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« | Home | »

Fedor does not like UFC contracts

By Zach Arnold | December 26, 2007

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A great article at Sherdog, that I recommend reading, is capped off by these two paragraphs:

“I never met Dana White, never spoke to him on the phone, never exchanged e-mails,” Fedor said. “However, I did read a lot on the Internet about what he said in regard to me and Vadim []. I also read e-mails that he sent to Vadim; all of his correspondence was very upsetting. The contract that we were presented with by the UFC was simply impossible, couldn’t be signed — I couldn’t leave. If I won, I had to fight eight times in two years. If I lost one fight, then the UFC had the right to rip up the contract. At the conclusion of the contract, if I am undefeated, then it automatically extends for an as yet unspecified period of time, though for the same compensation.

“Basically I can’t leave undefeated. I can’t give interviews, appear in films or advertising. I don’t have the right to do anything without the UFC’s agreement. I could do nothing without the OK from the UFC. I didn’t have the right to compete in combat sambo competition. It’s my national sport. It’s the Russian sport, which in his time our president competed in, and I no longer have the right to do so. There were many such clauses; the contract was 18 pages in length. It was written in such a way that I had absolutely no rights while the UFC could at any moment, if something didn’t suit them, tear up the agreement. We worked with lawyers who told us that it was patently impossible to sign such a document.”

Topics: M-1, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 29 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

29 Responses to “Fedor does not like UFC contracts”

  1. Of course, there are such things as contract “negotiations.” No one really expects you to sign the first thing that’s put in front of you in this country.

  2. goo says:

    If that’s true that’s incredible, that contract is outrageous. If they’d offered him a three-fight we might have seen Randy and him fight already…

  3. Dave says:

    I love how they basically try to lock him in for the rest of his career, all the while Dana White is going on about how he is a nobody. Sure he is.

  4. doem says:

    the whole right to terminate contract thing has been talked about before, as as the extension clause where if the fighter were to become champ he would have to fight for the same money. I think Couture also mentioned these things

  5. klown says:

    A contract is merely a reflection of the power dynamic between 2 parties.

    All this contract tells us is that power drastically favors the employer over the employee in this industry at this point in time.

    Until fighters organize and start building power, the contract will not change. No amount of legal wizardry or negotiation skill will change that.

  6. Total MMA says:

    The UFC has proven that it can promote a bunch of guys with limited experience as legitimate television and Pay Per View draws. So there is no reason to believe they need Fedor on anything but their own terms.

    The real test will come when the real stars have their contracts come up for renewal. Liddell, Ortiz, or Hughes could have the real potential to launch
    a competitor.

  7. liger05 says:

    If true I dont blame Fedor for not signing. He would of been crazy to do so.

  8. Jeremy says:

    I think all of this needs to be taken with a grain of salt. While there is likely some truth to what he is saying, I think he is repeating what his manager has told him.

    Regarding appearing in film and advertising, plenty of UFC fighters make appearances in films and whatnot.

    As far as giving interviews goes, we see UFC fighters doing interviews all the time. Dana does not get allow with Sherdog, but he does not prevent fighters from talking to them.

    So if all of this is true, then Fedor would have had a contract completely different from other Zuffa employees.

    Both sides are going to spin this their way. I think a chunk of this is simpy the spin from his manager, who is part of the management of a competing company.

  9. liger05 says:

    I find it strange that Dana and fedor never met or even spoke.

  10. 45 Huddle says:

    Dana White and Fedor probably never met because his agent wouldn’t allow it to happen. There is not one logical reason why the UFC wouldn’t want to get face to face time with him.

    As for Fedor complaining…. And in fact the rest of you UFC haters…. Go look at an NFL contract… And then stop your complaining. Those guys have a union. There is over $1 Billion worth of revenues. Yet, if a player gets hurt and misses a game, he doesn’t get paid. Power has NOTHING to do with it. It has to do with athletic results. And based on what the NFL provides its players, the UFC contract is within the same range of fairness.

    I’m sorry, but I have heard his agent talk. They are full of crap. They wanted to use Fedor’s standing as a way to co-promote UFC events and strong arm the UFC. I can’t think of one remotely smart businessman who would fall for such BS negotiating tactics.

  11. 45 Huddle says:

    A few other points:

    1. Competing In Other Sports – Once again, standard AMERICAN sporting contracts. Typically it is written into a players contract that if he gets injured playing another sport, the contract is void. Happened with Aaron Boone when he was on the Yankees.

