GSP threatened to walk after becoming champion and got offered millions by the UFC

It shouldn't be the pro athletes fault that the public demonizes PED's. It just seemed like low hanging fruit for GSP to take the heat off of him. In fact I see that act as one of the most selfish short sighted moves anyone's ever made in the sport and it harmed a lot of people imo.

So you're not just pissy because your hero got exposed as a roid cheat?
 
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I don't believe the same approach will work today. Let's say all current champs go on strike. They'd make interim or vacant belts before paying them. Or get whoever can headline and make those. Pride and SF aren't there anymore and the UFC has become way bigger than it was back then, so mediocre cards generate a lot. Basically "who's gonna watch stacked Bellator cards?"

Individual leverage will work in some cases, but it's tough, like seen with the back and forth with Mas. The UFC currently doesn't even need to have the best talent to get the most views. The brand is strong.
 
Henry's retirement thing not working and UFC and no one caring as both FLW and BW flourish had just been hilarious. He thought he was some big draw or something lmaoooo
Even tho he can be cringe, I liked watching triple C fight and thought he could’ve gone on beating guys in Both divisions but it was pretty funny seeing him walk, and then Fig coming in and showing the world that Flw’s can finish fights, and making the division even more exciting.
Plan definitely backfired.
 
So you're not just pissy because your hero got exposed as a roid cheat?
I'm a huge fan of GSP's fighting style. I enjoyed watching him. But he repeatedly disappointed me throughout his career with his bullshit and the way he spun it into this tale of him being a hero or some bullshit. He was scared... Yeah, I get it. Anderson Silva was a fucking assassin in his prime.

I'm split. There's a part of me that drinks the fucking kool-aid about the idea of becoming an ultimate martial artist and the pursuit of excellence in that way and for me a part of that entails warrior spirit.

There's another part of me that thinks that's all bullshit to get insane people to fight for peanuts for the entertainment of a bloodthirsty mob of idiots.

I'm currently consolidating these two positions in my mind.

Are there Hero's? Sure, but I think they do more thankless bullshit in life. Fighter's are after glory it's some crazy bullshit but I don't know if there's anything quite like it. It's just maybe glory doesn't have to mean being the best of the best maybe it's just status and a crowd of people behind you.
 
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Look, that makes sense.

I've always held the belief that GSP is a master manipulator of the press. Like the steroids thing. Bullshit. He just didn't want to lose and it was a big distraction to paint him as a hero. Hero of what!? It shouldn't be the pro athletes fault that the public demonizes PED's. It just seemed like low hanging fruit for GSP to take the heat off of him. In fact I see that act as one of the most selfish short sighted moves anyone's ever made in the sport and it harmed a lot of people imo.

I just don't see GSP as the hero or good guy he presents himself as, just more of a tactician getting his way with the company.

I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad thing though.

Getting paid 9K to fight Prime Matt Hugh's is like highway robbery. These guys were fighting for peanuts. It's insane when you think about it, like the mindset of these guys, how high on bullshit they had to be to think they were getting a good deal in life for fighting in cage for that sort of pay.

What I think it comes down to is that GSP was scared to fight Andy and the whole fucking charade is to distract us from that. He just needed to fight Andy and he'd of been a super star but that didn't happen so Conor was the first Super star.
1. I heard GSP explain step by step how to beat a blood drawn drug test. After that I was always looking at him sideways. Like if a person knew how to cook crack but swears they never did it. And yeah I think he stepped away not because of PEDs but rather he felt really vunerable for the first time in a long time. And yes I believe he keeps his public facade impeccable for other reasons then he's just a nice guy.

2. I remember when fighters were saying they'd fight for free. I remember Pat Militech talking about fighting for $500 at a bar. They were criminally underpaid.

3. GSP was never fighting Andy. They begged him. First at 185 then at catchweight of 177. GSP kept saying it has to happen at 170. For what? No reason other then just to duck Andy.
 
It only worked in the past when the UFC is still trying to corner the market. Alternative organizations were going strong, and it wouldn't do for the ex-UFC champ to appear on a rival promotion's program due to pay dispute. Today, the brand name is bigger than any of the fighters on their roster. With their marketing structure in full force, UFC can always hype up the "Next Big Thing" should anyone walk away. There are always hungrier fighters waiting to step in.

Cejudo walked? Now they have a newly-minted first time ever Mexican champ. Jones pulled the prima donna card? Now he is trapped between getting murdered by Francis or going back to LHW in shame after all the talk. So in answer to your question, nobody has that kind of sway anymore. While Dana did try to get Khabib to stay, no skin off his knees if Khabib doesn't fight again. They brought on Chandler, elevated Charles, and there is still activity in LW.

