Media Stephen Thompson admits he will be "disappointed" if the UFC does not pay him for UFC 291

markg171 said:
I doubt it's changed much since Eddie's original contract was made public due to the Bellator lawsuit, but the specific language there about that was simply that Zuffa agreed to pay you within 24 hours of the bout's completion.

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But the point is that yes, the bout has to actually start.
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This is majority correct.

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Going to expand on this ... for some other readers.

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Signed to fight for approx ....$156,000
($140,000 to show, $16,000 fight week incentive pay)

Sherdog, wonderboy is OWED only $16,000 currently.
His annual pay for rejecting fights is higher than $16,000 and less than $140,000.
WB manager is negotiating for more than the "fight rejected" amount.
WB will be paid again when rescheduled.

Any readers... do the math.

$16,000 fight week incentive pay + annual payout for not fighting (negotiated prior, different for each fighter)
Let's call annual payout, $50,000 - 60,000. Heard much less, heard much higher. Depending on the fighter.
Now, the UFC rebooks WB vs whoever...

156,000 ($140,000 to show, $16,000 fight week incentive pay)
Steph stands to make (156 + annual 50 + this 16) .... $222,000 in the span of a few months.
This is MORE than his long term contract amount annually. So ... they negotiate.

Technically, the UFC will spread this out.
Either Thompson will get paid and put aside into the next year.
Logical business.

Or

They re-book him to avoid "not accepting the fight" payout,
and they pay his owed $16 plus a percentage, Based on the number for days between "fights".
THIS FIGHT NEVER HAPPENED... so... DEC 3rd 2022 was his last show date.

Who wants to BET the UFC books Thompson immediately (deal reached)
or ...stall finding opponent until AFTER dec 3rd (deal reached).

Us fans will only know WHICH payout happened... based on the "turn around" of Wonderboy.
He said, it isn't about the money. That is 100% true for him. Respect.
The UFC though ... seems clear cut. They are a scumbag business and this is how this will play out,
as it ALWAYS does.
If wonderboy says too much, they will cut him or punish him.
He said "i would be disappointed if the ufc didn't pay me" ... but doesn't say for what or how much,
nor does he BASH the ufc or dana.

He stood his ground and it is 50/50 if they "appreciate" WB turning down the fight.

He was in good standing for making weight, but the "promotion" did "promote" a fight that didn't happen.
People can legit get refunds for this.

There is a lot for fans to unpack to begin to understand.

Still, fuck the ufc, fuck the fatties, weight cutting is the source of this problem.

Only solution... day of weigh in.

You can't follow through with the promotion / fight because of weight,
then payout is affected. Same as now.
If 5 LBS over ... well ... fine him $50,000 every LB the guy is over.
NOBODY CAN AFFORD THAT. $100 grand fine per 2lbs over.
Until these guys cannot afford to cut weight and fight in their division,
it's a bunch of fatties trying to play skinner, but showing up later fat again.
The whole ULTIMATE WEIGHT CUT CHALLENGE is truly why each division is utter trash.

Wonderboy made a valuable point to his defense,
the other guy KNEW he wasn't making weight.
Khazmat did the same thing (coming in over-weight) and screwed the entire card up.
He got benched because of his own decisions.
Holland got treated well in taking the loss, and Diaz LEFT THE UFC.
Says a lot about where Thompson's head is at.
We JUST saw this stuff pan out, AND ... Thompson openly said "never again".

Respect to Thompson for speaking up. Not taking the fight over 2lbs was a bummer,
but his reasoning is perfectly acceptable in this case. It wasn't about money.
 
D 1 Wrestler said:
No I mean language that states, "you will receive your show money upon setting foot in cage, if for any reason you are unable to do so, you will not receive your show money. Show pay may be received at the discretion of the UFC depending on the circumstances for inability to enter the cage"
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In that instance a frustration would still give rise to a suit, especially where it occurred due to negligence (weight miss would constitute, injury withdrawal would not)

Its the breach of contract that gives rise to claim for damages, so whether the sum is payable at the time of frustration like you've drafted is irrelevant, as the injured party has the expectation of payment had the contract not been frustrated which is key.

Its hard to explain in laymans in a sherdog post. Fighter A wants to fight and contractually will be paid if he fights. Fighter A's ability to fight is adversely effected by Fighter B (weight miss) which frustrates performance of contract. Fighter A can sue Fighter B (and promoter who underwrites the contract) for loss of income otherwise earned.

There's a proximity test to any suit, so weigh in is a strong trigger point. Fighter A is at the scheduled event on weight (event has effectively commenced from that point). He has also incurred a fixed outlay (camp, travel, accom etc)

UFC typically pays fighters who make weight. I would imagine there's either a promoter indemnity to the offending fighter or else some vicarious liability exposure in tort, but regardless the offending fighter never appears to be in the mix. I'd lean to the indemnity bit, since it adds some financial protection to what are effectively sole traders

Its also likely UFC (or realistically their insurers, they are a billion dollar org and have risk transfer mechanisms) agree a settlement with fighter A, lets say 60% of claimed sum. Its easier for fighter A to take the contribution than lawyer up and wait 3 yrs to be paid, while getting blackballed in the meantime.