    2. Doing Everything the UFC Says – Welcome to America Fedor Emelianenko. If a player has an endorsement deal with Nike and the NFL has a deal with Reebok for the jesery’s… The player will still be wearing a Reebok Jersey come game time. Derek Jeter might want his own video game, but MLB has the right to say no.

    3. Fedor has no rights – How about Fedor plays for the NFL. Where they can take his money away for not showing up to a media day between the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl.

    Sorry, but the control that Zuffa is trying to obtain over it’s fighters is no different then any other major sporting event in America. Only in boxing do the athletes have all the power…. And look at how well that has worked out for the sport. The UFC model is better for the long run. Of course, a union would be a nice counteraction, but one controlling entity (even if they are stingent) is important for the growth of the sport in America. For some of you “fans” to not see this really makes me wonder.

  12. Zack says:

    I agree…the UFC model is the best model. I love icing divisions and titles in favor of reality shows.

  13. ilostmydog says:

    Boo-fucking hoo.

  14. David M says:

    That contract may not be deemed enforceable anyways; I would need to see the contract itself, but I wouldn’t be shocked if a court held that some of the terms in there were substantively unconscionable.

  15. El Samurai says:

    NFL players do in fact get paid if they get hurt and they miss a game.

    If they get cut from the team, the remainder if their contract is not guaranteed and they’re SOL.

    But they do get paid if they’re hurt, miss a game, and are still on the team.

  16. KennyP says:

    45 Huddle,

    I understand your position, but you have far overstated your case:

    -NFL players still get paid if they are hurt, placed on the Injured Reserve list or the Physically Unable to Perform (football) list. (They do not get paid if on the PUP (non-football) list). Though they can be released and will not receive the remainder of their contract. (Though there are some star players, like Steve Hutchinson, who are able to negotiate contract guarantees into their deal). Most players in other US leagues sign fully guaranteed contracts.

    -NFL players have collectively bargained to receive 59.5% of total football revenue. While this total excludes some revenue streams of increasing value, the overall percentage of revenue likely is far higher than in UFC.

    -Players are obligated to wear the branded uniform of the team or sport. However all players are free to sell equipment sponsorship and/or wear other equipment of their own choosing: shoes, gloves, sunglasses, sweatbands, etc. Almost every first-rate league/sport provides for significant opportunities for the athletes to wear equipment of their own choosing (and for their own financial benefit).

    -Derek Jeter retains every right to endorse and appear in his own baseball game. However, he does not have the right to sell his own videogame that includes the likeness and trademarks of the other players and teams in MLB. Most athletes choose to sign their game/card marketing rights over to their league’s players association (the union, not the league) in exchange for a generous share of the profits. (The only athletes I can recall who have opted out of this game participation are Barry Boinds, Lavar Arrington, and any athlete who earlier crossed a strike line. Though many players choose to sign exclusive trading card deals.)

    -Fines for skipping media days and other non-game appearances may be significant, but they do not equal the amount of game pay. (Possible exceptions for repeat offenders.) Also, players are not released by the league for missing those events, unless they break the law.

  17. klown says:

    Thanks KennyP for the informative comments. I couldn’t respond to 45 just because I don’t know much about other sports. I definitely need to research that. If anyone has any pointers to good online reading material on the subject of sports unions, I’d appreciate it.

    45, you and I disagree on how much power fighters should have and how that would impact the sport. But do you at least agree with me that contracts are merely a reflection of power dynamics?

    Because if I’m right, it’s pointless for fighters to hire “better lawyers” to look for unenforceable clauses in the contract or for foreign management teams to learn how to “negotiate US-style”, etc.

  18. StreitigKaiser says:

    Dana White obviously doesn’t know how Russian business works; like everything else in Russia it runs on a bribe system. M-1 bribed Finkelstein for Fedor’s contract while Dana expected Vadim to let Fedor make the choice without a proper payoff. Fedor is a moron for not realizing the amount of money he would make off of the media exposure alone, hence Wanderlei Silva’s comment, but c’est la viel.

  19. schz says:

    evgeni is an excellent writer. more than once i’ve emailed him to congratulate him on an article.

    its almost a shame to have his and gross’s columns so close to each other.

  20. RussianMMA says:

    : StreitigKaise
    You are talking the total nonsense. You should read some more about the M-1, Fedor, Finkelstein, business and about different cultures (at the very least about the differences between the American and Russian cultures).

