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UnderGround Forum >> why do ufc fighters sign long term contracts?
| 1/12/13 12:29 PM | |
Orcus Knows MMA Better Than Goku
Member Since: 8/6/08 Posts: 21047 |
doesnt make a while lotta sence to me when the ufc is not obligated to give you fights and can basically cut you at any time and for any reason
conversely the fignter cant leave the ufc or break the contract at will so if you sign for a long time and end up doing well you are locked into whatever they agreed to pay you 8 fights ago or whatever |
| 1/12/13 12:37 PM | |
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Neph
Member Since: 11/7/10 Posts: 1313 |
Probably because the UFC isn't offering short term contracts unless you have some serious bargaining power. |
| 1/12/13 12:50 PM | |
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AnakinHelwani
Member Since: 1/29/12 Posts: 258 |
Here's why signing with the UFC has always made sense: 1) Unlike Dream, they always pay. 2) Unlike Strikeforce, they can keep you consistently fighting. |
| 1/12/13 12:51 PM | |
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orcus
Member Since: 8/1/03 Posts: 75337 |
"with thwe knowledge the UFC does not renegotiate when a fighter outperforms his xontract." What makes you think that? Any contract in the world can be renegotiated. It happens all the time in every sport. |
| 1/12/13 12:58 PM | |
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Orcus Knows MMA Better Than Goku
Member Since: 8/6/08 Posts: 21049 |
orcus - benson just rengotiated. but obviously the ufc didnt have to. if bensons contract was up they would have had to. also ronda apparently did turn down 8 fights so u can negotiate this point if you have some leverage |
| 1/12/13 1:00 PM | |
JOESONDO
8 
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 1812 |
orcus -It likely happens in rare cases where the fighter has a lot of leverage. Most cases fighters aren't big enough draws to reopen negotiations. Just winning doesn't give you leverage. There isn't a whole lot of incentive for the UFC to renegotiate a contract either. You signed it and therefore are obligated to fulfill it. It's not like they are worried that you'll be pissed and leave at the end of your contract like in other sports. 
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| 1/12/13 1:02 PM | |
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orcus
Member Since: 8/1/03 Posts: 75338 |
The incentive to renegotiate is to keep a fighter happy. " It's not like they are worried that you'll be pissed and leave at the end of your contract like in other sports." If they're not worried about you leaving or just sitting out, then why is the question "why do fighters sign long term contracts" if they have no other options in the first place? How would they be better off with a short term contract if their only option when that contract ends is to sign a new similarly crappy one because the UFC has no incentive to make them happy and there is nowhere else for them to go anyway? |
| 1/12/13 1:04 PM | |
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orcus
Member Since: 8/1/03 Posts: 75339 |
"Zuffa uses the term "contract" very loosely." When have they not fulfilled the terms of a contract, or attempted to? "UFC contracts are basically Dana White's way of telling fighters to just bend over and take it for as long as he so desires." You mean for as long as the terms of the contract state? The fighters, on the other hand, HAVE attempted to breach contract, like Randy when he "retired" from the UFC but tried to fight elsewhere. |
| 1/12/13 1:05 PM | |
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Orcus Knows MMA Better Than Goku
Member Since: 8/6/08 Posts: 21052 |
orcus - you have much more leverage when not bound |
| 1/12/13 1:07 PM | |
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orcus
Member Since: 8/1/03 Posts: 75340 |
Billy Joe Rottoncrotch - "benson just rengotiated. but obviously the ufc didnt have to. if bensons contract was up they would have had to." If he had no choice but to sign another contract, why would they "want" to pay him much more than he was making previously? How is the number of fights irrelevant? |
| 1/12/13 1:07 PM | |
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JOESONDO
8
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 1813 |
orcus -Likely it's to keep them from asking for more money by withholding their services at the end of contract. Once they get some popularity a long layoff can effect the UFC's ability to sell them to the public. A long term contract ensures they fight on the UFCs schedule.
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| 1/12/13 1:10 PM | |
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Orcus Knows MMA Better Than Goku
Member Since: 8/6/08 Posts: 21053 |
Billy Joe Rottoncrotch - "benson just rengotiated. but obviously the ufc didnt have to. if bensons contract was up they would have had to." i dont believe so. if u r champ i believe your term is extended one time for 3 fights |
| 1/12/13 1:11 PM | |
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orcus
Member Since: 8/1/03 Posts: 75341 |
JOESONDO -orcus -Likely it's to keep them from asking for more money by withholding their services at the end of contract. Once they get some popularity a long layoff can effect the UFC's ability to sell them to the public. A long term contract ensures they fight on the UFCs schedule. They can withhold their services during a contract as well. They can't force a guy to fight. If nothing else, all the fighter has to do is claim injury. Fighters have renegotiated better deals. It's in the UFC's interests to keep their valuable fighters happy. The ones that aren't valuable don't have any better options anyway. |
| 1/12/13 1:14 PM | |
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orcus
Member Since: 8/1/03 Posts: 75342 |
"If they did in fact pay him more money, which no one knows for sure, then good on them." He went from bitching about the offer they made to Alvarez, to signing a new deal that made him "HAPPY" (caps his), in one week.
