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Ultimate Fighting Championship controversies
The American-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the world. Since its inception in 1993, the UFC has been the subject of controversies, ranging from moral condemnation of its events by politicians, which resulted in MMA being banned in many US states during the late 90's to mid 2010's, to criticism for underpaying its athletes and for criminal behavior committed by its fighters.
In 1996, United States senator John McCain saw a UFC tape and found it "barbaric". Stating that it was "not a sport", he sent letters to all 50 US governors asking them to ban "human cockfighting". The American Medical Association also recommended a ban. David Plotz of Slate reported that critics also found the chain-link fenced octagon that the combatants fought in to be "grotesque" and demanded that ropes be installed instead. 36 states enacted laws that banned "no holds barred" fighting (the term "mixed martial arts" was not yet being used). In early 1997, McCain became chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which oversees the cable television industry. In April 1997, the president of the National Cable Television Association warned that UFC broadcasts could jeopardize the cable industry's influence in Washington, D.C., despite the fact that the UFC at the time only aired on pay-per-view. TWC, TCI, Request TV, Cablevision Systems, Viewer's Choice, and other major operators stopped airing UFC events, as being too violent for children. Between 1997 and 1998, the UFC instituted more safety rules, such as imposing weight classes and a "10-point must" scoring system, banning head butts and groin strikes, and requiring fighters to wear martial arts gloves. In 2000, California became the first state to implement a set of codified rules governing MMA, quickly followed by New Jersey. In 2016, New York became the 50th and final US state to legalize MMA.
The UFC has long been criticized for underpaying its fighters. Karim Zidan of The Guardian reported in December 2022 that, unlike the vast majority of sports leagues and organizations, where athletes receive between 47% and 50% of the sport's revenue, the UFC has historically paid out between 16 and 19% of its revenues to its fighters. In 2021, John S. Nash of Bloody Elbow reported that since 2005, fighter pay fluctuated between 15 and 22% of the UFC's revenue. In contrast, rival promotion Bellator MMA paid their fighters 44.7% of their revenue between 2010 and 2016, while Strikeforce (active in MMA promotion from 2006 to 2013) reportedly paid their fighters 63%. Northwestern University labor law professor Zev Eigen told the Bleacher Report in 2013, that Eddie Alvarez's UFC contract was the worst he had seen in the sports or entertainment fields; "There's nothing that sets a minimum or basic standard" of pay that the company can not go below. Eigen called the confidentiality clause prohibiting a fighter from revealing how much they are paid a violation of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. In 2016, James Quinn of the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, called Georges St-Pierre's UFC contract "something out of the 1940s" and was "blown away" by how restrictive it was; "They're basically tying him up for life. They have no rights and they own all of his licensing and all the other things. It's unheard of in the other professional sports." In 2020, sports journalist Bryant Gumbel called the UFC, "the one sport [sic] in which the athletes seem to have the fewest rights and arguably the least say in their own safety". Marc Raimondi of ESPN wrote that it is common for UFC fighters to go into fights with injuries because they do not get paid unless they fight.
The UFC maintains that its fighters are independent contractors, not employees, and therefore lack the right to unionize under federal law. Sports agent Jeff Borris said, "if you analyze the situation, they're employees. [The UFC] tells them when to fight, where to fight, and whom to fight. They tell them what they can wear [...] and also prevent them from fighting for other promotions." A 2020 poll conducted by The Athletic found that out of 170 mixed martial artists, 79.4% said they were in favor of organizing in a way comparable to the professional unions and associations in other sports. According to Borris, the UFC is against unionization because "They would have to fund things like medical insurance and pensions, share in the licensing and other revenue streams that they don't want to do." The UFC has "vigorously opposed" the efforts of Markwayne Mullin to expand the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which helps protect fighters' interests from promoters, to cover mixed martial artists, including by paying lobbyists.