The only way a protest can work is if a large enough group of top fighters band together and go on strike. Fat chance of that happening, since everyone is looking out for their own interests first and foremost. Once they get the pay they want, screw the under-card right? Even GSP speaking up now, well, he has nothing to lose since he is retired.

Alternative way is if someone dies in the Octagon, or a high profile CTE case gets blown up by the media. This is the only realistic scenario I can see happening for fighters to finally get to unionize.

That will never be the case when it comes to cte awareness from the media they have a lot of control over them, and theyll brush it under the rug like they've done on countless occasions before.
 
Lol the pure dismisiveness

Even if Conors "hype died down" by your accounts there's still more interest than GSP. Lmfao.
 
I always figured GSP was great at leveraging and squeezing out of the UFC what he wanted just based on Dana's unreasonable attitude towards GSP over the years going way back. Using the Fighters Association, threatening to walk, etc. All of this is why Dana has a chip on his shoulder over GSP, the negotiating and leveraging in the background. Now, this definitely won't work for other fighters. You basically have to not lose, dominate your division, and be a big PPV draw. There is a loophole to get your fair share from the UFC and it's one that pretty much all fighters won't be able to take advantage of.

With the contracts, fight selection, etc. UFC creates a gauntlet to keep fighters exposure and leverage as minimal as possible. I'm sure they've always changed things up and made it harder over the years as they learned from dealing with certain fighters like GSP on making that gauntlet even more difficult.
 
Great post. Only thing I can think of which isn't 100% the same as OP's point is Khabib threatening to walk after beating Conor if his friends were cut/banned from UFC/events and it worked.

True but I think Dana relented after the footage showed that Conor had hit Abu Bakr first which is why they went mad.
 
GSP was always smart and played his hand perfectly. But for guys who are locked into contracts, there's not a lot you can do. Look at Jon Jones' situation - he spoke out and tried to "make" the UFC pay him more, and they just benched him until further notice.
 
Man, years ago Ken Shamrock and I believe Randy talked about a fighter's union and Dana demonized the both of them for it.
 
GSP had a lot of things going for him by the time he became champion. A young white French Canadian fighter who had plenty of exciting fights and finishes. A good physique. As a promotion There isn't much more you could ask for.

He was a poster boy for the UFC just as much as Chuck and Randy were.

And his promo with Matt Hughes for GSP / Hughes 1 really did set the stage for him. A lot of fans eagerly waited for a rematch with Hughes
 
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GSP was always smart and played his hand perfectly. But for guys who are locked into contracts, there's not a lot you can do. Look at Jon Jones' situation - he spoke out and tried to "make" the UFC pay him more, and they just benched him until further notice.
But Jones is not a good example. He used his HW "fight" now for more than 5 years as a marketing tool without any attempt to really do that. Not even a lower ranked guy. Has always been just talk. Would not believe a pathologic liar like him
 
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Top UFC fighters need to hire a publicist and take a page out of Conor and the Paul brothers playbook, and gain more mainstream exposure. Talent + mainstream awareness = more negotiating leverage


No... Just no...

I dont want over the top douche canoes to be the norm for the sport i love....

They need to have financial advisers and sport related lawyers on there teams to make sure the contracts there signing are actually in there favor or atleast balanced...that would be the move forward ..IMO
 
Yeah bro, it was pretty badass how he seemed to duck legitimate competition and only came back, briefly, for a low risk/high reward fight in Bisping that he almost lost. Definitely set the example that I hope other fighters can study and emulate.

(i actually love gsp but this is exactly what happened lmao)

The guy defended the title 9 times in a row, who was the legitimate competition he was ducking at the time?

"Almost lost to Bisping"

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Georges doesn’t say why the champions contract clause didn’t apply to him……
 
I read the article and GSP admits the base salary that the UFC pays is not what's important. He accumulated his wealth by getting a portion of PPV buys and live gate revenue. He said that's where the money is at
 
Henry's retirement thing not working and UFC and no one caring as both FLW and BW flourish had just been hilarious. He thought he was some big draw or something lmaoooo

Now he got a chick pregnant with a baby on the way so you know he's gonna be fighting again sooner rather than later lol
Henry fucked himself over so bad. Funny thing is he was on the verge of becoming a big draw/superstar. One or two more titledefenses and he wouldve been there. No way Dana would let him retire without a fight.

But yeah it is what it is lol
 
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