Dana White

[Striker1]

Look, I like the guy! As someone who owns a business, I'm telling you, he speaks the gospel. People seem to think the grass is greener until they get there and find it's the same shit. Fitch has lost his mind! How many of us are earning that kind of money for a couple months work (I'm including his training camp). Shit! With the economy looking so unpredictable? He was on-track to earn 500k without endorsements. So unless he's an MIT or Harvard grad, chances are he F'ed himself.

As far as Dana talking shit, look until we walk a day in his shoes,,,lets be serious. There are some days I go off on stupid shit because the frustration builds up from dealing with the drama on the regular. I think he is the reason why UFC and WEC are enabling our boy and the others to make the money they do. Consider even for the lowest paid guy on one of Dana's cards.....its more money than most would earn in a day and the bonus: it's something they love to do. And I guarantee this: Urijah the businessman would agree with Dana. Every time you turn around, someone is trying to stick their hand in your pocket and then wanna bitch about how overworked they are. People don't realize what it takes to run a business as Dana pointed out. Especially one as complex as the UFC/WEC.

And maybe all this is just good PR work by Dana, Finch and yes, even our boy, to draw more fans into the pay-preview trap. Look, I'm not saying Urijah would throw a fight,,,,but build a little hype with Dana....Come on, think about it!

Thanks for the therapy!!!! You all can bill my insurance.

[JBNTX]

As a small business owner I feel you on this one, but if you read that contract that was posted WTF.............Dana owns you FOREVER !! We all know how a fighter can get canned with the quickness. They also have the right to tell you what sponsors you can and can't sign with.......crazy shit !!

That would be like me having one of my therapist sign a contract, giving me the right to tell them where they can work, even if I fire them, a contract that gives me rights to 80% of any other job they ever get !!! Plus I OWN THEIR NAME and likeness ?

SO if Jon FItch signed the contract and then went to fight with Strike Force Zuffa gets 80 percent of all of his revenue that he makes. Making it next to impossible to fight anywhere else if you get canned. what organization is gonna sign a fighter that is owned 80% by another company.

In my opinion they are signing their career as a fighter away for short term gains. If you blow up and become the next Chuck, Randy, or Urijah. Then why should Zuffa make 80% of YOUR MONEY.

The article said it best in closing, IF IT IS THE UFC NAME not the fighter selling these products, think about this.

When the NEW UFC GAME comes out imagine if the fighters were all faceless guys, NO NAMES or likeness used at all, they were just different colored fighters, say a blue dude, a green dude, a red dude, etc,etc.

Then SONY COMES OUT WITH A FIGHTING GAME that does not use the UFC name BUT has all the big name fighters and likeness's in there. Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Fedor, Urijah, etc. They pay the fighters $100000 each for the use of their name and image . Which one would you buy ? Under the contract Dana is having them sign, they don't get SHIT !!! Zuffa will make hundreds of millions of dollars off this game !!

Dana has always been then man, I have supported him 110% with everything he has done. TRUE IT IS A GREAT BUSINESS decision. BUT IT IS ASS RAPE for the fighters!! I think DANA needs to recognize that without the fighters he has SHIT ...........................they are what makes the wheel go round and makes the UFC all that LOOT !!

[Sac23722]

I assume everyone saw that Fitch was back in the UFC - looks like it took Lorenzo coming in and talking to the AKA camp to get things right. It is the same thing that happned with Tito Ortiz - Tito refused to work with Dana anymore so he did all of his business directly with Lorenzo (one of the majority owners of the UFC)

Fitch said it wasn't the contract he didn't like - it was just that he felt disrespected by Dana when Dana came in and said "taker this deal or your out of the UFC"

[JBNTX]

Here is the article I read about Fitch's return on MMA JUNKIE !!

Just 24 hours after Jon Fitch was kicked out of the UFC and scratched from a scheduled UFC 94 bout with Akihiro Gono, the top welterweight contender is now back with the organization, according to MMARated.com.

