The Mixed Martial Arts Fighter Association (MMAFA) gave a presentation at a meeting of the Association of Boxing Commissions yesterday to discuss the UFCâs impact on the sport of MMA. Needless to say, the review of the UFCâs actions, both past and present, was scathing.
What the MMAFA said about the UFC
The MMAFA, an organization founded by lawyer Rob Maysey which counts former UFC fighters among its members, told the ABC that the UFC dominates the sport of MMA, makes more money than anyone else in combat sports and has done so through exploiting fighters and corrupting the sport itself.
Here are some of their specific claims:
The UFC are making more money and paying fighters less
In 2015 the UFC generated $609 million in revenue. The promotion shared around 19% of that revenue with fighters.
In 2022 the UFC made $1.14 billion. Despite that massive jump in revenue, the percentage fighters received that year fell to around 13%.
The MMAFA also shared (citing Bloody Elbowâs John S. Nash) that UFC fighter pay in 2016 was around $148 million and that this actually decreased in 2022, with an estimated $146 million going to fighters.
The MMAFA told the ABC that the UFC made a net profit of $387 million in 2022 and that this is likely more than all other MMA and boxing promotions combined. In that claim they reported that Eddie Hearnâs Macthroom Boxing made $14 million in profits for 2022.
Dana White, Ari Emanuel and the Fertittas always win
The slideshow also made the claim that UFC President Dana White, Endeavour CEO Ari Emanuel and former ZUFFA owners Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank Fertitta âhave made more [money] than all fighters in UFC history combined.â
How the UFC âcorruptedâ MMA
The presentation also detailed the structure of MMA and explained how that has allowed the UFC to became so powerful in the marketplace.
That section of the presentation picked out moments from UFC history to illustrate how the promotion controlled its fighters and, in some cases, used them against each other.
One such incident is Gray Maynard disclosing that former UFC matchmaker Joe Silva told him to break Roger Huertaâs arm. Huerta had a fractious relationship with the UFC, going from Sports Illustrated cover-boy and main eventer to being kept on the sidelines and eventually released from the company.
That slide was followed by a famous quote attributed to Silva. âIf you donât like the first opponent I give you, you sure as shit arenât going to like the second.â
The MMAFA then claimed that the UFC, thanks to their monopolization of the market place, are âmasquerading as a sport while being enabled to operate as a reality showâ.
âThe UFCâs corruption makes Don King look like Santa Clausâ read one of the MMAFAâs slides.
The MMAFAâs goals
The presentation concluded with the MMAFA stating their goal to represent all professional MMA fighters and coaches and presumably allow those individuals to collectively bargain for better pay, less restrictive contracts and the prevention of the UFC (and other promotions) from using fighter names and likenesses to generate profit, which the UFC does not share, in perpetuity.
Sounds like the next guy looking to profit off MMA fighters 
.
Presentation looks like some slides someone would throw together for a grade 6 project.
Gotta class it up and not look like another two bit union attempt.
Iâm not sure I understand why theyâre presenting to the ABC. I think everyone knows how this all works at this point. Are they hoping the ABC is going to mandate a union or something?
Id rather have 13% of 1.14 billion than 19% of 609 million. Juuuuuust sayinâ.
This is embarrassingâŚSo the MMAFA wants to represent all mma fighters, coaches and trainers. So, they give a âpresentationâ solely focused on the UFC? Seems weird Bellator, PFL, One, insert every other mma org here, is not even mentioned in their presentation. Why is that? I mean we hear all the time, how all those organizations treat the fighters better, pay is better, and on and on, yet it canât be used in comparison vs the UFC? Something is starting to smell a little fishy hereâŚ
Further to that, these same people are involved in the anti-trust lawsuit, where they argue mma cannot be compared to boxing or other sports in any way, yet they get Nash to compare financials to other sports leagues, and now, are directly using boxing promoters as a comparison in their MMAFA presentationâŚ
And this isnât even digging into the actual underlying reasons behind reported numbersâŚThese guys are impossible to take seriously. Iâm all for better pay if warranted, but these guys have not done a good job presenting that argument
tea
Nope
Wait a minuteâŚ
I was told that UFC fighters will make more money if I buy more PPVs
If my quick calculations are right, fighter earned 50% more in this comparison
Fighters = prostitutes for promoters.
This is why this never gets traction ever.
Every single union attempt seems to be half-assed and full of napkin analysis from couch experts with an education in internet blogging.
When half the room is probably anti-union and the other half at least has some people with brains, you need to have a better argument than comparing MMA to boxing or the fucking NBA or anything else completely unrelated and you need to present it well with more than the same napkin math from the financial stalwarts at Bloodyelbow or wherever these same extrapolated and parroted numbers keep coming from.
And I = prostitute for executives and investors.
We all are in the same boat and yet we only seem to fight for people we see on TV.
Go figure.
As far as presentation goes, those slides are the YAMMA Pit Fighting of slides.
Bingo
Good point Rony
Bloodytampon, at it again. It is basically a left wing mouthpiece that thinks everyone in the US should get a basic universal income.
DANA BAD!!!