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

[RightToBareKnuckles]

I'm not taking either side, just asking a question...

I know the weight limit is contracted, what do the contracts say specifically about a missed weight scenario? Does it get into the purse fines and the opponent's rights to pull out at all, or are those controlled somewhere outside the contract, like by the commission?

So many guys don't pull out of fights when their opponent misses weight, has me wondering what the verbiage is.

That's what I was wondering. It seems it would save the UFC some headaches if all the fighters' contracts said either "if you're opponent doesn't make weight, but you do, we still pay your show money" or " you only get paid show money for fighting"

 

[markg171]

Too many fighters use coming with those extra few pounds as a way to gain an unfair advantage.

And the UFC has allowed it without consequence.

That needs to stop.

A few pounds doesn't seem like much but it can be massive, especially in an otherwise close fight.

I understand wanting him to take the fight regardless but I also think there needs to be a precedent set against this kind of behaviour as well.

This is already covered by the fact that the commissions will take 20-30% of your purse for failing to make weight and give it to your opponent (if the bout continues). People are already incentivised to make weight and continue with fights when your opponent doesn't.

The real issue here that nobody wants to talk about is that, as Wonderboy himself said, at his age and ranking he simply didn't want to risk those against such a lower ranked guy like Pereira as the bout really ultimately does nothing for him. I'm pretty sure he's also fairly well off so doesn't need 20% of Pereira's much smaller purse. He didn't have any real reason to continue with the bout so simply didn't.

Which is also why he went through with the Till fight back in the day despite Till missing weight. Make meaningful fights, not just fun ones like this was.

 

[goOb]

I feel bad that Thompson might not get paid. He had a camp, flew out to Vegas, did all the pre-fight media requirements and made weight. Honestly, he should be paid, glad things are still in talks.

 

[Kenny Powerth]

What is there to talk about? Pay him.

 

[markg171]

Say you’re an architect and you’re hired to design and oversee the construction of a building. The client separately hires a building crew. You spend months designing and planning. Then when building day comes, the building crew comes unprepared and is unable to procure the proper equipment or materials so now the building can’t be built.

According to your logic, the client is right to not pay you anything for the work you’ve done since the project wasn’t ultimately completed due to no fault of your own.

Stop throwing up these strawmen that have absolutely nothing to do with the actual contracts involved here where payment is for the bout itself.

They have nothing to do with one another and it's just wildly dishonest to pretend like we all don't know this and it's just some complete mystery how fighters have always been paid in combat sports.

Take it up with the contracts and what's legally owed by both parties. Stop trying to tug at peoples heart strings. Nobody says it doesn't suck. They're just correctly pointing out it's totally irrelevant.

 

[Motivated BJ Penn]

That would be fluids emitted toward Dana's face, wonders if the opposite effect from Dana body happens for those posting as above.

You fuck with the Baldfather and you pay the ultimate price

 

[markg171]

That's what I was wondering. It seems it would save the UFC some headaches if all the fighters' contracts said either "if you're opponent doesn't make weight, but you do, we still pay your show money" or " you only get paid show money for fighting"

In places like Nevada where the UFC's based the contracts, bout agreements, and legislation all say the fighters get paid their purse for completion of the bout. It'll of course possibly vary state to state somewhat, but Nevada's the gold standard and general basis for most things combat related.

There's no mystery, the fight (generally) has to happen. People just don't like that and want to force the UFC to pay out of the goodness of their hearts something they never agreed to or are legally obligated to.

 

[Chomsky Honk]

I don't care about the specifics Stephen Thompson is and has always been a phenomenal example of a fighter in and out of the cage just give the man his goddamn money.

 

[Ace70 V2]

Did the commission stop the fight or did Stephen refuse after the weight miss?

 

[The Bloody Nine]

What is there to talk about? Pay him.

Why? He didn't fight. Compensate him for his expenses because it wasn't his fault, but he didn't fight.

