News Matt Brown argues ‘if anybody is to blame for fighter pay, it’s the fighters"

[Mike]

What is the UFC really doing with the large percentage of revenue they keep? They aren't putting on better shows, I can tell you that much. We still have regional talent in the premier organization and Dana seems to keep getting richer.

Same thing every other company is doing lmao. Splitting it up among the people at the very top.

 

[RockyLockridge]

I mean.. problem solved lmao?

Yes. Problem solved.

Fighters stop fighting, Supply of fighters decreases, Demand for fighters increases, pay for high demand fighter also increases.

 

[volcom5]

This is a relativity argument which kinda falls apart when most sports pay 50% of their revenue while the ufc pays less than 20%. The main issue is in those other sports they were able to force that split, whereas since mma is a team sport that seems highly unlikely. Health insurance is an area where like most of the people in the nation are taking a dick tbh. Not a fighter only issue.

Fair enough, I just find it tiresome anytime I sign on there is always fighter pay threads & after reading a few posts it’s clear most don’t even care and just are using the threads as a release for their hate for the UFC or Dana White, while valid at times it’s just weird seeing people so passionate about fighter pay but yet go every which way they can to actually not suppprt them other than talking.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Dana who's net worth is like 500 million is a fucken joke.

yeah but dana gave up his owner ship of the UFC. He's just an employee now working for a salary. rather than realizing gains from the company.

 

[Mike]

Yes. Problem solved.

Fighters stop fighting, Supply of fighters decreases, Demand for fighters increases, pay for high demand fighter also increases.

Reagan? Is.... is that you? I'm from the future and I have vital news! They figured it out, it was a trap!




That stuff trickling down was piss all along. Turns out when companies get big enough to buy and sell their competitors, the "laws" of the free market stop applying to them. When you have leverage you control the conversation, so all pay and benefits will be whatever you say they are. A competitor starts offering better? Just buy them, problem solved indeed.

 

[Cooliox]

You absolutely cannot blame the fighters.

With the UFC it’s either take it or leave it. And if you don’t take it, the Bald Goof is going to throw you under the bus with the media.

He did it with Captain UFC- Randy Couture, he did it with GSP saying GSP doesn’t want to fight, he threw Jones under the bus to the point that Jones vacated… and most recently he just used the media to burry Ngannou.

If Dana can do it with the UFC’s biggest stars, what hope does a Matt Brown have?

Bald Man would destroy your career if you don’t take what he gives.

 

[Cartiac]

I'd be fine with an MMA union, but only if A lot of negotiating power is removed from fighters.

If they are to unionize they shouldn't get to be nearly as particular about who they fight. The promotion should have more weight in which match ups are made as long as union agrees the pay is fair.

no more of this I'm not fighting my friend bullshit. That's my only request if the union comes around. Steph Curry doesn't get to say, I'm not playing against my brother Seth. the schedule is made and you will adhere to it.

The first problem with any talk of fighters forming a union is it would be blatantly illegal. Fighters are independent contractors meaning they are their own businesses. Multiple business agreeing to work together against another business is a very clear violation of antitrust laws.

The kind of things you describe are a major reason for that since businesses already have very limited control over contractors. To even consider a fighter union, they would have to be converted to UFC employees first which would give UFC much more control than what you describe before any union negotiation even starts. The whole concept doesn't make any sense in the real world.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Reagan? Is.... is that you? I'm from the future and I have vital news! They figured it out, it was a trap!




That stuff trickling down was piss all along. Turns out when companies get big enough to buy and sell their competitors, the "laws" of the free market stop applying to them. When you have leverage you control the conversation, so all pay and benefits will be whatever you say they are. A competitor starts offering better? Just buy them, problem solved indeed.

you have a point

 

[RockyLockridge]

The first problem with any talk of fighters forming a union is it would be blatantly illegal. Fighters are independent contractors meaning they are their own businesses. Multiple business agreeing to work together against another business is a very clear violation of antitrust laws.

The kind of things you describe are a major reason for that since businesses already have very limited control over contractors. To even consider a fighter union, they would have to be converted to UFC employees first which would give UFC much more control than what you describe before any union negotiation even starts. The whole concept doesn't make any sense in the real world.

I guess that's true. If they aren't employees with a yearly salary, How can they organize?

 

[volcom5]

What is the UFC really doing with the large percentage of revenue they keep? They aren't putting on better shows, I can tell you that much. We still have regional talent in the premier organization and Dana seems to keep getting richer.

Dana is getting richer from gambling and power slap.

The UFC has so many working parts to allocate the money, not everything will go the fighters, hell Big Nog and C.Gadelha work for the UFC for South America, they scout and help regional unknown fighters get in, they also help with getting them situated stateside, I use them as a example as there is too many working parts other than just what you see on Saturday from your illegal stream? (I joke).