  21. StreitigKaiser says:

    Obviously, RusMMA, there are other factors involved. I happen to be personally familiar with business in Russia, and I know things do not work quite like the American market, nor is the Russian market so tightly governed by the laws of the land (ex. Gazprom). Fedor wants to be the champion of his people, this is obvious. Sambo is a uniquely Russian sport, and his continued participation brings him high acclaim from both the citizenry and the government (Putin). But, my complaint with Fedor is that he is riding the ticket of being the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the world when he hasnt faced legitimate competition in over 2 years. M-1’s marketing ability is limited to Russia and with a crutch from K-1, Japan. Fedor will be fighting a Ssirum fighter with one MMA match against a total can to his record; Im sorry but I dont think that quite makes #1 material. Fedor has to prove himself against the stacked level of competition that only the UFC currently provides to reassert his claim. He is a brilliant Sambo practitioner; I will give you that, but as of right now he is ducking Couture. Period.

  22. StreitigKaiser says:

    Another factor is the political one; Fedor is a United Russia party member. He will be pressured politically to not fight in the United States due to the current spats between Putin and Bush. If you don’t think politics is involved as well then you are living in a dream world.

  23. RussianMMA says:

    : Fedor wants to be the champion of his people
    He wants to be the champion and to prove to the whole world that Russian fighters and Russian Sambo are the best. It can hardly be done from Russia. The best way to archieve this goal is just the opposite to the one you claimed.

    : But, my complaint with Fedor is that he
    : is riding the ticket of being the
    : greatest pound-for-pound fighter in
    : the world when he hasnt faced
    : legitimate competition in over 2 years.
    He has faced legitimate competition. What he hasn’t done is – faced somebody who could truly put him in danger. But you really can’t blame him for being so much better that others (other top10 fighters), can you? It would be nice to find another Fedor so the Fedor vs Fedor match could be organized, but unfortunately it’s impossible.

    : M-1’s marketing ability is limited to Russia
    : and with a crutch from K-1, Japan.
    You should not mix the M-1 (Russia) and the M-1 Global.
    http://russianmma.com/2007/12/total-sports-asia-tsa-japan-m-1-global.html

    :Fedor will be fighting a Ssirum fighter
    :with one MMA match against a total can
    :to his record;
    That’s BS! Hong Man Choi is one of the best strikers in the world and has been practicing Korean style of wrestling. We don’t know how good transition he can make to the MMA world. It may be successful (like Mirko) or not (like Schilt). But right now we don’t know. We don’t know if he is a can in MMA or if he will be the next big thing. The only thing we know is that he is a big and strong buy, that his striking is very dangerous and that he has experience in wrestling. That’s all. You really can’t prove that he is a can (like you can do in a case with Zulu).

    : Im sorry but I dont think that
    : quite makes #1 material.
    What you don’t understand is that the fight with Hong is not even intended to be “the best two guys fighting for the title”. It is the extra fight. It has been said that Fedor will be fighting in Q1 2008 and everybody are waiting for it. But M-1 and Fedor realized that there is a chance for Fedor to fight sooner. And so they decided to do it. To make a NY present to the fans. The previously announced match is not canceled. You should be happy to see an additional fight and not to whine about the quality (which is high in this case).

    :Fedor has to prove himself against the
    :stacked level of competition that only
    :the UFC currently provides to reassert
    :his claim.
    He doesn’t have to prove anything. He has proven everything already.

    UFC really has nobody, who can be thought as a legit competition for Fedor (who he hasn’t fought already). Well, _maybe_ except for Tim Sylvia.

    : but as of right now he is ducking
    : Couture. Period.
    :)) He has said many times that he wants to fight Couture. That’s the reason why he wanted to sign with the UFC. Too bad Dana didn’t really want him there.

    Couture is not in the UFC right now, so the birth of the new M-1 organization actually increased the chances of Fedor vs Couture fight to become reality.

  24. RussianMMA says:

    : Another factor is the political one;
    : Fedor is a United Russia party member.
    : He will be pressured politically to not
    : fight in the United States due to the
    : current spats between Putin and Bush. If
    : you don’t think politics is involved as
    : well then you are living in a dream world.

    You have obviously watched too much of C-class movies. There are many Russian sportsmen in the United Russia Party. Many of whom are really trying to do something in politics. Fedor is not one of them. He basically is grateful to Putin for what he has done (in life, in sport) and decided to thank him by giving permission to use his name to get more votes for Putin’s party.

    Compare the Rocky movie with reality (Fedor vs Lindland fight). Sure, people admired Fedor, but in reality nobody booed to Lindland, unlike we all saw in the Rocky movie. Booing is a typical American way of acting and has to do with Russia only in the crazy fantasies of the American writers. “Stupid Communistic country, where everything is controlled by the crazy KGB generals, who dream of destroying USA, and where you only have to ask people once to sacrifice themselves – because all other people are dead in Gulags” – is all the same stupid fantasies. Check the reality (Putin and Bush has quite good relationship) and get real, I beg you!