Because they are labeled independent contractors, the UFC does not provide long-term health insurance to its fighters. For years, the company only formally offered medical benefits to fighters on its active roster who suffered immediate injuries as a result of fights. Raimondi wrote that this is another reason UFC fighters go into their matches with injuries; to make it seem as if the injury occurred during the bout, as otherwise the fighter has to pay out of pocket. In May 2011, coverage of injuries occurring during training camps for UFC fights were added to the company's policy. The UFC does not offer a pension plan for fighters dealing with injuries after they retire from competition.
The UFC has policies that indirectly limit a fighter's financial opportunities. UFC contracts have exclusivity provisions, meaning the fighter can not compete in other MMA organizations or even other sports while under contract. This specific provision is partly the source of a civil lawsuit brought against the UFC by several of its former fighters that alleges the company exercises monopoly and monopsony power in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. (See Ultimate Fighting Championship#Class action lawsuits). Since 2014, the UFC has had deals with specific apparel companies to exclusively provide uniforms that all fighters must wear, limiting the sponsorship opportunities of its athletes. Scott Coker, president of rival promotion Bellator MMA, stated, "they're independent contractors. How they're forced to wear a uniform, to this day, still baffles me. It should be against the labor laws or something." Before implementing uniforms, the UFC had a "sponsor tax" requiring businesses to pay them a fee before their logos could be placed on a fighter's apparel.
UFC 151 was scheduled to take place on September 1, 2012, headlined by Jon Jones defending the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against Dan Henderson. On August 23, UFC president Dana White announced that Henderson had sustained a partial rupture of his medial collateral ligament and had withdrawn from the fight. White then announced via press conference that UFC 151 would be the first event in the organization's history to be cancelled, after Jones declined to fight new opponent Chael Sonnen on eight days' notice. White blamed the cancellation on Jones and his coach Greg Jackson, stating that UFC 151 would be "remembered as the event Jon Jones and Greg Jackson murdered". Jackson had advised Jones against accepting the fight with Sonnen on what equated to three days' notice when factoring in weight-cutting and media responsibilities, due to him having a "completely different style" than Henderson. Some MMA analysts see the UFC as being at fault for putting together a "relatively weak" undercard that could not be salvaged after losing the main event. By holding events nearly every weekend, the organization's pool of fighters available as substitutes when injuries occur is shallow. CBS Sports columnist Gregg Doyel argued White's mishandling of UFC 151 proved that UFC fighters need a union, stating: "...fights fall through all the time – the flimsy card fell apart. This was the UFC's fault. This was UFC president Dana White's fault." Cory Braiterman of MMA Mania called White's behavior "appalling". He wrote that the UFC tried to "blackmail" Jones by telling him they were going to cancel the event if he did not fight, but "Jones is not paid to look after the well-being of other fighters. The head honchos were the ones who made [the cancellation] decision and the blame lies squarely on them." Henderson was also criticized when it later emerged that he had been injured three weeks prior to the announcement and kept quiet about it as he still hoped to compete.
In the hours leading up to UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Masvidal on November 28, 2015, betting on a match between South Korean Tae Hyun Bang and American Leo Kuntz saw a massive swing in Kuntz's favor, raising suspicions of match-fixing. However, Bang won the fight by split decision, seemingly contradicting a fix. In August 2017, South Korean prosecutors indicted Bang for alleged involvement in match-fixing. Chris Taylor of BJPenn.com reported that Bang was convinced by South Korean gambling brokers to throw his fight and the brokers then bet nearly US$2 million on Kuntz. Bang, who was paid US$92,610 to take the fall, then bet roughly US$44,000 on Kuntz. However, UFC officials who noticed the odd betting warned both fighters about match fixing before the bout, and Bang subsequently decided to fight for real, leading to his win. As a result of his change of heart, Bang reportedly received death threats and explained the situation to South Korean police. On November 24, 2017, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Bang to 10 months in prison for accepting money to throw the fight. The three people who gave him the money also received jail terms.
