The Cuts: Sound Strategy or Potential to Backfire?

[Hellowhosthat]

Alot of aging vets on losing streaks way worse than Yoel's. BJ hadn't won in years, Pearson was never good, Big titty I don't think has fought since Blaydes made him famous, Okami was old and done, Branch was on a losing streak and got suspended if IIRC, Dollaway was done. I mean we I don't think any of those cuts were as significant as releasing a top 5 MW who just fought for a belt and had a FOY candidate before that. This isn't just business as usual lol

No, there's something weird about this release, but Yoel is 44 years old, which I think is the main reason behind it tbh.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

A few good signings in there in comparison to a hundred that "like to bang" and will fight for cheap. The content is getting worse.

I dunno, if I look at the signings in the last year it's not noticeably worse than signings from say four years ago. The exceptions being the ones they made as same week short notice covid replacements.

 

[Willy Knuckles]

No, there's something weird about this release, but Yoel is 44 years old, which I think is the main reason behind it tbh.

Dana could have responded with "We do this every year" he didn't though. Because these cuts will be more than usual with bigger names than usual. Until we see the cuts it's just speculation, but judging from what Dana said, we aren't going to get a bunch of CB Dollaways getting cut lol

 

[mkw]

I don't think they'll be huge names though. Probably people like Nik Lentz with maybe a Claudia Gadelha or maybe even a Woodley sprinkled in there.

They're not going to let anyone they think is a draw go I wouldn't think.

You're right in that we do need to hold off until we see who is actually included in these cuts.

Dana has been mentioning age so much lately that I think we will see a number of older guys who might still have name value among them. I think Cowboy will be one. Shogun. Not that these guys will break records elsewhere, but enough of them populating other cards could move the needle. Having said that, I do think the UFC brand is hard to compete with. There is huge inherent bias against "B" and "C" promotions.

 

[SKYNET]

The UFC can do whatever they want. I've said it before and I'll continue to say it, the UFC would be nearly perfect if they just left non WMMA fights off the PPV cards and Fight Night Mains.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Dana could have responded with "We do this every year" he didn't though. Because these cuts will be more than usual with bigger names than usual. Until we see the cuts it's just speculation, but judging from what Dana said, we aren't going to get a bunch of CB Dollaways getting cut lol

I think there's going to be some names but I predict it'll be people like Karolina, Villante, Lentz and people like that who will be the established ones that will go. People who are on good money but not really justifying it at the moment.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

You're right in that we do need to hold off until we see who is actually included in these cuts.

Dana has been mentioning age so much lately that I think we will see a number of older guys who might still have name value among them. I think Cowboy will be one. Shogun. Not that these guys will break records elsewhere, but enough of them populating other cards could move the needle. Having said that, I do think the UFC brand is hard to compete with. There is huge inherent bias against "B" and "C" promotions.

Yeah Shogun could well be one of them (would probably be for the best tbh)

I dunno if Cowboy will but I could see him, Pettis and Diego possibly being included.

Depends how their contracts work, I don't think they can just cut guys like that I think they have to come to an early termination agreement like they did with Yoel, Corey and Anderson..

 

[Willy Knuckles]

I think there's going to be some names but I predict it'll be people like Karolina, Villante, Lentz and people like that who will be the established ones that will go. People who are on good money but not really justifying it at the moment.

LOL nothing wrong with wishful thinking I guess. But judging from this first cut I think we'll see some pretty surprising names

 

[brackis1]

Not to mention if they spend millions in marketing to build cards around Romero and it is successful their investment will go down the toilet when Romero retires in 3-5 years.

lol @ this totally fraudulent concept that they'd just be pouring money exclusively into him, and that fights aren't a 2-party arrangement as part of selling entire cards and creating a legitimate totem pole of title contention.
The UFC does not pour millions into any of their fighters.

Dude was literally a top fighter for the last 10 years and never got that magically fantasy-world marketing money dump at any point. Because again: the UFC is gangrene carcass of faux sports entertainment.

