UFC Domination, fighter pay, etc...

I was reading this interesting piece over on bloodyelbow and got to thinking how people seem to be totally missing the point in comparing the UFC to the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and other team sportts organizations.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/4/30/1453087/thoughts-on-ufc-domination-fighter

The reason why orgs like the NFL, NBA etc... can successfully establish a monopoly and concentrate all the talent in one league is because they are not actually the one employing the players.

The players are employed by the different teams accros the country, the league (nfl, nba, nhl, etc...) only exist as a governing body which arranges the rules and competitions between the different teams.

The two most important reasons why football or baseball players can command high salaries are:

1. Free Agency: The competition amongst teams to sign players from other equal teams or maintain their own players under equal terms.

2. Players Unions: The bargaining agreements negotiated by the players unions garauntee a level playing field and equal protection and representation for every player from the highest paid to the lowest paid.

These two things will never exist in MMA if ZUFFA establishes a monopoly.

Which is why people need to stop harping on having ZUFFA take everything over and start promoting competition amongst equal orgs which will promote better salaries and equal protection for all professional fighers.

If you don't like it because then we won't have all the best fighters concentrated in one org to fight each other then I think it would be better to support co-promotions were champions from one org fight the champions from another org.

In order to regulate and institutionalize these co-promotions and super bowl like competitions we could then establish a true regulatory and governing body along the lines of WAMMA which could then be accuratelly compared to the NFL or NBA.

NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB are not comparable to the UFC.

In the sport of MMA, the NFL = WAMMA, and the UFC = the Dallas Cowboys.

Understand?

put down the crack pipe.

bismanfightclub - put down the crack pipe.


How about you come up with a better argument?

The UFC can never and should never be compared to the NFL as they are totally different and incomparable things.

hitman8 - 
bismanfightclub - put down the crack pipe.


How about you come up with a better argument?

The UFC can never and should never be compared to the NFL as they are totally different and incomparable things.



LOL it depends what you are comparing first of all. Saying that Wamma is = to the NFL and the UFC = The Dallas cowboys shows how stupid your argument is. Also you try saying that all those sports have monopolies on those sports, but they don't. There are lots of pro teams in all those sports that aren't controlled by the major orgs. When it comes to things like fighter salaries and contracts often times comparisons can be made that are valid. Sometimes there are things that can't be as easily compared but it's not necessarily comparing apples vs oranges but maybe tangerines vs oranges. Not to mention people can compare whatever the fuck they want, how valid someone finds that comparison will vary from person to person, so now put down the crack pipe!

bismanfightclub - 

LOL it depends what you are comparing first of all. Saying that Wamma is = to the NFL and the UFC = The Dallas cowboys shows how stupid your argument is. Also you try saying that all those sports have monopolies on those sports, but they don't. There are lots of pro teams in all those sports that aren't controlled by the major orgs. When it comes to things like fighter salaries and contracts often times comparisons can be made that are valid. Sometimes there are things that can't be as easily compared but it's not necessarily comparing apples vs oranges but maybe tangerines vs oranges. Not to mention people can compare whatever the fuck they want, how valid someone finds that comparison will vary from person to person, so now put down the crack pipe!



It is not a stupid argument, in terms of their relationship to the individual players/fighters yes, the UFC = The Dallas Cowboys, and the NFL is more comparable to WAMMA in terms of what their role is in the sport.

The enpoint is that if you want to look out for the best interest of the fighters and the fans at the same time then you should support competition amongst equal orgs (ufc, strikeforce, dream, sengoku, bellator, MFC, M1-Global, ProFC, etc...) and have them all be regulated and organized into super bowl like competitions by a larger national/international governing body along the lines of WAMMA which would have the same role as the NFL has in football or the NBA has in pro basketball.

This would garrauntee higher fighter salaries, equal representation for the fighters, and at the same time the establishment of linear world champions which would truly face the best of the best from accross the globe.

only thing about your arguement is that WAMMA isnt relevant in mma. they made a belt for fedor that never gets defended even when he fights.

I don't think it should be compared to any team sports. The real comparison is to boxing, and the difference in pay is still pretty bad. But the thing with boxing is that only the top guys get paid millions, the rest of the fighters on the card usually make shit in comparison.

I think I see the TS' point, but there's more to it than trying to fit round pegs into square holes by comparing it to other (team) sports. There is nothing quite like the UFC's business model.

It's definitely not like an NFL/MLB/NBA team...because those teams play other teams. The UFC doesn't play with other promotions.

It's not like boxing because rather than having promoters vie for a particular fight on their card in this town or that city...the UFC promotes all their own shows all over the place.

The UFC is NOT like a lot of things...and NOTHING is like the UFC.

MMA is more analogous to an NFL NASCAR hybrid because of the endorsement money.

100% in agreement. I would love not to care who is promoting a show or who a fighter is signed with.

sewich - only thing about your arguement is that WAMMA isnt relevant in mma. they made a belt for fedor that never gets defended even when he fights.


I only used WAMMA as an example because it is the only comparable entity that exists in MMA right now.

I am not endorsing WAMMA, it could be any other governing body that would serve to regulate and organize competition amongst the different promotions and crown linear world champions.

...

...

The James - I don't think it should be compared to any team sports. The real comparison is to boxing, and the difference in pay is still pretty bad. But the thing with boxing is that only the top guys get paid millions, the rest of the fighters on the card usually make shit in comparison.


The comparison to boxing is more accurate, but as we all know boxing is not the best model to follow.

The major problem with boxing is that there is a multitude of different governing bodies with different belts and promoters and their fighters can jump from governing body to governing body thereby reducing the value of the belts and making it harder to crown linear world champions.

The perfect model would be similar to boxing but with only one recognized governing body crowning champions and arranging competitions between promotions...

^ That would be a step in the right direction.

ArtWanderlei -  MMA needs more foucus on Dana White.  I think he needs to be on camera more and talking about himself more.


I hope you're being sarcastic.

I agree with your analysis.  It makes perfect sense, to an educated person.

I understand your using WAMMA as an example of the structuring, not as the specific entity it is currently.

Thanks for sharing.  Ignore the trolls and morAns.