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Ultimate Fighting Championship controversies
The American-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the world. Since its inception in 1993, the UFC has been the subject of controversies, ranging from moral condemnation of its events by politicians, which resulted in MMA being banned in many US states during the late 90's to mid 2010's, to criticism for underpaying its athletes and for criminal behavior committed by its fighters.
In 1996, United States senator John McCain saw a UFC tape and found it "barbaric". Stating that it was "not a sport", he sent letters to all 50 US governors asking them to ban "human cockfighting". The American Medical Association also recommended a ban. David Plotz of Slate reported that critics also found the chain-link fenced octagon that the combatants fought in to be "grotesque" and demanded that ropes be installed instead. 36 states enacted laws that banned "no holds barred" fighting (the term "mixed martial arts" was not yet being used). In early 1997, McCain became chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which oversees the cable television industry. In April 1997, the president of the National Cable Television Association warned that UFC broadcasts could jeopardize the cable industry's influence in Washington, D.C., despite the fact that the UFC at the time only aired on pay-per-view. TWC, TCI, Request TV, Cablevision Systems, Viewer's Choice, and other major operators stopped airing UFC events, as being too violent for children. Between 1997 and 1998, the UFC instituted more safety rules, such as imposing weight classes and a "10-point must" scoring system, banning head butts and groin strikes, and requiring fighters to wear martial arts gloves. In 2000, California became the first state to implement a set of codified rules governing MMA, quickly followed by New Jersey. In 2016, New York became the 50th and final US state to legalize MMA.
The UFC has long been criticized for underpaying its fighters. Karim Zidan of The Guardian reported in December 2022 that, unlike the vast majority of sports leagues and organizations, where athletes receive between 47% and 50% of the sport's revenue, the UFC has historically paid out between 16 and 19% of its revenues to its fighters. In 2021, John S. Nash of Bloody Elbow reported that since 2005, fighter pay fluctuated between 15 and 22% of the UFC's revenue. In contrast, rival promotion Bellator MMA paid their fighters 44.7% of their revenue between 2010 and 2016, while Strikeforce (active in MMA promotion from 2006 to 2013) reportedly paid their fighters 63%. Northwestern University labor law professor Zev Eigen told the Bleacher Report in 2013, that Eddie Alvarez's UFC contract was the worst he had seen in the sports or entertainment fields; "There's nothing that sets a minimum or basic standard" of pay that the company can not go below. Eigen called the confidentiality clause prohibiting a fighter from revealing how much they are paid a violation of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. In 2016, James Quinn of the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, called Georges St-Pierre's UFC contract "something out of the 1940s" and was "blown away" by how restrictive it was; "They're basically tying him up for life. They have no rights and they own all of his licensing and all the other things. It's unheard of in the other professional sports." In 2020, sports journalist Bryant Gumbel called the UFC, "the one sport [sic] in which the athletes seem to have the fewest rights and arguably the least say in their own safety". Marc Raimondi of ESPN wrote that it is common for UFC fighters to go into fights with injuries because they do not get paid unless they fight.
The UFC maintains that its fighters are independent contractors, not employees, and therefore lack the right to unionize under federal law. Sports agent Jeff Borris said, "if you analyze the situation, they're employees. [The UFC] tells them when to fight, where to fight, and whom to fight. They tell them what they can wear [...] and also prevent them from fighting for other promotions." A 2020 poll conducted by The Athletic found that out of 170 mixed martial artists, 79.4% said they were in favor of organizing in a way comparable to the professional unions and associations in other sports. According to Borris, the UFC is against unionization because "They would have to fund things like medical insurance and pensions, share in the licensing and other revenue streams that they don't want to do." The UFC has "vigorously opposed" the efforts of Markwayne Mullin to expand the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which helps protect fighters' interests from promoters, to cover mixed martial artists, including by paying lobbyists.