 

[hedidhisownstunts]

Dana is flooding the UFC with cheap contracts and top talent is leaving. They are far from being able to claim they have the best fighters in the world. Their success will depend on whether people actually realize the level of MMA in the UFC isn't what is claimed.

please enjoy Romero vs Silva in Bellator while they make a pact to not hurt each other and get paid. I’ll be watching Israel Adesanya vs Jan.

 

[2004 account]

You're asking the wrong question, it's not about whether its a smart business move or not, it's about whether it's ethical and corrupt.

Listen, if your an adult over 40 and have lived enough in this life to experience the business and labor world change dramatically for the worse then this (the ufc unfair cuts) shouldnt come as a surprise. Ive been saying for years that the ufc, ever since its mafioso fertitta years and even moreso now that they are owned basically by illuminatti disney, that they have been using very unethical tactics to not only try to corner the market and monopolize the sport, but now they are eliminating the middle class so to speak (by firing its middle tier fighters) just like big business and the elite.

Back in the day we had many more unions defending the jobs of its employees. Nowadays these multi national coorporations have colluded with policy makers, have lobbied politicians and created oligarquies all over the world where the businesses get to create the laws that favor them over the interests of the people they should be serving.

As a result, a job position that many years ago came with great job stability, health insurance, paid vacations, severance pay and other benefits now has been reduced to a mere independant contractor status, where they can fire you at any time and you are basically disposable. The trend started with lower positions but as time goes by, even higher up important executive positions are going through this. Billion dollar multi national corporations are offering only independant freelance contracts to applicant for higher positions that normally would get the sweet deal/package. I personally know a c.e.o in this very predicament. He has no job security and is in an illegal 2 year wait and see situation in hopes he gets offered a permanent contract to become a permanent employee with the same benefits someone in his position shouldve been offered from the jump. The world is going to shit thanks to hyper agressive capitalism that puts profit over life and the whole system is rigged against you, the common man.

Its disgusting, and its part of the new world order to plan for the rich to eliminate their biggest threat, the prospering middle class (the only ones with the resources to fight them). If we are all reduced to poverty and lower class status, then we really cant fight them can we? We need the education, we need to know our enemy and then have the money to sue them and beat their expensive lawyers in courts on top of that in order to create change and end their corrupt stranglehold.

Dont you ever forget that the ufc is part of a complex network of corrupt elite world leaders that call the shots. Supporting them blindly is like supporting your governments' decision to make covid vaccination mandatory with jailtime as the consequence if you dont take it. That is what our future beholds.

I've been talking about this very same thing since 2009, but back then sherdog had ignorant mods that would ban you for mentioning this and members that would call you a conspiracy theorist for stating things that now have become very obvious. Fast forward to 2020 and exactly what i said is happening.

Now is the time for these fighters whose careers are in limbo and are afraid of getting cut to take to their social medias and start a campaign against the ufc citing discrimination and/or whatever legal base they might have to fight this in court in unison. The reality is that the pandemic is bringing in an entire world economic collapse and soon there wont even be any relevant mma competitor organizations left to even pick up any of these fighters. Many busineses are going bankrupt as we speak and mma is no exception...some lucky fighters might get signed by bellator who are owned by viacom, another big player in the elite world of big business, but they can pull the plug at any time during these shaky times and declare bankruptcy as well, and end operations.

Sad future incoming. Fighters revolt !!!!!

wake up people.

 

[brackis1]

You're asking the wrong question, it's not about whether its a smart business move or not, it's about whether it's ethical and corrupt.

Listen, if your an adult over 40 and have lived enough in this life to experience the business and labor world change dramatically for the worse then this (the ufc unfair cuts) shouldnt come as a surprise. Ive been saying for years that the ufc, ever since its mafioso fertitta years and even moreso now that they are owned basically by illuminatti disney, that they have been using very unethical tactics to not only try to corner the market and monopolize the sport, but now they are eliminating the middle class so to speak (by firing its middle tier fighters) just like big business and the elite.

