UFC Increases Pressure on Merchandising Rights--Now Contacting Fighters Directly

Macedawgg · 08-29-2008, 04:13 AM

UFC Increases Pressure?Contacting Fighters Directly | The Official Blog of the MMAFA

UFC is now contacting fighters directly to obtain executed agreements.

Pontius Pilate · 08-29-2008, 04:41 AM

Thanks for the link.

Personally, I feel that these are very dodgy contracts and should not be signed by anyone intending to win fights and gain popularity in the future.

pittelp · 08-29-2008, 04:45 AM

Fighters have no idea of the revenue that they are giving to the UFC.

InternetHero · 08-29-2008, 04:49 AM

The UFC is right! All fighters are property and should be forced to advertise the high quality products the UFC endorses... like Xyience... lol

No, wait... this is dumb and unfair in my opinion.

SuperGNP · 08-29-2008, 04:50 AM

good find. thx for posting.

''The UFC likes to compare itself to league sports, as do many members of the media. In all other leagues, such direct contact with an athlete represented by an agent is blatantly unethical. Such fighters have selected agents with reason—they trust and respect the counsel provided.''

i'm sure this was not the first and will not be the last time i read ufc and unethical in the same paragraph.

chaman4g · 08-29-2008, 05:14 AM

very good article, the UFC should not own a fighters likeness or even their name...

Masterkiller · 08-29-2008, 05:19 AM

A fighters union would fix this since, in other sports, they make deals with video game companies and such on behalf of thier members which pay out a substantial check to all. The union, unlike the UFC, can only make such deals for the duration of an athlete's membership. Sad to say that many fighters will feel compelled to sign this agreement since the UFC limits a fighter's endorsement opportunities very stringently. The UFC will also likely force this deal on future contracts.

Good article. Bigger media outlets should cover this.

Masterkiller · 08-29-2008, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperGNP

good find. thx for posting.

''The UFC likes to compare itself to league sports, as do many members of the media. In all other leagues, such direct contact with an athlete represented by an agent is blatantly unethical. Such fighters have selected agents with reason—they trust and respect the counsel provided.''

i'm sure this was not the first and will not be the last time i read ufc and unethical in the same paragraph.

The comparisons are invalid anyway. They have no team or franchise model, no collective bargaining agreement, and no anti-trust exemption. They aren't a real league. They are a company more along the mold of the WWE, and they don't even try to hide that.

tarheelfan83 · 08-29-2008, 05:30 AM

We'll see how this turns out...I'm not ready to jump on the UFC IS THE DEVIL bandwagon yet. If they want to be more mainstream, this is a step in that direction.

etenightstar · 08-29-2008, 05:52 AM

It might be unethical for the UFC to talk to the fighters without their agents but it's not illegal and if the fighters don't like this get the clause that KJ Noons has in his contract that says companies can only negotiate with his managment.

They're telling fighters that if they don't sign the agreement sometime soon that they aren't going to get another chance to and the offer is taken away. Contract offers are rescinded all the time in buisness so what makes this any different?

Just because I'm a fan of MMA and it's fighters I don't think they should have any more rights than anyone else.