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| 1/12/13 1:16 PM | |
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JOESONDO
8
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 1814 |
Of course it's better to keep a valued employee happy but there aren't that many fighters in the UFC that have that kind if leverage to renegotiate. The vast majority fall into the lucky to have a job category. They are the ones that have no choice but sign long term contracts because that is what the UFC is offering. As far as withholding services within a contract or trying to break the contract, historically that has not ended well for the fighter.
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| 1/12/13 1:16 PM | |
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Orcus Knows MMA Better Than Goku
Member Since: 8/6/08 Posts: 21054 |
Billy Joe Rottoncrotch -Orcus Knows MMA Better Than Goku -Billy Joe Rottoncrotch - "benson just rengotiated. but obviously the ufc didnt have to. if bensons contract was up they would have had to." perpetual and matching arent the same thing |
| 1/12/13 1:20 PM | |
Tap In
107
Member Since: 9/27/10 Posts: 4557 |
It's the same as the nfl, no guaranteed contracts. Also same as the nfl, the ufc probably gives you a bigger signing bonus for a longer contract (if you've got some hype behind you) |
| 1/12/13 1:24 PM | |
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orcus
Member Since: 8/1/03 Posts: 75343 |
JOESONDO - Of course it's better to keep a valued employee happy but there aren't that many fighters in the UFC that have that kind if leverage to renegotiate. The vast majority fall into the lucky to have a job category. They are the ones that have no choice but sign long term contracts because that is what the UFC is offering. As far as withholding services within a contract or trying to break the contract, historically that has not ended well for the fighter. How would non-valuable fighters be better off by signing short term rather than long term contracts? If he's not valuable, what leverage is he going to have to get a better deal at the end of a short-term contract? |
| 1/12/13 1:24 PM | |
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JOESONDO
8
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 1815 |
One time I spoke to a fighter about the contracts. He had just resigned with a 6 fight contract with UFC. He was happy to have a guaranteed number of fights over a certain period. He knew the contracts were slanted in the UFCs favour and they could cut him as soon as he loses. He also was aware it mostly just kept him from fighting in organizations but there are few options for the vast majority of fighters. The alternatives are just not there. That is ultimately why they sign these lopsided contracts.
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| 1/12/13 1:27 PM | |
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mr1709
Member Since: 11/8/09 Posts: 970 |
if you sign a 6 fight contract and get cut after 3. Doesnt the ufc have to still pay you for the remaining fights on your contract |
| 1/12/13 1:28 PM | |
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orcus
Member Since: 8/1/03 Posts: 75344 |
"I don't consider any contract that gives Zuffa the right to cut fighters after two loses, regardless of how many fights are on the deal, to be a true contract." The number of fights on the deal is the maximum. Just because it's casually referred to as a "6 fight deal" doesn't mean that is the minimum. If the contract states it lasts until 6 fights, or two years, or a loss, whichever comes first, why is that not a "true" contract? Because you have it in your head that it's a minimum guaranteed fight deal, which it never was or was claimed to be? |
| 1/12/13 1:29 PM | |
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time traveling 12er
54
Member Since: 10/12/11 Posts: 669 |
How is this even a question? They do it because that's where the market is at. If there were viable options with one fight contracts the UFC would have to do that to keep their fighters. But as it stands they offer the best terms. I'm sure what all fighters (and short sighted fans) would want is the option for more pay if they fight great, but force orgs to keep paying them even if they don't perform. But that's not a realistic model for success. With the model they have now there are fighters that don't come close to earning their paychecks. Considering the performance bonuses the UFC is way more likely the overpay for poor performance than the other way around. |
| 1/12/13 1:31 PM | |
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JOESONDO
8
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 1816 |
orcus -Value can change over the course of a contract. If you sign an up and coming fighter to a 8 fight contract when he is just grateful to be in the UFC you get him cheap. 3 big wins later he is now a bargain for the UFC. He could have negotiated for more if he had just signed a shorter contract but that wasn't what the UFC was offering at the time. Instead the UFC was offering a long term low pay contract that that was not guaranteed unless he won.JOESONDO - Of course it's better to keep a valued employee happy but there aren't that many fighters in the UFC that have that kind if leverage to renegotiate. The vast majority fall into the lucky to have a job category. They are the ones that have no choice but sign long term contracts because that is what the UFC is offering. As far as withholding services within a contract or trying to break the contract, historically that has not ended well for the fighter.
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| 1/12/13 1:33 PM | |
OnlyTheStrongSurvive
255
Member Since: 1/29/11 Posts: 10071 |
Who is signing long term contracts that aren't top notch fighters who have no reason to fight somewhere besides the UFC? 
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| 1/12/13 1:34 PM | |
Brian J DSouza
Member Since: 1/3/12 Posts: 339 |
What do you consider overpayment? If the PPV, TV, live gate, sponsors and merchandise revenues are "x amount" after expenses, and the total fighter payroll is 5-10% of "x amount," how are fighters overpaid? |
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