Saying he no longer wanted to work with the American Kickboxing Academy or the fighter's management team at Zinkin Entertainment, UFC President Dana White said he dismissed Fitch, who initially refused to sign a deal that would give the UFC the exclusive right to use his likeness in an upcoming videogame.

Fitch today agreed to sign the deal after speaking with UFC Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo Fertitta, according to the report.

The fighter, who said he was disappointed by White's strong-arm tactics in trying to get him to sign the agreement, is now again scheduled to fight Gono at the Jan. 31 event in Las Vegas.

Fitch initially told Yahoo! Sports he simply didn't understand the need to sign over his rights with a lifetime contract, particularly since it would not pay his family in the event of his death, and that White balked at his management team's willingness to compromise with a five- or 10-year deal.

"It was all or nothing," Fitch said. "[White] wanted our lifetime. He wanted our souls forever."

In addition to Fitch, White on Wednesday also said he dropped Christian Wellisch from the organization and that fellow UFC fighters Josh Koscheck and Cain Velasquez were also in jeopardy of being cut from the UFC. There's no word if those fighters now plan to sign the agreement, as well.

The videogame in question, "UFC 2009 Undisputed," which is set for a mid-2009 release, is being produced by THQ.

Fitch (17-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who is currently ranked a world top-five welterweight, most recently fought in August and dropped a unanimous decision to UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. It was his first loss in nearly six years and snapped his record eight-fight win streak in the UFC.

[JBNTX]

The contract is really NOT JUST ABOUT THE VDEO GAME............read it on the post that Felix wrote yesterday, IF this is indeed the real contract the fighters are signing the names and all rights over to Zuffa !!

Here is the link that Felix posted yesterday !!

http://www.tapoutlive.com/images/mags/ufc_legal.pdf

[JBNTX]

All I can say is HEY DANA CAN THEY GET A LIL KISS BEFORE THEY GET FU**ED AT LEAST !!!!??????

[Rattlebone]

During pro-boxings 'glory days' Bob Arum and Don King ruled the roost, lording over their stables of prize fighters with promises, intimidation, and threat. Contracts of "exclusive property rights" ensured total control over the future of their flesh and blood 'raw material'. Fighters who challenged the power of Arum and King were banished from televised venues. King's motto was, "Shut-up. Hit the bag or hit the streets."
Pro-boxing nearly went belly-up from power-tripping and abuse of it's fighters. America's sweet science has never fully recovered.

Granted, our economy is in rough shape. All buisnesses are in defensive mode. WEC/UFC included. Hopefully Dana remembers the lessons pro-boxings dark past and never lets MMA fall down that same rabbit hole.

[JBNTX]

During pro-boxings 'glory days' Bob Arum and Don King ruled the roost, lording over their stables of prize fighters with promises, intimidation, and threat. Contracts of "exclusive property rights" ensured total control over the future of their flesh and blood 'raw material'. Fighters who challenged the power of Arum and King were banished from televised venues. King's motto was, "Shut-up. Hit the bag or hit the streets."
Pro-boxing nearly went belly-up from power-tripping and abuse of it's fighters. America's sweet science has never fully recovered.
Granted, our economy is in rough shape. All buisnesses are in defensive mode. WEC/UFC included. Hopefully Dana remembers the lessons pro-boxings dark past and never lets MMA fall down that same rabbit hole.

But THOSE FIGHTERS MADE MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS of Dollars !! Not what our MMA guys make. NOT EVEN THE TOP PAID MMA guys who get PPV sharing. THey make peanuts compared to boxers...what did Mayweather make in his last fight 30-40 million ?

[JBNTX]

I will take that kind of abuse ANYTIME !!

[Kimberly]

As messed up as this situation is shouldn't some of this anger be directed at the fighters signing the agreement? That in itself enables it to continue. Don't they hold some accountability? I would think so. Personally, would I sign it? Hell no. No one owns me, but seeing the popoularity of the UFC leads me to believe that some guys don't care as long as they get paid at the end of the day.

If I'm way off, then please someone explain to me why.