Even if there was some contractual piece that prohibited a suit, you've pretty seismic roadblocks of 1) onerous terms ( I alluded to this earlier, pretty categoric in contract law) and 2) precedent. Any historic similar payments would create an estoppel to override the contract wording.

I've been settling contractual casualty and fin pro cases for about 20 yrs
 
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He probably woild have got a brown envelope had he shut up.. or maybe not as UFC is not like that.
 
BangBang said:
He probably woild have got a brown envelope had he shut up.. or maybe not as UFC is not like that.
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Could've got this 15 years ago, but these days... (since the sale and the more recent merger),
it is more dangerous to "pay off" fighters in the back room.
WWE took a hit once for steroids, which is laughable considering wrestling is fake anyway.
They had to step up their back room game after the creation of Dark Side of the Ring.

Doesn't surprise anyone Dana was absent / on vacation, when this all went down.
By next week Dana will have pointed out "when has the UFC NOT paid Wonderboy? EVER ?"
They love wonderboy, and he will be fine.

His option now is ... step in on short notice, or get bumped until after dec 2nd 2023.
He is getting paid for this circumstance ... either way. The AMOUNT ... is the negotiation.
 
CasualBot said:
Could've got this 15 years ago, but these days... (since the sale and the more recent merger),
it is more dangerous to "pay off" fighters in the back room.
WWE took a hit once for steroids, which is laughable considering wrestling is fake anyway.
They had to step up their back room game after the creation of Dark Side of the Ring.

Doesn't surprise anyone Dana was absent / on vacation, when this all went down.
By next week Dana will have pointed out "when has the UFC NOT paid Wonderboy? EVER ?"
They love wonderboy, and he will be fine.

His option now is ... step in on short notice, or get bumped until after dec 2nd 2023.
He is getting paid for this circumstance ... either way. The AMOUNT ... is the negotiation.
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I like this!
 
markg171 said:
Ready to fight is not actually fighting.

I have no idea why so many of you are struggling with this unless you're just lying. You can feel bad about the situation without moving the goalposts.
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No shit. But if only one person shows up ready to fight, you can't have the agreed upon fight. He either did, or was prepared to do, everything he agreed to do. He fulfilled his part of the deal in good faith.
 
ChimRichalds said:
How the shit do you connect Wonderboys weight cut to socialism?
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sorry, i forgot people with iqs no higher than 10 exist. I will try to dumb this down enough for people like you to understand.

- this guy i was responding to was saying that the UFC needs to do something about fighters having to cut so much weight to compete.
- i think he was saying something like, it is dangerous for fighters to have to cut so much weight and its not fair for them.
- this guy completely neglected to mention or even consider the fact that UFC has nothing to do this and the fighters themselves are the people choosing to cut the weight.
- it baffles me how you guys blame the UFC for weight cuts when the UFC has never forced anyone to cut weight.
- The only weight related things i ever saw the UFC force IS FORCING FIGHTERS TO GO UP A WEIGHT CLASS.

The fact that this guy thinks Wonderboy is entitled to a paycheck after turning down a fight and the fact that this guy blames the UFC (instead of the fighters) for extreme weight cuts, makes me feel like this guy is probably a crazy socialist.


are you the person who i made the original reply to?
 
So did the UFC paid him or not? Its been a week, my guess is they did not, they only do it if the AC calls for it.
 
disappointed stephen thompson new mythical fighter if he comes out next fight and just destroys
 
Paul E Gensinger said:
Drive to work. I have my lunchbox. I'm even wearing my uniform.
The door is locked and I go home.
Can I still get paid?
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Um, yeah. I get paid if they make a scheduling error and I do that, even if there's no work for me because it wasn't my mistake and I showed up.

Sorry you get cucked at your job. I get paid if my time and effort is wasted.
 
deviake said:
Um, yeah. I get paid if they make a scheduling error and I do that, even if there's no work for me because it wasn't my mistake and I showed up.

Sorry you get cucked at your job. I get paid if my time and effort is wasted.
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I wish I had a job with cuck.
 
Nathan LaMontagne said:
No, it's showing up and making weight.

If his opponent doesn't do the same it's not on him.

The whole culture surrounding massive weight cuts bothers the fuck out of me and needs to be redone.
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If they don't pay him it is going to make even harder to say no when your opponent misses weight. Unfair pressure and no level playing field.
 
Here's a solution: have Thompson fight Rakhmonov in 293 or 294
 
WB who openly ducks people who pose a wrestling threat to him or are lesser names.
 
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