Why doesn't the UFC offer health insurance?

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UFC covers medical expenses from a fight and do have an insurance that covers training related injuries.
 
Because the fighters aren't smart enough to organize and collectively bargain.


This is so true for the explanation of lack of benefits given.

But on the flip-side. If you are a “high-profile” fighter that draws attention and also has a lifelong of elite skills to back up the package, why would you help bargain for under skilled scrubs that feel like they are deserving? Especially when it could just cost you some of your money as salaries would more or less equal out to a more “standard” pay scale. That means less talented fighters would get paid more for doing less.

Im not sure unionizing is the best for all fighters. It really only helps the “who da fooks” of the roster and those people need to get out and get known.
 
Fighters are guaranteed to get hurt badly after a fight, so no insurance company would want to make the contract. It's the reason why there are no insurance for stock market.
Is boxing the same? My guess is that it is, just wondering if they would have the same stories, the pay at the lower level is also peanuts just like the UFC or worst.
 
They do have health insurance, they have had it for a while now. They just don't have insurance I believe once you're retired. Just like every other sport. But let's just shit on the UFC, just because it's so easy.
 
I see what you are saying but this is worse.

Spencer has dementia at 44 this is directly due to the damage he incurred while fighting for the UFC
Spencer Fisher had 33 professional fights, about 17 of them in the UFC, you cant prove his UFC fights were the direct cause of his condition. It could have been from his earlier fights, from his sparring, or a cumulation of everything
There is no way to hold the UFC liable with just a theory
 
Spencer Fisher had 33 professional fights, about 17 of them in the UFC, you cant prove his UFC fights were the direct cause of his condition. It could have been from his earlier fights, from his sparring, or a cumulation of everything
There is no way to hold the UFC liable with just a theory
That's true.

Idk what can be done for spencer. The least dana can do is give some below the table bonuses or something.
 
This is so true for the explanation of lack of benefits given.

But on the flip-side. If you are a “high-profile” fighter that draws attention and also has a lifelong of elite skills to back up the package, why would you help bargain for under skilled scrubs that feel like they are deserving? Especially when it could just cost you some of your money as salaries would more or less equal out to a more “standard” pay scale. That means less talented fighters would get paid more for doing less.

Im not sure unionizing is the best for all fighters. It really only helps the “who da fooks” of the roster and those people need to get out and get known.

The top athletes in other sports were somehow able to understand it was to their benefit, too. When the lower paid guys' salaries increase, so do the guys at the top. A mid-tier fighter is suddenly getting a raise and his pay will be close to a top name's, you don't think that top name is going to want a raise, too?
 
Dana's idol is Vince McMahon.

Dana is really good at selling a pro wrestling product/business to people who don't want to admit it's pro wrestling.
 
Most folks here want to shit on Dana and the UFC, but it’s the sport we follow that is doing this. Dana is pretty generous. If you are not prepared to see fighters get CTE, maybe this is not your sport.
 
The top athletes in other sports were somehow able to understand it was to their benefit, too. When the lower paid guys' salaries increase, so do the guys at the top. A mid-tier fighter is suddenly getting a raise and his pay will be close to a top name's, you don't think that top name is going to want a raise, too?

Ok, NFL, MLB, and NBA. Lets just name the big three. Most of the athletes came up through a life-long dedication to the sport. Became successful at it not only scholastically but when it counted. Most of them get filtered through college. Only the best will finish a college career with enough game time to be selected to the pro’s. Essentially they have walked a similar path in life honing the way to a professional life in sports. I can see why the top guys DID help fight to improve everyones well-being.


Now you take combat sports. Where anybodies drunk uncle can pick up a pro mma bout right off the couch, literally at any regional show as they are always scrambling for an opponent. Especially a can. You cant hold this sport anywhere equal to the amount if dedication it takes to make it in the top paying sports.

Boxers wont do it. I wonder why. You how many joker level “pro-boxers” are out there? They dont all deserve an equal pay scale. You really are only worth what you are worth. And a prime ticket seller will always be catered to over anybody with real talent.

Soccer moms out there with only 3yrs experience crying about fighter pay, gtfo.
 
Given the nature of the job, the insurance cost would probably be outrageous.
 
Dana's idol is Vince McMahon.

Dana is really good at selling a pro wrestling product/business to people who don't want to admit it's pro wrestling.

Real pro wrestling fuck yeah
 
Fighters are guaranteed to get hurt badly after a fight, so no insurance company would want to make the contract. It's the reason why there are no insurance for stock market.
There is insurance but you got to know what you are doing. Alas this is one area sherbros aren't good in compared to the avg population.
 