[Rattlebone]

But THOSE FIGHTERS MADE MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS of Dollars !! Not what our MMA guys make. NOT EVEN THE TOP PAID MMA guys who get PPV sharing. THey make peanuts compared to boxers...what did Mayweather make in his last fight 30-40 million ?

Right JB, fighters who were in Arum's and King's corrals DID make loads of cash. Tyson filled seats and brought disgrace to boxing. Boxers from Asia, Central and South America were cherry-picked for arse-kissers over superior talent. Sleazy promoters concocted matches to jack-up their mans record. If a fighter was in the loop...fine. Dare step outside...he was all but finished. Boxiing became very bad very quickly.

I think boxings rancid history in America proves your point bro'. MMA fighters are intitled to control the most basic rights in their careers. Too bad so many prize fighters were denied the same.

[JBNTX]

Agreed bone agreed !!

[JBNTX]

Now everything I have read on the contract pertains JUST TO THE VIDEO GAME AND NOTHING ELSE.....which if it is only that.....I say it's not that BAD !! It will prohibit a fighter from ever having his own video game and if they do make one Zuffa will get 80% of the money. Not as big of a deal I I thought.

[Urijah]

He apologized and said he was all worked up from the previous convo. He also called my dad personally and apologized for any misunderstanding on what he had said. He also said he loves having me as a part of his company and is actually the one behind the TV show. He's an emotional guy.

[ama6730]

At least he realizes that he was a total jackass and apologized. But he still needs to act a little more professional and not let his emotions get in the way of promoting mma in a positive way. It looks bad when the president of the UFC is running their mouth about a fighter on the radio. Somebody please give Dana a Midol!

[Lisa]

Yeah someone is his position needs to control his emotions a bit more and not just let shit fly out of his mouth. If not, you're going to spend a lot of time apologizing, as I have come to learn.

[Kimberly]

Thanks for coming on the forum and clarifying things. This was one heated thread. Glad things have been cleared up with Dana.

[Striker1]

Never having read a UFC or WEC contract, I can only comment from my experiences with non-compete clauses. When we hire new employees it is usually takes about 6 months to have them up to speed. Usually by then we have already spent around 30k on training and development. This again is before these new marketing people start earning their way. We have invested in training and use the non-compete as a guarantee to keep them from jumping ship and heading to a competitor (on my dime). The same can be said about UFC/WEC fighters in that Dana is trying to avoid flipping the bill to promote these folks and then having some other organization reap the benefits.

Inside line on non-compete clauses: They rarely hold up in court. Judges are reluctant to "put a guy out of work" therefore depriving him and his family of a livelihood

[Lisa]

That makes sense Striker, never really thought of it that way.

[JBNTX]

Never having read a UFC or WEC contract, I can only comment from my experiences with non-compete clauses. When we hire new employees it is usually takes about 6 months to have them up to speed. Usually by then we have already spent around 30k on training and development. This again is before these new marketing people start earning their way. We have invested in training and use the non-compete as a guarantee to keep them from jumping ship and heading to a competitor (on my dime). The same can be said about UFC/WEC fighters in that Dana is trying to avoid flipping the bill to promote these folks and then having some other organization reap the benefits.

Inside line on non-compete clauses: They rarely hold up in court. Judges are reluctant to "put a guy out of work" therefore depriving him and his family of a livelihood

They dont hold up her e in TEXAS fo SHO !!

[Sac23722]

Funny - I am in class right now and we are learning about these "covenants not to compete" (aka non-compete clauses). I learned about them in my first year in school - now we are just reviewing - but I thought it was funny that I am supposed to be listening and learning about them but instead I am reading about them on the forum.

[Striker1]

In the Commonwealth, they haven't held up generally. The courts are reluctant to deprive someone of an opportunity to earn an income especially if the individual is a licensed professional (Lawyer, Physician, etc). Also, non-competes must have a geographic and time limitation. The "till the end of time" part in the UFC's contract wouldn't hold up.

Look, the attorney that created our agreement specialized in employment law. Even he acknowledged that it was a crapshoot on whether the court would accept or reject the agreement.

They will vary from State-to-State but I know time limits are something that is usually mandatory.