UGCTT_TFK_UncleSam - I fucking hope Woodley takes the fight with Lombard. Actually I'll be happy either way, it'll probably be Lombard vs matt brown if Woodley doesn't take it soon
Lots of reasons why "fighters fight" is a gross oversimplification. Given how erratic and volatile the UFC can be and the difference in pay/sponsors for being the champ, it's easy to understand why someone would wait for the big opportunities. At that level, ANYONE is dangerous, and when you lose it's a tough road back (if you ever get there). I'd love to see more guys fight each other freely to make the best fights, but I can totally understand why they don't.
thatonedude -SinCityHustler -thatonedude -SinCityHustler -Glovegate - Because, generally speaking, you get paid fuck all until you get a belt.
If you're going to fight them all anyway, why not get paid well to do it? These guys they're fighting aren't chumps. If you step into the cage with them, any one of them could end your life.
How many lives have any of them ended in the cage? I think you're exaggerating for effect and all it's doing is bringing your credibility into question.
There have only been 4 deaths in the US during sanctioned MMA bouts.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatalities_in_mixed_martial_arts_contests
That still doesn't change the fact that when you fight aomeone, sanctioned or not, the end result can be death. Also the person you were quoting said "any one of them could end your life". If you don't see that as a valid and true statement then I don't know what to tell you.
A 10 year old can end your life depending on circumstances. The point he made was any of them inside the cage can end your life and the fact is NOE of them have ended anyone's life inside the cage. It is an extremely far stretch to make the statement he made and I'm simply pointing that out. A MUCH better example would be hurt you or injure you. I think you know this too.
Yes a 10 year old or younger can end your life. But does a 10 year old have the same chances of ending your life in a physical altercation as a professional fighter does? No the professional fighter is MUCH more likely to be able to end someones life in a physical altercation ie an MMA fight. No one's life has ended IN the cage but there has been at least one death in the US linked to MMA (blunt trauma to the head)"
Vasquez's death was officially ruled as a death due to complications of blunt trauma of the head with a subdural hemorrhage."
To pretend that you couldn't potentially die in an MMA fight or any full contact martial arts competition is just plain silly.
NewOldTRT09er -Soul Gravy - Here are the problems.I agree with your post except for your first point. Fighters are not employees of the UFC and therefore get none of the normal benefits that come along with being an employee. About the only upside to this is that they can refuse a fight. Also you can't force two people to fight - this isn't Ancient Rome with lions and a coliseum.
1. Fighters are allowed to decide who they fight. They're under employment by the UFC. If they're told to fight the Easter Bunny on Hanukkah while a crowd of naked Rastafarians look on, hey, they need to.
2. UFC is shitty towards great and entertaining fighters who lose fights. This is where Pride shined. They didn't care if a fighter lost as long as he was exciting. UFC will often cut you at any opportunity if you lose, regardless of how entertaining you were. There's no incentive to put it on the line in this sort of business model.
Tad Ghostal -Soul Gravy - Here are the problems.
1. Fighters are allowed to decide who they fight. They're under employment by the UFC. If they're told to fight the Easter Bunny on Hanukkah while a crowd of naked Rastafarians look on, hey, they need to.
2. UFC is shitty towards great and entertaining fighters who lose fights. This is where Pride shined. They didn't care if a fighter lost as long as he was exciting. UFC will often cut you at any opportunity if you lose, regardless of how entertaining you were. There's no incentive to put it on the line in this sort of business model.
1.They are independent contractors, for each fight the UFC offers them a contract which they are under no obligation to accept.
2. They are shitty to all fighters. GSP is a promoter's dream and look at how they've treated him recently.
The real reason every UFC fighter squats waiting on a title fight once cracking the top ten is because that's the only money fight.
And they know that losing in a title fight as a PPV main event is worth more financially than winning a non title undercard bout.
Until you reward them for taking risks they aren't gonna risk losing that potential reward and you end up with contenders sitting.
A guy like Cerrone deserves bonus after bonus. 
thatonedude -SinCityHustler -thatonedude -SinCityHustler -thatonedude -SinCityHustler -Glovegate - Because, generally speaking, you get paid fuck all until you get a belt.
If you're going to fight them all anyway, why not get paid well to do it? These guys they're fighting aren't chumps. If you step into the cage with them, any one of them could end your life.
How many lives have any of them ended in the cage? I think you're exaggerating for effect and all it's doing is bringing your credibility into question.
There have only been 4 deaths in the US during sanctioned MMA bouts.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatalities_in_mixed_martial_arts_contests
That still doesn't change the fact that when you fight aomeone, sanctioned or not, the end result can be death. Also the person you were quoting said "any one of them could end your life". If you don't see that as a valid and true statement then I don't know what to tell you.
A 10 year old can end your life depending on circumstances. The point he made was any of them inside the cage can end your life and the fact is NOE of them have ended anyone's life inside the cage. It is an extremely far stretch to make the statement he made and I'm simply pointing that out. A MUCH better example would be hurt you or injure you. I think you know this too.
Yes a 10 year old or younger can end your life. But does a 10 year old have the same chances of ending your life in a physical altercation as a professional fighter does? No the professional fighter is MUCH more likely to be able to end someones life in a physical altercation ie an MMA fight. No one's life has ended IN the cage but there has been at least one death in the US linked to MMA (blunt trauma to the head)"
Vasquez's death was officially ruled as a death due to complications of blunt trauma of the head with a subdural hemorrhage."
To pretend that you couldn't potentially die in an MMA fight or any full contact martial arts competition is just plain silly.