 

[Mike]

Fair enough, I just find it tiresome anytime I sign on there is always fighter pay threads & after reading a few posts it’s clear most don’t even care and just are using the threads as a release for their hate for the UFC or Dana White, while valid at times it’s just weird seeing people so passionate about fighter pay but yet go every which way they can to actually not suppprt them other than talking.

I've been coming here since 2007, you will feel like this about many topics at some point. God the Conor years alone lol.

Just saw your join date lol

 

[cshireman4]

It's a classic prisoner's dilemma. They are individual contract employees. The best outcome for the individual occurs when they all fight for higher pay together. The worst outcome occurs when they choose to fight for higher payer, but their fellow fighters don't join them. Since they can't trust/control what other fighters will do, they have to compromise and accept the terms as they are. A union is the only viable solution, but they can't even seem to all agree on that.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

What is the UFC really doing with the large percentage of revenue they keep? They aren't putting on better shows, I can tell you that much. We still have regional talent in the premier organization and Dana seems to keep getting richer.

Most of that is going to debt payments.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

You have absolutely no reason to believe this. They are making record profits and it seems incredibly unlikely that there is some benchmark in their record profit-making that would convince them to diminish their profits.

they are making record profits because they keep hiking up the price.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

yeah but dana gave up his owner ship of the UFC. He's just an employee now working for a salary. rather than realizing gains from the company.

Great point, true dat.

 

[jjjjjjjjjjohnny]

supply and demand bro. simple economics.

 

[BearVictim]

I usually agree with a lot of points Matt makes but this is idiotic Stockholm Syndrome and the type of attitude that ensures nothing changes

Squeaky wheels gets the grease.

 

[TerrorTimmy]

This is what bootlicking looks like, folks

 

[skylolow]

This isn't true. It's important for everyone to push for a less exploitative society everywhere they can.

There are some versions of capitalism that can benefit everyone and some that can't. There are some versions of capitalism where corporations have a duty to society and some places where they don't (and there are some places where societies seem to have a duty to corporations, which is the worst version, imo).

Your asking the wild hungry tiger to not attack you in the jungle and then asking the caged domesticated tiger to not attack you. Then are surprised when they both do. Even though the domesticated tiger shouldn't based on its history. But in the end they are tigers and will attack you.

Very few businesses in any society pay fairly to the point that most would agree they are doing it right and fairly from top to bottom. Personally, I can't think of one and I'm not talking about some rich dude opens some side business and takes a 50K salary and splits all the profits with the employees. That is an anomaly in the business world in any country.

Bigger the business usually the less fair it is and always will be. Is this right or wrong, I don't know. I own a business and I feel I pay my employees very well in this field compared to my competitors. Could I pay them more and still be profitable, with out a doubt. But at the end of the day I got to make sure the business is strong into the future and that is more important than any single employee or all the employees, including myself. I'm taking all the risk and need to be compensated for it all or it isn't worth my time and effort. I got 30 families counting on me to make the right decisions every day for the business so that business exists in the future.


We all say the fighters are getting screwed. But are they really in the business world???? If every burger place is paying $12 to $15/hr to flip burgers why would any burger place pay $20 dollars if they financially could easily afford to do so? McDonalds revenue is literally 25B a year and Burger King is like 2B. They both pay very similar to one another in each market. Does that make McDonalds more greedy??? On surface I guess yes, reality maybe not when you figure in all the cost of each business. Though I can tell you McDonalds franchises are usually more profitable than Burger King in each market. We can all agree the UFC pays more per a fighter than any other MMA org. so there is no reason for the UFC adjust how they do business. Fighters want more, then they have to fight for it. In the world of sports your dealing with very highly skilled individuals and there is only so many of them to go around. They can leverage against the big bad corporate enterprise much so more than the dude pressing a button on the assembly line.

Businesses thrive when they make big profits. Making 10% profit or just getting by they struggle(like many small businesses). Big profits is what allows the business to expand and grow and continue to employ people.

 

[D4C]

Entry level contracts are like a trainee period: you fight few times and either make it or get cut. The fighters get more money if they actually succeed, and mid level UFC guys make quite a good money compared to other MMA orgs. But still, as I have said before, the entry level contract should be around 20/20 in the current economy. Low enough to keep entry level guys hungry for glory but high enough to cover your expenses if you fight three times a year. AND I think fighting 3 times a year should be the expected number for all aspiring fighters.

And have a base pay for finishing your opponent. Like 10k for a submission, 10k for a tko and 20k for a KO. This is the thing that would make the fights more exciting.