to groups like Ballengee, no idea what their politics are though

 

[Siver!]

CAA is a powerhouse in the sports industry, and them finally focusing on combat sports has to have WME shaking in their boots. Tie this info with the rumors of a new MMA league, and you start to see a bit of the behind the scenes picture of what may be on the horizon.

Mate, the new MMA league is just a rebrand of Brave CF.

Sorry to disappoint you.

 

[Mesos]

Not sure most of the Hollywood agencies will be willing, no offense, to go after relative crumbs, which is most of the UFC roster in the grand scheme. Not to mention it's not only fighters who have a say in who reps them, the UFC could blackball agents who piss them off and put their thumb on the scale that way. The UFC likes working with most of the big mma managers, they aren't looking for actual managers who will be standing up for their clients/fighters.

Top talent makes solid money, so I think CAA would be interested in them but yea rest of division is whatever for them. Unless of course they show real promise, with the ultimate goal of finding the next Conor Mcgregor before some other manager/agency locks them down.

Also Can UFC even blackball agents? If a fighter likes there representation UFC cant make the guy to change him. Think theres been situations like this before where UFC hates a manager but a fighter keeps being represented by them

 

[Argonaut]

They'll have to gain critical mass like Ali or it won't matter how much the CAA hates endeavor. You need real leverage to get more money.

Any person could have managed Mcgregor and made out well because he is the best of all time at selling fights to casuals.

Unless there are many orgs willing to put up comparable or better money than the UFC, fighters are gonna get stiffed.

 

[det_regnar_på_vår_kärlek]

What growth in popularity are you referring to?

 

[avenue94]

Top talent makes solid money, so I think CAA would be interested in them but yea rest of division is whatever for them. Unless of course they show real promise, with the ultimate goal of finding the next Conor Mcgregor before some other manager/agency locks them down.

Even then, but that's maybe, what, 50 guys to take your pick of? I'm not seeing it as a huge market, especially since a lot of the appeal with repping people is finding people you can bundle or cross over into other industries. Which isn't most fighters, for various reasons.

And yes, CAA has been in the game for while, they used to rep some of the Scrap Pack guys back in the day. They got a pretty good stable these days as well.

Also Can UFC even blackball agents? If a fighter likes there representation UFC cant make the guy to change him. Think theres been situations like this before where UFC hates a manager but a fighter keeps being represented by them

I don't see why they wouldn't if they really wanted to. They told Ngannou to fire his agent (which he didn't to my knowledge), which is the equivalent of a prosecutor telling the defendant to fire his defense attorney for being good at his job lol. The UFC has blackballed media, fighters, plenty of people over the years. What would a fighter do if the UFC said, fire your agent or we will cut you? I don't imagine most fighters would throw away their UFC career like that. They can't make a fighter fire his agent, but they can strongly incentivize/disincentive it. Obviously, within bounds of tortuous interference and all that I imagine.