Because they are labeled independent contractors, the UFC does not provide long-term health insurance to its fighters. For years, the company only formally offered medical benefits to fighters on its active roster who suffered immediate injuries as a result of fights. Raimondi wrote that this is another reason UFC fighters go into their matches with injuries; to make it seem as if the injury occurred during the bout, as otherwise the fighter has to pay out of pocket. In May 2011, coverage of injuries occurring during training camps for UFC fights were added to the company's policy. The UFC does not offer a pension plan for fighters dealing with injuries after they retire from competition.
The UFC has policies that indirectly limit a fighter's financial opportunities. UFC contracts have exclusivity provisions, meaning the fighter can not compete in other MMA organizations or even other sports while under contract. This specific provision is partly the source of a civil lawsuit brought against the UFC by several of its former fighters that alleges the company exercises monopoly and monopsony power in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. (See Ultimate Fighting Championship#Class action lawsuits). Since 2014, the UFC has had deals with specific apparel companies to exclusively provide uniforms that all fighters must wear, limiting the sponsorship opportunities of its athletes. Scott Coker, president of rival promotion Bellator MMA, stated, "they're independent contractors. How they're forced to wear a uniform, to this day, still baffles me. It should be against the labor laws or something." Before implementing uniforms, the UFC had a "sponsor tax" requiring businesses to pay them a fee before their logos could be placed on a fighter's apparel.
UFC 151 was scheduled to take place on September 1, 2012, headlined by Jon Jones defending the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against Dan Henderson. On August 23, UFC president Dana White announced that Henderson had sustained a partial rupture of his medial collateral ligament and had withdrawn from the fight. White then announced via press conference that UFC 151 would be the first event in the organization's history to be cancelled, after Jones declined to fight new opponent Chael Sonnen on eight days' notice. White blamed the cancellation on Jones and his coach Greg Jackson, stating that UFC 151 would be "remembered as the event Jon Jones and Greg Jackson murdered". Jackson had advised Jones against accepting the fight with Sonnen on what equated to three days' notice when factoring in weight-cutting and media responsibilities, due to him having a "completely different style" than Henderson. Some MMA analysts see the UFC as being at fault for putting together a "relatively weak" undercard that could not be salvaged after losing the main event. By holding events nearly every weekend, the organization's pool of fighters available as substitutes when injuries occur is shallow. CBS Sports columnist Gregg Doyel argued White's mishandling of UFC 151 proved that UFC fighters need a union, stating: "...fights fall through all the time – the flimsy card fell apart. This was the UFC's fault. This was UFC president Dana White's fault." Cory Braiterman of MMA Mania called White's behavior "appalling". He wrote that the UFC tried to "blackmail" Jones by telling him they were going to cancel the event if he did not fight, but "Jones is not paid to look after the well-being of other fighters. The head honchos were the ones who made [the cancellation] decision and the blame lies squarely on them." Henderson was also criticized when it later emerged that he had been injured three weeks prior to the announcement and kept quiet about it as he still hoped to compete.
In the hours leading up to UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Masvidal on November 28, 2015, betting on a match between South Korean Tae Hyun Bang and American Leo Kuntz saw a massive swing in Kuntz's favor, raising suspicions of match-fixing. However, Bang won the fight by split decision, seemingly contradicting a fix. In August 2017, South Korean prosecutors indicted Bang for alleged involvement in match-fixing. Chris Taylor of BJPenn.com reported that Bang was convinced by South Korean gambling brokers to throw his fight and the brokers then bet nearly US$2 million on Kuntz. Bang, who was paid US$92,610 to take the fall, then bet roughly US$44,000 on Kuntz. However, UFC officials who noticed the odd betting warned both fighters about match fixing before the bout, and Bang subsequently decided to fight for real, leading to his win. As a result of his change of heart, Bang reportedly received death threats and explained the situation to South Korean police. On November 24, 2017, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Bang to 10 months in prison for accepting money to throw the fight. The three people who gave him the money also received jail terms.