Back in the day we had many more unions defending the jobs of its employees. Nowadays these multi national coorporations have colluded with policy makers, have lobbied politicians and created oligarquies all over the world where the businesses get to create the laws that favor them over the interests of the people they should be serving.

As a result, a job position that many years ago came with great job stability, health insurance, paid vacations, severance pay and other benefits now has been reduced to a mere independant contractor status, where they can fire you at any time and you are basically disposable. The trend started with lower positions but as time goes by, even higher up important executive positions are going through this. Billion dollar multi national corporations are offering only independant freelance contracts to applicant for higher positions that normally would get the sweet deal/package. I personally know a c.e.o in this very predicament. He has no job security and is in an illegal 2 year wait and see situation in hopes he gets offered a permanent contract to become a permanent employee with the same benefits someone in his position shouldve been offered from the jump. The world is going to shit thanks to hyper agressive capitalism that puts profit over life and the whole system is rigged against you, the common man.

Its disgusting, and its part of the new world order to plan for the rich to eliminate their biggest threat, the prospering middle class (the only ones with the resources to fight them). If we are all reduced to poverty and lower class status, then we really cant fight them can we? We need the education, we need to know our enemy and then have the money to sue them and beat their expensive lawyers in courts on top of that in order to create change and end their corrupt stranglehold.

Dont you ever forget that the ufc is part of a complex network of corrupt elite world leaders that call the shots. Supporting them blindly is like supporting your governments' decision to make covid vaccination mandatory with jailtime as the consequence if you dont take it. That is what our future beholds.

I've been talking about this very same thing since 2009, but back then sherdog had ignorant mods that would ban you for mentioning this and members that would call you a conspiracy theorist for stating things that now have become very obvious. Fast forward to 2020 and exactly what i said is happening.

Now is the time for these fighters whose careers are in limbo and are afraid of getting cut to take to their social medias and start a campaign against the ufc citing discrimination and/or whatever legal base they might have to fight this in court in unison. The reality is that the pandemic is bringing in an entire world economic collapse and soon there wont even be any relevant mma competitor organizations left to even pick up any of these fighters. Many busineses are going bankrupt as we speak and mma is no exception...some lucky fighters might get signed by bellator who are owned by viacom, another big player in the elite world of big business, but they can pull the plug at any time during these shaky times and declare bankruptcy as well, and end operations.

Sad future incoming. Fighters revolt !!!!!

wake up people.

You're a little over the top trying to go into the illuminati territory, but generally spot on with this being just another battleground for absurdly rich corporations to slows erode any chance of worker control or compensation to force-feed an inferior product on people.

It happens in almost every industry.

 

[Dreyga Hates You Sherbums]

lol @ this totally fraudulent concept that they'd just be pouring money exclusively into him, and that fights aren't a 2-party arrangement as part of selling entire cards and creating a legitimate totem pole of title contention.
The UFC does not pour millions into any of their fighters.

Dude was literally a top fighter for the last 10 years and never got that magically fantasy-world marketing money dump at any point. Because again: the UFC is gangrene carcass of faux sports entertainment.

What are you talking about?

Marketing is VERY EXPENSIVE....

How money do you think it takes to market an event? Buying airtime for commercials. Paying production crew for embedded's. Ad space across several social media platforms. Specific marketing campaigns for different regions.

 

[mkw]

Yeah Shogun could well be one of them (would probably be for the best tbh)

I dunno if Cowboy will but I could see him, Pettis and Diego possibly being included.

Depends how their contracts work, I don't think they can just cut guys like that I think they have to come to an early termination agreement like they did with Yoel, Corey and Anderson..

