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Learning the value of real fighter representation
By Zach Arnold | November 25, 2008
It’s perfectly understood that in this current UFC-dominated MMA climate that if UFC wants to push you as a star, then you will be perceived by the public as a star. If they don’t want to push you as a star, then you likely won’t be seen as a star. Ask any wrestler who works in WWE about this mentality.
So, the comments that UK fighter Dan Hardy made to Eurosport seem innocuous at first. However, they represent a mindset of your typical fighter that doesn’t understand the true value of agent representation:
“I’d like to think they had a plan for me. I think the UFC realise my potential, but at the end of the day I have to get in there and win the fights. And they are all tough fights in the UFC as all the best fighters in the world are here.
“Either way, if there is a plan to market me like Bisping or if there isn’t, then that’s fine with me. My job is still the same; to go out there and beat people up. I don’t think that it means there will be any extra pressure on me; no more than I put on myself anyway.”
I am reminded of a quote that BJ Penn said last week to the Hawaiian media, which is that he always looked at himself for years as just a ‘fighter’ but only recently figured out that there’s a difference between being a professional fighter and just a fighter.
As the business matures and more fighters realize the value of good representation (like Georges St. Pierre has by signing with CAA for business opportunities), hopefully fewer fighters will fully vest 100% of their business hopes into the golden goose that is UFC.
Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated puts last week’s Dana White/Jon Fitch skirmish into perspective:
Here’s the bottom line: the UFC got what it wanted. Fitch signed, and now other fighters are keenly aware of what could happen if they don’t do the same.
Effective? Apparently. Pretty? Not exactly, especially with White going after Fitch and his teammates at AKA the way he did. Can you imagine the backlash David Stern or Roger Goodell would feel for publicly cursing out a player in their respective leagues? Perhaps the nature of the fight business gives White some leeway. Boxing has long been a haven for characters, and MMA is proving to be no different.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 21 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
hi, can someone please tell me if the pride-organization is active again ? i saw different bushido-events on their web-side, which are coming up next year.
Are you serious? How the hell did you find this website when you don’t even realize those are DVD release dates and the UFC shut down PRIDE and now, (in their own mind), owns that word. Just like they own the shape of the Octogon as their intellectual property.
If its a language barrier thing my apologies but if not… man…. pay attention it has UFC 91 and Shockwave 2006 listed on there.
skwirrl..you´re right. it was listed in their event-schedul. that´s why i was confused. i didn´t read the “release”-point in my enthusiasm. (sorry for my bad english by the way)
Has signing with CAA significantly benefited GSP yet? I’m not aware of any new major sponsorship deals.
it’s not like roger goodell “castro” or david stern are well accepted by the fans anyway. the fans might relate to them if they threw in a f-bomb from time to time. comparing the ufc to the nfl and the nba is ridiculous anyway. they have coaches,managers and owners to curse them out. dana happens to be an owner as well as their main promoter. i think people like josh gross tend to forget this. goodel,selig, and stern are commissioners, not owners/promoters like white.
There was a mini-scandal in the NFL last week when the General Manager of the Cleveland Browns used one profanity in an e-mail to a fan.
Also last week, Dana White posted the following message about MMA Mania on the Underground Forum through his surrogates: “”Suck my [expletive]! The day a [expletive] website knows more about UFC business deals I have made than I do will… just [expletive] these [expletive]. If they’re headlining their [expletive] in a way that even comes close to claiming I [expletive] said “[expletive] Fitch for not signing a video game agreement” then they’re [expletive] scumbag [expletive]!””
Apparently, we have lower standards for MMA executives.
On a separate note and a separate post regarding Georges St. Pierre, unless St. Pierre has signed a new contract in the past few months, his fight against B.J. Penn on December 27th is the final fight on his UFC contract. However, due to the “champions’ clause” in UFC contracts, St. Pierre is considered to be under UFC contract at the same pay rate for as long as he holds the UFC Welterweight Title. This clause allows the UFC to extend a fighter’s contract for one year or three fights at the same pay rate when he successfully defends a title.
If he holds the title for the rest of his career and retires, then he would be under UFC contract for the rest of his life. What’s not entirely clear is what happens if he loses the title to Penn on December 27th. Would he become a free agent? Or would he still be locked into the same pay rate until one year/three fights from his last successful title defense, which was a decision win over Jon Fitch in August? Either way, St. Pierre is likely to stay with the UFC; it’s just a matter of whether he is locked into the same pay rate by the “champions’ clause.”
it looks like some mma websites have even lower standards for the journalists and what they report on. some sites will print anything in order to grab a headline, even if its just a rumor with no substantial sources, just to get more hits and receive more posts. like all mma websites are honest and full of integrity. HA!
Ivan, that fight isn’t in December.
Good catch, I meant January 31st, not December 27th.
He signed a new contract about a month ago.
Thanks for the info, Michael. Do you know how many fights are on the new contract?
GSP has Bell Canada (Canada’s largest phone company) as a sponsor, I think they were working on Air Canada as well (Canada’s largest airline, pattern developing).
Zack,
I think you are reading too much into an interview there. Dan is more savvy than you think and has a team behind him who manage him.
But that was an interview given to Eurosport via the UFC, to a non-hardcore audience. What do you expect a fighter to say in that position?
Ian
[…] Learning the value of real fighter representation […]
no way….Ivan going on a anti ufc rant? wow….what a shock!!!
Hi guys,
I have just happened across your forum; some interesting comments.
I am the Eurosport-Yahoo! journalist who spoke to Dan Hardy; I can confirm it was not at all arranged through the UFC; they had nothing to do with it, it was completely independent.
The UFC do occasionally give us interviews with fighters, but the majority are set up by ourselves.
Subsequently, his comments, as far as I am concerned, are his own opinions.
Thanks,
Alex
Ivan and anybody else who can answer);
About the Champion’s clause…..what if the champ vacates the belt? Could he be a free agent then? I have always wondered this.
Chuck
thats what Randy tried to do.
Randy Couture had two fights left on his contract. That’s why he couldn’t leave. That had NOTHING to do with the Champion’s Clause.
I think the BJ Penn situation where he signed with K-1 after beating Hughes for the UFC 170 belt is the only time the Champion’s Clause has been tested in court. And B.J Penn won. B.J argued that he wasn’t obligated to fight for the UFC because he had no more fights left on his contract. The UFC argued that he breached his contract by not defending his belt. The court took B.J’s side.
That’s the thing. These UFC contracts are pretty draconian but there’s no way that some of these clauses will hold up. Remember when WWE took Brock Lesnar to court because Brock had a no-compete clause that prevented him from going to a MMA or another Pro Wrestling promotion until 2010 or whatever? How did that work out for Vince? 😀 So believe me, the UFC can’t just do whatever the heck they want. They have their limits.
“That had NOTHING to do with the Champion’s Clause. ”
Yes sir it did….he tried to claim he is no longer the champion.