They should be mad at Jake Paul for advocating for a union. They kicked out Leslie Smith for the same thing. She felt a union was better but they didn’t so she left to do her own grassroots support thing. The truth is if thr UFC implements a union it gives them full scale control over the industry in perpetuity.
For someone who is unaware of how unions work in the states, could please explain how that is the case.
Didn’t player’s union in the NFL get free agency and minimum wages implemented.
Thanks
Uh, but the UFC wouldn’t institute a union. Athletes do that. I don’t even think they can legally star a union and be a promoter. So yea.
Employees in any industry must form their own unions. Just like there are unions for teachers, actors, etc. Same in sports. All the players in the NFL, for example, formed a union to represent them so they can bargain things like revenue with a league as a collective. There is no union in MMA. Unless fighters banded together to form one. OR, they could push for the Ali Act to be instituted in MMA like it is in boxing. Which has strict guidelines on fighter contracts and terms. Giving fighters more leverage to move around more than they can now.
That has already been discussed a few years ago as a way to kill the Ali Act. The UFC recognizes the fighters as employees and allows them to create a union. It is a work around the Ali Act so in essence they could. hence, why the MMAFA kicked out Leslie Smith because they don’t want that to happen as it will give the UFC dominance for perpetuity. at this point in time the UFC doesn’t have to cave in either way though.
There was a thread years ago where a poster MMALOGIC who had a lot of inside Zuffa/UFC info explained all this against the MMAFA. It turned out that MMALOGIC and Maysey had some form of real life relationship to the point that MMALOGIC said he had mentored Maysey at one point regarding the mma industry. He said he warned him about the MMAFA/Ali Act back when Maysey failed to implement it back in 2006-2007. He outlined more detailed information between the 2 and the UFC. I do know that MMAFA seemed upset a few times when MMALOGIC dropped some hints as to who he was so it seemed there was some truth to their back and forth. It is an online message board so take it for what it’s worth.
Here is the exact post I found on it from 6 years ago; take from it what you will.
luctaro -
MMALOGIC -
from my orginal post:
“I believe at some point in the near future PFA will come to the same conclusion that MMAFA came to and either drop the endeavor or just co-opt and take over MMAFA’s work.”
as anticipated PFA has sent out a press release stating that if enough fighters do not join by april they are closing up shop.
It looks like Bjorn Rebney will be occupying MMAFA’s flank ready to intercept the ball if they get anything meaningfull done.
It’s now MMAFA vs MMAAA…
MMAAAAAAAAA has the $backing$ but MMAFA has the lawsuit, who will win!?
For the UFC is way better if MMAAAAAAA wins, but Im guessing you think they will fail?
I believe they will both fail based on their stated objectives…
But if MMAFA gets any meaningful results with the lawsuit or the ALi act MMAAA will try to grab the spoils.
MMAFA is the one spending all the time and money pushing the lawsuit and ali act, MMAAA is just waiting to pounce if anything happens.
for example if the lawsuit ever gets to a point where the UFC would want to settle MMAAA will offer a better deal than MMAFA to settle… sort of like a reverse auction.
if anything happens with the ali act Bjorn will pivot and try to turn the association into an association run promotion. (bjorn and his investors have also been in talks in buying the xfc, before that they were in talks trying to buy the wsof).
UFC will out play both of them…
if it ever gets to a point where UFC needs the anti-trust exemption that comes with a cba (collective bargaining agreement) they’ll just push a yellow union (in house union) run by someone like a urijah faber.
And if it ever gets to a point where theres so much political pressure to pass federal legislation like the ali act for mma UFC and its lobbyists will be the ones who write that legislation. UFC is very good at getting govt regulations passed for MMA (regulations that serve its purpose).
These guys are playing checkers in a game of chess against a master chess player.