  25. StreitigKaiser says:

    ROFL, alright enough with the Fedor nuthugging.

    “He has said many times that he wants to fight Couture. That’s the reason why he wanted to sign with the UFC. Too bad Dana didn’t really want him there.”

    If he really wanted to fight Couture enough, he would have made the necessary sacrifice. Instead, he did not and I find that somewhat dishonorable for a man of his supposed stature. So what if Choi Hong Man is a top K-1 striker? that sets him up as a fighter in the B class at best; Fedor is in the A+ category, it is a total mismatch. But I guess you somehow manage to find honor in a mismatch. Fedor has been fighting cans for years now; his last credible opponents were Nog and Cro Cop. His last fight was against a Middleweight for gods sakes. There are many more names in the division now with Arlovski, Gonzaga, Kongo, Sylvia and Couture. Fedor needs to fight these people to prove he is the best.

    “Check the reality (Putin and Bush has quite good relationship) and get real, I beg you!”

    Obviously you have been living under a rock or in your parents basement, because there has been arguement over the Eastern European Missile Shield for quite some time now. Bush wants to put anti-ballistic missiles in Poland, Czech and a few others. Putin has heavily protested this and has pulled out of NATO-Russian missile treaties in response. I don’t find that to be a very friendly situation, do you? Don’t get me wrong I think the whole debacle is foolish and that the US and Russia should remain friends and business partners, but I cant say relations are on a high note right now. UFC is televised around the world, if Fedor wants to spread Sambo he should fight in the UFC.

  26. It doesn’t matter if that contract is an infancy stage offer or not. The eventual end game for that type of offer is going to be horrible for Fedor.

    Fact is, eventually the UFC fighters will begin to get bigger than the promotion and want to do other things. The undefeated clause that extends his contract indefinitely has been told by other columnists as well. It’s absurd and should be taken to court.

  27. RussianMMA says:

    : If he really wanted to fight Couture
    : enough, he would have made the
    : necessary sacrifice.
    Lets suppose you really want a Ferrari. Would you take Ferrari for free with the requirement of killing yourself on the next day?

    He wants it, but it isn’t the purpose of his life – he has already proved everything. It’s other people who need to prove they belong on the top.

    : it is a total mismatch.
    Please, prove me that Hong Man Choi is a can. I’m waiting…

    : Fedor has been fighting cans for years
    : now; his last credible opponents were
    : Nog and Cro Cop.
    You clearly don’t understand what you are talking about. 🙁 The TUF generation, huh?

    : His last fight was against a
    : Middleweight for gods sakes.
    All his fights have been against babies (because every opponent Fedor faces was a baby once)!

    : There are many more names in the
    : division now with Arlovski, Gonzaga,
    : Kongo, Sylvia and Couture.
    Couture – not in UFC. LOL with Gonzaga and Kongo! :)) Are you talking about the same Kongo who lost to Gilbert Yvel (who is maybe in top30 and was easily beaten by Roman Zentsov)? :)) Saying that Kongo is a top contender and a legitimate competition for Fedor without a doubt shows how little you know about the MMA world.

    : Obviously you have been living under a
    : rock or in your parents basement,
    blah-blah-blah. Look at the action, not at the rhetoric.

    : UFC is televised around the world,
    Really? :)))) Can you provide any real proof (statistics, names)? ;-)))))

    UFC is a local American MMA organization. A big one, but still local. And that’s what it will also be (if they stick to the same strategy).

  28. cyphron says:

    Too much talk about what Fedor could do based on past experiences from two years ago and MMA math. Nothing is decided until you actually FIGHT.

    Otherwise, Shogun and Crocop would still be at the top of their division. I have yet to see Fedor fight on US soil other than his beating an over the hill Coleman. His other recent fight was against an overmatched middle weight in Lindland where he debatably cheated by grabbing the ropes. Now, he’s going up against an overmatched kickboxer who is NOT allowed to knee. LOL. A kickboxer who can’t knee fighting in an MMA match? WTF!?! There are no athletic commissions over there, so where is this demand of no knees to protect the lighter fighter coming from? Is it because M-1 and their management are trying to stack the odds in favor of their fighter?

    His management is truly afraid that a loss would destroy his mythical aura and their cash cow. Too bad, in the mean time, Fedor’s lost all respect from anyone who’s not a Pride fanboy or a Fedor worshipper.

  29. RussianMMA says:

    : Now, he’s going up against an overmatched
    : kickboxer who is NOT allowed to knee.
    The unknown thing is whether knees are not allowed at all or on the ground only. We shall see…

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