I think in general those would all be smart cuts, along with the other guys you mentioned. I'm not saying it's a bad thing that the UFC is doing by any means. I think cutting inflated contracts is wise. I am just wondering if another promotion could capitalize in case there are big names in there. And, likewise, I don't know the legal details of these contracts. I have heard that if the UFC "can't" provide the promised number of fights then they can release the fighter. I think the UFC benefits from their fighters' "independent contractor" status in this sense.

Also, the signings you mentioned earlier were all very very good. Khamzat is a prime example of a new star always being right around the corner. You can't hold on to old names forever. Gotta be proactive.

 

[brackis1]

What are you talking about?

Marketing is VERY EXPENSIVE....

How money do you think it takes to market an event? Buying airtime for commercials. Paying production crew for embedded's. Ad space across several social media platforms. Specific marketing campaigns for different regions.

LOL @ thinking I don't know about marketing. I literally have spent years working in event production/marketing for music and could control ad-spend on a half dozen different blue-checked artists (business is shitty right now lol; normally buying adverts for concerts). There is a huge difference between promoting an event or a contest, and building a brand around a fighter.

The UFC will be spending that same fucking money next week too, just promoting a contest between two shittier fighters. You are acting like the marketing machine goes away because they cut Romero.
You totally misread my point: Yoel Romero has never at any point been the desired champion to market to the world. Just like Jacare. You think the UFC brass 10 years ago was like "yo let's build this incredible stars that look goofy and cant speak english!?" Hell no lol

You still have to pay an editor in Adobe Premier and a production crew the same hourly rate for these scapegoat marketing expenses, whether the promo gets cut using footage of Yoel or Rachael Ostovich

 

[TITS]

Interesting that this massive UFC cut is happening now just a month or so after Bellator purged their roster, not to mention none of these other orgs being interested in Anderson either.

It was always believed that the "UFC won't cut [name a legend] because Bellator will snatch them up" but now that Coker said they're moving in a different direction, the older marquee fighters don't have that leverage (or value) anymore.

Dana is a shrewd bastard. He knows these other promotions can't afford these guys either, so letting them go isn't as risky anymore to "lose them to the competition" when the competition can't afford them either.

 

[Dreyga Hates You Sherbums]

You totally misread my point: Yoel Romero has never at any point been the desired champion to market to the world. Just like Jacare. You think the UFC brass 10 years ago was like "yo let's build this incredible stars that look goofy and cant speak english!?" Hell no lol

This is insane. They gave him FOUR TITLE SHOTS. The UFC wanted Yoel to be champion

 

[mkw]

You're asking the wrong question, it's not about whether its a smart business move or not, it's about whether it's ethical and corrupt.

Listen, if your an adult over 40 and have lived enough in this life to experience the business and labor world change dramatically for the worse then this (the ufc unfair cuts) shouldnt come as a surprise. Ive been saying for years that the ufc, ever since its mafioso fertitta years and even moreso now that they are owned basically by illuminatti disney, that they have been using very unethical tactics to not only try to corner the market and monopolize the sport, but now they are eliminating the middle class so to speak (by firing its middle tier fighters) just like big business and the elite.

Back in the day we had many more unions defending the jobs of its employees. Nowadays these multi national coorporations have colluded with policy makers, have lobbied politicians and created oligarquies all over the world where the businesses get to create the laws that favor them over the interests of the people they should be serving.

As a result, a job position that many years ago came with great job stability, health insurance, paid vacations, severance pay and other benefits now has been reduced to a mere independant contractor status, where they can fire you at any time and you are basically disposable. The trend started with lower positions but as time goes by, even higher up important executive positions are going through this. Billion dollar multi national corporations are offering only independant freelance contracts to applicant for higher positions that normally would get the sweet deal/package. I personally know a c.e.o in this very predicament. He has no job security and is in an illegal 2 year wait and see situation in hopes he gets offered a permanent contract to become a permanent employee with the same benefits someone in his position shouldve been offered from the jump. The world is going to shit thanks to hyper agressive capitalism that puts profit over life and the whole system is rigged against you, the common man.