 

[Aurelian]

Too many fighters use coming with those extra few pounds as a way to gain an unfair advantage.

And the UFC has allowed it without consequence.

That needs to stop.

A few pounds doesn't seem like much but it can be massive, especially in an otherwise close fight.

I understand wanting him to take the fight regardless but I also think there needs to be a precedent set against this kind of behaviour as well.

They do get a piece of their opponents purse so it's not a total loss to fight them. I could see this not being ideal though if your opponent is making peanuts compared to what you make which could be true in this case and it not being worth it. Perhaps they should also start taking a point away before the fight happens.

 

[xn7]

You don't need to be a lawyer to read that or shit like this from Nevada's bout agreement:

View attachment 994115

Or Nevada's legislation:

NRS 467.030, 467.120)
1.  All payment of purses must be made:
(a) Immediately after the contest or exhibition; or

To see that the purses are owed for and only after the fight occurs. Not beforehand.

This fight was in Utah so depends what their specific rules are, but the standard for purses isn't that you made weight but rather that you actually fought the bout.

Well, more shit to fix in contracts. The bout contract is in Utah isn't it? Not Vegas. Example of a boxing contract in NY " PROMOTER agrees that if the subject bout is cancelled without BOXER’s consent due to no fault of BOXER or BOXER’s agents and so long as BOXER is ready, willing and able to participate in the scheduled bout at the time of such cancellation, as determined by the Commission, BOXER shall be paid by PROMOTER no less than fifty (50%) percent of the agreed upon compensation, unless otherwise directed or authorized by the Commission, pursuant to 19 NYCRR §209.11."

 

[mudrubble]

No do my pipes, no get my money

Sherdog stays obsessed with call girls and prostitutes. What would Jesus say?

 

[mjoln]

Contract should solve issues like this.

 

[Superior]

He should get a win bonus too!

 

[sdpdude9]

Stop throwing up these strawmen that have absolutely nothing to do with the actual contracts involved here where payment is for the bout itself.

They have nothing to do with one another and it's just wildly dishonest to pretend like we all don't know this and it's just some complete mystery how fighters have always been paid in combat sports.

Take it up with the contracts and what's legally owed by both parties. Stop trying to tug at peoples heart strings. Nobody says it doesn't suck. They're just correctly pointing out it's totally irrelevant.

See you’re having a completely different discussion than I am. You’re talking about legality and contracts. I don’t dispute that and never made that point.

My point was merely when your contracted worker fulfills their end of the agreement up until the point where it they unable to fully complete the job due to another contracted worker’s negligence, the employer should still compensate them. And I think it’s scummy for the UFC to not do so, even though they are not obligated to.

There’s what’s legal (what you’re arguing) and what’s right (what I’m arguing). These are not arguments against each other; rather two totally different discussions.

 

[Dana's Conscience]

Yes, despite what Sherdog will have you believe but the UFC actually does occasionally do nice things sometimes for their fighters.

They don't have to pay them for that though. They only owe fighter's their purses once the fight starts.

Christy Mack said that War Machine would pamper her in the days following a beating while she recovered as a way to "make up" for it

 

[KazDibiase]

They should pay the man.



Remember how much is cost for a fighter to make it to the fight. Paying coaches, trainers, gym membership, equipment, nutrition plans, travel and hotel expenses etc. All that stuff usually comes out a fighter's pocket and he did all those things just for the fight to get cancelled. It's fucked up.

 

[Rizzo]

They threw a bone at him with favorable matchups and he spit in the face of Dana White. Now he will face the consequences...

threw him a bone as in giving him a guy who couldn’t make weight for the fight? Ok.

 

[mudrubble]

They've done that before for people. Wonderboy'z probably making 6 figures though, & so that's where it could get shady with the UFC.

And it might depend on what his manager and he said about this fight publicly and privately. UFC/Endeavour are not above being very petty. Might put WB on ice to teach him how to bow a bit better.