Zuffa is Just Acting like an Employer; Jon Fitch is Just Acting Stupid
Posted by MMA Curmudgeon on November 20th, 2008
I hope those fictional royalties from a theoretical video game really pay off for Mr. Fitch. They’d have to be significant to make his decision to refuse to sign his latest UFC contract make a lick of sense. Let’s make it clear what is really happening here (online talk of “monopolies” and a “fighter’s union” muddy the waters). Fitch has decided that he will leave his high paying job, in the midst of one of our nation’s greatest economic down periods, because of the possibility he will miss out on a few extra checks for his likeness.
Here’s a hint: if you are not in the UFC, no one cares about you. You don’t have to worry about turning down future video game and endorsement opportunities–because there aren’t any meaningful opportunities for you. What makes this even more non-sensical: Zuffa isn’t even asking for exclusive rights. Fighters are still able to pursue endorsement deals on their own. They just want to be able to market UFC fighters in ways that create long term value for the company and the fighters.
As usual, the MMA media has decided that Zuffa/UFC are the bad guys. Ivan Trembow is just representative of the hand-wringing and boo-hooing all over the internet:
When many fighters balked at signing such a ridiculous contract, the members of Zuffa’s management did what they normally do whenever there is a contractual disagreement: They played hardball
Pardon me sir, but is this not America? Our entire system is predicated on the idea that a party in a position of power (like Zuffa) is supposed to drive a hard bargain. Why should they deviate from their standard contract for mid-level fighters? Do you really think the average employer would respond in any other way? Try going to your employer and asking for a different compensation package, different health plan, or different work schedule than others in your job field or profession. Chances are, you’d be laughed right out of the company too. Why would Jon Fitch be any different?
Dana White is in a frenzy too, and for good reason. He’s building a company, making fighters rich, and can’t get a baseline of cooperation.
“Can you believe that?” White said. “Chuck Liddell has that language in his contract. Randy Couture has it. Anderson Silva has it. And Cain [expletive] Velasquez, with two [expletive] fights, wants us to change it for him? That’s [expletive] nuts. He can get the [expletive] out.
“I’m not a douche bag and I do a lot for these guys, a lot more than any of you will ever know. We’re in a horrible time in the economy now, and every guy with two nickels to rub together is making a run at us. We’ve worked too hard, given too much, to let certain guys come in and [expletive] with that.”
For Zuffa, putting AKA out to pasture is a good negotiating strategy. It sends a clear message to other malcontents. And when the dust clears, they can resign the AKA fighters they still want. That’s the beauty of a strong negotiating position. If Jon Fitch and his comrades don’t like it, they can join Fedor in M-1 or Affliction. This gentlemen, is still America.
November 20th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
This is ridiculous, the fighters are the talent here not Dana [expletive] White.
I hope people start paying more attention to Affliction considering they have the best heavyweight fighter in the world. Fitch would make an awesome addition to their lineup.
November 20th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Affliction’s one show was incredible, but they’ve had one show all year, the second show was canceled due to poor ticket sales and the deal to Goldenboy being close.. They prematurely announce the Goldenboy deal and the January show falls through. Then they re-announce the January show.
How is Affliction something to pay more attention to? People pay a lot of attention to a company that put on one show, I think.
Plus our old friend here is kind of right, you know. These guys are being idiots. This is pretty standard. They aren’t asking for exclusive rights forever. They aren’t saying “Jon Fitch can never appear in a videogame that isn’t made by Zuffa” or anything, just that if in 5 years they wanted to include like a Jon Fitch character in a game to fight GSP, they could do that.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
[...] Total MMAZuffa is Just Acting like an Employer; Jon Fitch is Just Acting Stupid [...]
November 20th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
LOL@ calling that Affliction show incredible. That shit was full of mis-matches.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:17 am
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what, that’s exactly what they’re saying
November 21st, 2008 at 2:51 am
LOL@ calling that Affliction show incredible. That shit was full of mis-matches.
So you are denying that it was a fun show? I don’t care if it was mismatches, it had a great atmosphere and was fun to watch. “Balanced” cards can be incredibly boring. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with either, but who fucking cares?
November 21st, 2008 at 9:04 am
Most every show is filled with mismatches. UFC 91 was, its just that most of the internet folks buy into stupid crap like Nate Quarry actually being able to win. At least in the case of the Affliction show, you had real elite fighters versus prospects in such fights.
November 21st, 2008 at 10:10 am
What makes this even more non-sensical: Zuffa isn’t even asking for exclusive rights. Fighters are still able to pursue endorsement deals on their own. They just want to be able to market UFC fighters in ways that create long term value for the company and the fighters.
It is my understanding that the video game licensing agreement that Fitch was refusing to sign is in fact exclusive. It’s the merchandising agreement that went out a few months ago that you are describing.
November 22nd, 2008 at 2:12 am
This type of bureaucratic strong-arming is just pathetic and sullies the sport - at least for those of us who don’t just blindly “toe the line”. UFC can get away with it for now, but ultimately this kind of crap is going to be their downfall if it continues. America? This, gentlemen, is Rome.
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:48 am
I find it amazing and indicative of the extremely low caliber of MMA blogs that so many of them are little more than Dana White meat puppets. Anyone with an ounce of common sense realizes how White has treated both fighters and fans….doing his best to keep fighters pay low, protecting his favorites while trying to kill the careers of anyone he doesn’t like.
A recent letter to the editor in Playboy responding to the interviewee with Komissar White said that White is the type of guy who wakes up on third base and think he’s hit a triple. White believes that drunken idiots pissing all over each other is the image the American MMA fan needs to see of an MMA fighter.
Why is it that apparently only Eddie Goldman realizes how bad this jerkoff is for the sport?
BMK is right on in comparing the UFC, which is now no different than the WWE to Rome. Personally I see White’s hubris to be the same thing we saw from the old Soviet Union.
With blogs like this and shows like TUF its little wonder the average American MMA fan is so ill informed.
November 22nd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Hilarious that people complaining about capitalism in action compare the UFC to “Russia.” Talk about ill informed!
I don’t think the Curmudgeon had an opinion about the morality of the UFC’s business practices. The point, for the pea-brained who need help discerning it, is that the UFC is just acting like almost every other employer in America. Why so up in arms about what a fighter is paid? If Fitch or others are worth more than Zuffa is paying them, the market would prove that. He would have been happy to be released.
The fact is, Zuffa pays him more than he is worth to their competitors. Maybe Dana and Co. are actually TOO generous. It bears considering.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Wow, if you think that bullying “employees” into signing away their likeness in perpetuity, is merely equivalent to “almost every other employer in America” you must have a pretty checkered work history. You have my condolences.
The Curmudgeon is basing his opinion on a rather flimsy analogy to begin with, and your follow-up is nothing more than the same oversimplified, blanket statement mentality. By the bye, it’s probably not a great idea to question the mental capacity of others whilst clinging to false dichotomies.
November 23rd, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Of course the comparison between Zuffa and other employers is not an exact one. Most Americans don’t have a demand for their likeness, whether temporarily or in perpetuity. But most employers do make employees sign standard contracts with no wiggle room. Your insurance package, salary structure, and work schedule is likely fixed (or perhaps you are provided an illusion of choice between several similar options?.
Again, if Fitch is being treated unfairly, he had the perfect opportunity to address his situation. He was offered his release. If his contract with Zuffa was really so onerous, why would he not be excited to test the market? Until someone can answer this question, his case for being treated “unfairly” seems questionable.