Its disgusting, and its part of the new world order to plan for the rich to eliminate their biggest threat, the prospering middle class (the only ones with the resources to fight them). If we are all reduced to poverty and lower class status, then we really cant fight them can we? We need the education, we need to know our enemy and then have the money to sue them and beat their expensive lawyers in courts on top of that in order to create change and end their corrupt stranglehold.

Dont you ever forget that the ufc is part of a complex network of corrupt elite world leaders that call the shots. Supporting them blindly is like supporting your governments' decision to make covid vaccination mandatory with jailtime as the consequence if you dont take it. That is what our future beholds.

I've been talking about this very same thing since 2009, but back then sherdog had ignorant mods that would ban you for mentioning this and members that would call you a conspiracy theorist for stating things that now have become very obvious. Fast forward to 2020 and exactly what i said is happening.

Now is the time for these fighters whose careers are in limbo and are afraid of getting cut to take to their social medias and start a campaign against the ufc citing discrimination and/or whatever legal base they might have to fight this in court in unison. The reality is that the pandemic is bringing in an entire world economic collapse and soon there wont even be any relevant mma competitor organizations left to even pick up any of these fighters. Many busineses are going bankrupt as we speak and mma is no exception...some lucky fighters might get signed by bellator who are owned by viacom, another big player in the elite world of big business, but they can pull the plug at any time during these shaky times and declare bankruptcy as well, and end operations.

Sad future incoming. Fighters revolt !!!!!

wake up people.

I don't think anybody would argue that the UFC is an ethically minded company haha. It's kind of a moot point.

However, if there are policy changes regarding the erroneous independent contractor status of MMA fighters and pro wrestlers, we could see some of the changes you're asking for start to develop. And there is a connection here, I believe, in terms of the UFC's new business strategy which I outlined.

As a promotion, the UFC doesn't want to go to a boxing model. The PI model can work for both the current system and a potential future unionized system. I could definitely imagine a UFC fueled by "employee" fighters grown out of the PI farms.

 

[2004 account]

You're a little over the top trying to go into the illuminati territory, but generally spot on with this being just another battleground for absurdly rich corporations to slows erode any chance of worker control or compensation to force-feed an inferior product on people.

It happens in almost every industry.

No doubt the word illuminati has been charged up to trigger the close minded and ignorant pseudo de bunkers and shills out there but all I can say is, if you gave me the benefit of the doubt and agreed with the huge majority or my argument, then just try to trust me on that last part. They do exist, and that's how the world works my friend. I've done the research, I'm not one of these casual just bleed mma sherdoggers that think they know the truth (there's a lot of those around here). I've mingled with knowledgable elders that have imparted great knowledge upon me because they have studied the elite's moves their whole lives.

They were able to draw out the big picture for me and others. Plus it's 2020, real life feels like a bad movie right now... It's not the time to maintain a closed mind right now and just trust what governments tell us. I trust you'll figure it out for yourself one day, don't take mine nor anyone's word for it. The truth is out there you just gotta look for it and always remember, truth is not absolute, its maleable and can actually change depending on what new info we the masses discover on a daily basis thanks to the elite revealing their true intentions now that we are in the last phase.

 

[brackis1]

This is insane. They gave him FOUR TITLE SHOTS. The UFC wanted Yoel to be champion

lol what?
The dude had to win 8 in a row in the UFC, including an almost unheard of four straight in the top SIX (6. Kennedy, 4. Machida, Jacare 3, Weidman 2) before getting his first interim title shot at age 40. Can you find a single case of someone having to win against almost the entire Top5 before getting a shot? You can't lol. Hell even the initially-hated-by-UFC Machida got a shot off a Thiago Silva KO.

This is like claiming the UFC wanted Khabib to be champ when they signed him <45>
The guy was the talk of MMA in his 4th fight and Strikeforce immediately put him against a Top 10 guy, but yeah keep pretending him and Chimaev are on similar trajectories....