Why do fighters get to turn down opponents?

LiverpoolUFC**

LiverpoolUFC**

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I understand a fighter saying: "I only just fought, I'm not ready to fight again etc" but for a guy to blatantly say "No, I'm not fighting him" or something along those lines seems pretty odd to me. I thought they should just fight whoever is put in front of them.

Jones just said he doesn't want to fight Gus and prefers DC. What is it with this? Why is it allowed?
 
1. He's the champ, and they usually seem to get some input.
2. He hasn't re-signed yet, and thus has a little leverage.
 
If you have the leverage, use it. This is the fight business after all.
 
Many reasons. Sometimes the opponent isn't a ''name'' fighter, so there really isn't anything in it for them.

Not saying this is the case with jones.
 
You complain about fighter pay but then tear them apart when they're looking out for their own best interests.

That could be anything from money/health/career longevity.

Jones has fought a lot the past couple of years.
If he wants to take a break/time off (like GSP takes months) let him.
It's not like he's choosing an easy fight in DC if it happens.
 
I don't think you can force someone to accept a fight, even if they are under a "number of fights" contract.

Because of the training period required, the fact that it's a combat sport with risk of injury etc.. you can't force someone to do it if they don't want to. The "5 fight contract" or whatever is basically one of exclusivity rather than being able to force someone to fight 5 times.

But what you can do is offer them fights and if they continually turn them down you can cut them or sideline them or take away the belt etc. Im sure the specifics are written into each contract.
 
Juventud said:
It's not like he's choosing an easy fight in DC if it happens.
Click to expand...

This is a fantastic point. There are quite a few people, myself included, who think DC may be a harder fight for Jones than a rematch with Gus. But either way, it's not as if Jones is exactly asking for a cushy matchup.
 
independent contractors.

they aren't employees. they first sign a contract with a promotional company for x amount of fights. the time and opponent in those fights is a whole different contract, and often, negotiation.

again, it's not the boss employee model. the contractor/contractee have every right to pursue an agreement with an much benefit to themselves as they can get
 
Juventud said:
You complain about fighter pay but then tear them apart when they're looking out for their own best interests.

That could be anything from money/health/career longevity.

Jones has fought a lot the past couple of years.
If he wants to take a break/time off (like GSP takes months) let him.
It's not like he's choosing an easy fight in DC if it happens.
Click to expand...

When have I ever complained about fighter pay you chicken shit?
 
JJ is the last "star", cash-cow, that UFC has left. he realizes it and he plays the game.
it is really sickening that a champion behaves this way.
 
When there's a title on the line, the champ shouldn't have that much say in who he faces, it's not his decision to deny a fighter the right to fight for the title. Sure he can say he's undeserving but he should never be able to flat out turn down an opponent.

Just look at Barao. Fighting all challengers, big or small names, and he just lost to a relative no body, but is looking to come back better than ever.

Guys getting to cherry pick fights in appalling imo. And yeah, who's to say DC isn't gonna be tougher than Gus vs JOnes, but Jones thinks he's the easier fight, and is allowed to pick what he considers the easier match up for him. Imagine if Shogun said way back when: "I don't think this Jones is a big enough guy for me to fight" Not saying it would have delayed Jones' leap to stardom by much, but it could have been a fair point to make, considering the current state and attitude towards match making.
 
LiverpoolUFC said:
I understand a fighter saying: "I only just fought, I'm not ready to fight again etc" but for a guy to blatantly say "No, I'm not fighting him" or something along those lines seems pretty odd to me. I thought they should just fight whoever is put in front of them.

Jones just said he doesn't want to fight Gus and prefers DC. What is it with this? Why is it allowed?
Click to expand...
The ufc can't force their fighters to fight, so if a fighter doesn't want a specific fight he could just refuse to sign.

If that happens the UFC have a couple of ways of dealing with it. When it comes to "ordinary" fighters they usually just let them have their way and offer them a different opponent, but they could also just tell the fighter that they won't offer any other fight.

When it comes to champions it's a bit different since the champ kinda has to fight who ever the UFC considers to be the #1 contender. If the champ refuses to fight the UFC could just strip him of the belt.
 
Fighters get say in who they fight, champions included. The UFC can't force anyone to take a fight they don't want to.
 
do you complain when fighters call out other fighters, especially the champ in their division? cause that's cherry picking as well. the challenger wants the most beneficial fight for them, that would be the big names and champs, not the unheralded. i dont see any other fighters rushing to fight opponents they've already beaten.
 
Because they only option they have is to cut them.

They need to get lawyers to work something in the contract that penalizes the fighters for turning down fights. They have "Right of Refusal" but every refusal should cost them a part of PPV % or win pay. Video game style....maybe you get 5 M to fight a monster #1 contender but only 3 M to fight the #4 guy.
 
Rampage_Jackson said:
Fighters get say in who they fight, champions included. The UFC can't force anyone to take a fight they don't want to.
Click to expand...
That is true, but the UFC can strip a champion of the title if they don't fight.
 
MontrealMauler said:
Because they only option they have is to cut them.

They need to get lawyers to work something in the contract that penalizes the fighters for turning down fights. They have "Right of Refusal" but every refusal should cost them a part of PPV % or win pay. Video game style....maybe you get 5 M to fight a monster #1 contender but only 3 M to fight the #4 guy.
Click to expand...
They have the right to refuse a fight, but the UFC doesn't need to offer them a new one. They could just say "take it or leave it".
 
Its poor when its the champ. I have no problem with it though if its not the champ. Hioki turning down the Aldo fight because he didnt feel ready for it, perfectly acceptable for me
 
Jones JUST BEAT Gus...beating him again does nothing for him and then Gus is stuck in Faber limbo!
 
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