We're not talking about an MMA fight, we're talking about the UFC. The things that go on in smaller shows with less medical personnel and less stringent protocol aren't nearly as likely to happen in the UFC.
The fact that it has NEVER happened should clue you in to that. Really you should know this. I'm thinking you're just arguing to argue.
I stopped reading after the first sentence. A UFC fight is an mma fight, or do you trane ufc?
SoCalMutt -I think I read somewhere that Wand came across to the UFC on $150k and CroCop $350k. I think that was base though.Chimp Strength -SoCalMutt -Chimp Strength -What was tha pay like?JimmersonzGlove - Pride had it right. Cro cop and wand fought like six times a year. Nothing wrong with can crushing in between legit opponentsTo emphasise my point, this is how I feel. Why remove the possibility of Gus or Rumble facing JBJ when they could both fight and beat someone else in between.In Pride?
Yup. From my understanding they got paid.
thatonedude -Soul Gravy -Tad Ghostal -Soul Gravy - Here are the problems.
1. Fighters are allowed to decide who they fight. They're under employment by the UFC. If they're told to fight the Easter Bunny on Hanukkah while a crowd of naked Rastafarians look on, hey, they need to.
2. UFC is shitty towards great and entertaining fighters who lose fights. This is where Pride shined. They didn't care if a fighter lost as long as he was exciting. UFC will often cut you at any opportunity if you lose, regardless of how entertaining you were. There's no incentive to put it on the line in this sort of business model.
1.They are independent contractors, for each fight the UFC offers them a contract which they are under no obligation to accept.
2. They are shitty to all fighters. GSP is a promoter's dream and look at how they've treated him recently.
They are not independent contractors, they are fighters under contract. As we've seen, allowing them to decide when and where they fight screws up a lot of good fights, title defenses, etc. If they don't want to be told who to fight, that's fine, they can look for another job.
And wrong...
"The UFC has taken the position that fighters are independent contractors, and their contracts stipulate the process for their promotional advancement or termination."
http://m.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Fight-as-an-Independent-Contractor-53481
thatonedude - They can take other jobs. Just not other 'fighter' positions with other orgs. I'd think it is seen as a non compete clause which is in a lot of contracts. I can't leave my job and go work the same position with a direct competitor for a certain period of time once I leave the company, this isn't unheard of and pretty standard.
I'm going to try to make this very, very simple for you, since you seem to be having trouble understanding.
"I feel bad for them if literally their only skill is fighting and cannot "take other jobs" I guess that's part of being well rounded."
This is one of the dumbest posts I've ever seen on this board. Who cares what other jobs they can take? They're fighters. We're discussing them in the context of fighting as a career. What else they can do is irrelevant.
" I'm glad you can define what type of job it is though, I didn't realize that was your official role, "official job type labeller"."
I have common sense. If you had it, you could apply for the same job.
"Of course they can decide who they fight this isn't ancient rome, and they aren't slaves no matter how much some people would like you to believe they are."
More ignorance. If you sign with a promotion to fight, why the hell does it matter if the promotion tells you who you fight? It's not like Zuffa dragged these guys in off the street and put a gun to their head. They chose to sign the contract to FIGHT. Acting like someone else choosing their opponent is something horrible thing is just silly.
In my opinion the only way to solve this pussyfooting shit is to increase pay depending on how active you are and if you become sidelined for longer than say a 6 month period your expected pay starts to drop at the same rate it would rise . That would hopefully take care of the ones that are just in it for the dollar 
Imagine if any major other sport allowed its athletes to determine against whom they competed. Here's a hint: it would be stupid, and counterproductive for all involved, and hence none of them allow it.
Soul Gravy - Imagine if any major other sport allowed its athletes to determine against whom they competed. Here's a hint: it would be stupid, and counterproductive for all involved, and hence none of them allow it.100% agree the fighters should be told who they are fighting at that is the final say then they can negotiate how long till they fight so each fighter can prepare
irishgracie -Soul Gravy - Imagine if any major other sport allowed its athletes to determine against whom they competed. Here's a hint: it would be stupid, and counterproductive for all involved, and hence none of them allow it.100% agree the fighters should be told who they are fighting at that is the final say then they can negotiate how long till they fight so each fighter can prepare
If you are truly the best, fight everyone you need to until you have the belt.
Losses are more damaging in MMA/Boxing than in any other sport. There is no "next season" so when you're near the top of course guys are going to try and do everything they can to stay there before their window of opportunity closes. A lot of guys can only make the climb up that ladder once. Until the structure that's currently place changes, I don't foresee much of a solution this problem. Sure the UFC can play hardball, but it's the fighters who put on the show and without them they are left with nothing. There needs to be something more to gain for some of these guys who have so much more to lose than others in order for them to make it worth their while. They can't always be risking everything with very little to gain. How many people would take their entire savings and go to the casino or spend it all on lottery tickets? Very few, so why should these guys be constantly asked to risk everything they have worked for? It can be all gone so quickly.
In fairness to Gus, he knows fighting AJ is almost a guaranteed loss. And a brutal loss at that.
Hes inches away from fighting for a life changing ufc championship if he just waits a little while. The fight with Jones is a winnable fight for Gus too.
I think its a little unfair to lump him in that category. These guys are fighting for their livelihood and some decisions have to be made in their own best interest. Gus would be a fool to fight AJ with only one fight away from a very win-able rematch title shot.
Theres a world of a difference between that and a guy like Woodley refusing to fight Hector Lombard.
I would love to see that fight as i think it would be fireworks.....i also do not feel like Woodley has the juice to be able to start picking fights. He'd better be careful because if he pisses off dana he could easily get shelfed for months before being offered another fight.