They do, but like any company they don't cover you after you leave. NFL is the only org I'm aware of that provides post employment coverage and that was a recent change due to CTE and I'm not sure the details like if they cover any and all injury related issues.
The NFL pension plan was funded at 55.9 percent in April 2014. This is a low funding ratio, but there’s a good reason for it. Following the lock-out in 2011 and the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the NFL Players’ Association fought for an increase in pension benefits for retired players. This took the plan down to a funded status of 48 percent in 2013, but the NFL has agreed to commit $620 million over ten years to reach full funding by 2021. The latest available data indicates the plan is funded at 89 percent as of 2018.

The NFL is not the only professional sports league with a defined benefit pension plan for its retired players. MLB, the NBA, and the NHL all offer pension plans to players. Baseball’s is the oldest with its plan existing since 1947; it is also consistently well-funded at 80 percent. The NHL’s is the newest, started in 2012, and also extremely well-funded at 144 percent. Finally, the NBA’s pension plan is funded at 53 percent and NBA teams are contributing more to bring the funded status up to 80 percent.

NBA players have one of the most generous pension plans out of all professional sports. They are vested into their pension plans after playing at least three seasons in the league. The average benefit in 2016 for a player who retires at the age of 50 is $38,000 per year—not a bad retirement for a three-year career.1 A 10 year veteran can gross $102,000.

But that's not all. NBA players are also eligible to participate in a league-sponsored 401(k). Do you think your 401(k) plan is good with a 50% matching policy? The NBA matches a player's contributions up to 140%.

The NFL could stand for "Not For Long," with the average career lasting only three years.4 But that's just enough time to qualify for the league's pension plan. The league's plan is based on years of service in the league. A player with a minimum of three years of play reportedly receives an annual pension check of $21,360 at retirement. On average, retired players receive an annual pension check of about $43,000 in 2014.

Players who retired in the 1980s and 1990s reportedly receive anywhere from $3,000 to $5,640 per month for every season played in the NFL. Newly retired players since 1998 receive $5,640 each month for every year of service. Players with 3 years of service receive an additional retirement bonus in the form of an annuity.

Players are eligible to receive their full benefits at the age of 55.5 While the pension plan is much worse than other sports, the NFL does offer a generous 401(k) plan. The league matches every player's contribution by as much as 200%.

Major League Baseball has the best pension program of all professional sports. A big-league player needs a short amount of time—just 43 days of service—to qualify for a pension benefit. Forty-three days of service can guarantee an MLB player almost $9,000 per year pension benefit. One day on an active roster qualifies a player for full comprehensive medical benefits.

Major league baseball players become fully vested in their pensions after one day of service if they retired after April 1, 1980. It is not uncommon for retired baseball players with over 10 years of service to receive over $100,000 annually upon reaching the age of 62. Baseball has the most well-funded pension program with estimates valuing the plan at over 2 billion dollars.

NHL players can start withdrawing their pension benefits at the age of 45, and become fully vested as soon as they play at least 20 games. NHL pensions require that a player be active for at least 800 games to qualify for the maximum pension benefit. Players with less than 800 games of service receive a prorated amount, and players with 800 games or more of service receive the maximum pension under U.S. law, which in 2020 is $285,000 annually.
 
it the same reason boxer dont get it. it also said that once you not a nfl player players say they cant get insureance cause there high risk for companies or there rates are so high they cant afford it.

i know a boxer named daniel franco who almost died in the ring an his promoter didnt help with bills.
Isn't that illegal? I mean, there is or was a big deal about "preexisting conditions."

But there are indeed issues. Insurance companies are afraid to deal with the NFL, as well as hockey and soccer, due to CTE. They are afraid to be stuck with huge costs in case CTE or something else blows up.
"Last spring, the Maricopa County Community Colleges in Arizona, citing costs and potential liability, announced that they were eliminating football at four schools, including a three-time junior college national champion. A task force concluded that the teams, consisting of 358 players, accounted for nearly one-third of all insurance costs for the district's 200,000 students."
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/nfl-football-threat-evaporating-insurance-market/story?id=60446104
 
This is so true for the explanation of lack of benefits given.

But on the flip-side. If you are a “high-profile” fighter that draws attention and also has a lifelong of elite skills to back up the package, why would you help bargain for under skilled scrubs that feel like they are deserving? Especially when it could just cost you some of your money as salaries would more or less equal out to a more “standard” pay scale. That means less talented fighters would get paid more for doing less.

Im not sure unionizing is the best for all fighters. It really only helps the “who da fooks” of the roster and those people need to get out and get known.
You can say the same about all sports. But if the idea with unions only was about getting the biggest stars more money, there wouldn't be any unions.
 
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