Many UFC fighters aren’t happy about plan to remove early weigh-ins

[Wild]

Dana White recently went on record to say that he is “getting rid” of the early weigh-ins and is actively trying to putting it back to the afternoon. He cites how fighters took advantage of the extra time to cut even more weight, leading to more misses during the two-year period it was implemented.

In that two-year span, 62 fighters have missed weight, resulting in 15 fight cancellations. This would be double the amount of misses in the same period prior to the early weigh-ins, and triple the amount of cancellations. According to several fighters though, they shouldn’t be “punished” and lose time to rehydrate because of the small minority of their irresponsible…


Many UFC fighters aren’t happy about Dana White’s plan to remove early weigh-ins

 

[Wild]

I don’t even feel sympathy for them anymore. They should have come together years ago in solidarity, so they could collectively bargain issues like this, apparel, tv deals, etc. They continue to do nothing but complain.

 

[Dat Pre-HollyHolm Ronda $]

I don’t even feel sympathy for them anymore. They should have come together years ago in solidarity, so they could collectively bargain issues like this, apparel, tv deals, etc. They continue to do nothing but complain.

My thoughts exactly. I cant get myself to care anymore.

They should just get in their and fight and shut up and do whatever
Egg tells them. They obviously like being slapped around and mistreated.

 

[kneeblock]

Keep caring fellas. Organizing isn't easy and developing the class consciousness to do so is even harder. Right now as it stands they have no legal basis to organize and there are many battles that would have to be won just to get to that point.

Like any victim of abuse, the best you can do is continue to support them and hope they're able to change their circumstances without enabling delusional ideas and behavior. Someday they'll get there, but for now the UFC's corporatist orientation will continue to hold sway.

 

[megatherium]

They should just do away with the whole practice of weighing in. No one actually weighs what the scale says come fight time anyway. So what's the point, to find out who's the biggest cheater?

 

[Robbie Hart]

No one misses weight in wrestling......well, except for Cormier.....they need to shut the fuck up and make weight......stop bitching, it isn’t like they’re given 24 hours notice to get ready and on weight, they have weeks and weeks and weeks.....they’re either cutting too much weight or they’re lazy.....I don’t think we can dare call them lazy.....

 

[Ted Williams' head]

Make weight at 4pm like a real professional and stfu IMO

If you're dumb enough to cut crazy weight and miss, or come in dehydrated... that's your problem!

 

[FrankieNYC]

Keep caring fellas. Organizing isn't easy and developing the class consciousness to do so is even harder. Right now as it stands they have no legal basis to organize and there are many battles that would have to be won just to get to that point.

Like any victim of abuse, the best you can do is continue to support them and hope they're able to change their circumstances without enabling delusional ideas and behavior. Someday they'll get there, but for now the UFC's corporatist orientation will continue to hold sway.

I get your point, but the issue that I (& @Wild ) bring up a lot, is the fact they cannot even get 30% to sign a card to start the process.
That is ridiculous.
That isn't pro-union, it is pro-info about the possibility of a union.

 

[kneeblock]

I get your point, but the issue that I (& @Wild ) bring up a lot, is the fact they cannot even get 30% to sign a card to start the process.
That is ridiculous.
That isn't pro-union, it is pro-info about the possibility of a union.

It's also a cultural issue. Unionization is easier in already collective efforts like team sports for example. MMA's hyper individualism means it's easy for management to divide and conquer. That's what I mean by developing class consciousness. Fighters talk and largely know one another, but have to of necessity keep each other at arm's length because their job is to try to hurt one another (or each other's training partners). To me, the model used to unionize actors (guild structures) would work best because of similar competitive features in that culture. There are some legal battles that would have to be won first to get to that point and as far as I know Rob Maysey and some others are still working toward them.

 

[1031]

I enjoy this thread and the fact many of you can see the situation for what it is.
Now that we can see what the fighters are like these days, I'm inclined to think a union would make the UFC less interesting to watch.

 

[FrankieNYC]

It's also a cultural issue. Unionization is easier in already collective efforts like team sports for example. MMA's hyper individualism means it's easy for management to divide and conquer. That's what I mean by developing class consciousness. Fighters talk and largely know one another, but have to of necessity keep each other at arm's length because their job is to try to hurt one another (or each other's training partners). To me, the model used to unionize actors (guild structures) would work best because of similar competitive features in that culture. There are some legal battles that would have to be won first to get to that point and as far as I know Rob Maysey and some others are still working toward them.

Also a large % of fighters are from countries that are not as unionized as USA

 

[FrankieNYC]

I enjoy this thread and the fact many of you can see the situation for what it is.
Now that we can see what the fighters are like these days, I'm inclined to think a union would make the UFC less interesting to watch.

We have no idea yet
But if I was a fighter, I would have signed the Project spearhead card ASAP.
If they can't get 30% to even do that, the collective is voicing that they are OK with things.

 

[1031]

We have no idea yet
But if I was a fighter, I would have signed the Project spearhead card ASAP.
If they can't get 30% to even do that, the collective is voicing that they are OK with things.

The more I think about it, the clearer it is- fighters are not business people, and they certainly don't, by virtue of fighting professionally, have any foresight or long-term strategy in guiding a billion dollar business. The majority of them seem to be hard-working, talented, and disciplined but outside of fighting are about getting what they want now. A lot of them are in it for the lifestyle and attention.
I used to think otherwise but we can see very clearly that the more they get, the less watchable the fights become.

 

[FrankieNYC]

The more I think about it, the clearer it is- fighters are not business people, and they certainly don't, by virtue of fighting professionally, have any foresight or long-term strategy in guiding a billion dollar business. The majority of them seem to be hard-working, talented, and disciplined but outside of fighting are about getting what they want now. A lot of them are in it for the lifestyle and attention.
I used to think otherwise but we can see very clearly that the more they get, the less watchable the fights become.

Agree 100%

Almost three years ago (before I ever did any media), I had a convo with a former UFC champ through a friend that was about a post I made on Sherdog.
The post was about how UFC does indeed file financials. The friend of the fighter contacted him & showed him my post.
It began dialogue between the fighter & I that UFC did indeed file how much they make (creditors) & that financial reporters like Meltzer. Nash, Ourand get this info.
He was shocked, that his team had no idea about this but a guy on Sherdog did.

Imagine being that high up in the organization & having less info than I did 3 years ago.

It is asinine that these fighters have no idea about their own business.

 

[1031]

Agree 100%

Almost three years ago (before I ever did any media), I had a convo with a former UFC champ through a friend that was about a post I made on Sherdog.
The post was about how UFC does indeed file financials. The friend of the fighter contacted him & showed him my post.
It began dialogue between the fighter & I that UFC did indeed file how much they make (creditors) & that financial reporters like Meltzer. Nash, Ourand get this info.
He was shocked, that his team had no idea about this but a guy on Sherdog did.

Imagine being that high up in the organization & having less info than I did 3 years ago.

It is asinine that these fighters have no idea about their own business.

I want to like this post and rate it as informative, but it's a perfect example, man.

 

[FrankieNYC]

I want to like this post and rate it as informative, but it's a perfect example, man.

Thanks

 

[Wild]

Agree 100%

Almost three years ago (before I ever did any media), I had a convo with a former UFC champ through a friend that was about a post I made on Sherdog.
The post was about how UFC does indeed file financials. The friend of the fighter contacted him & showed him my post.
It began dialogue between the fighter & I that UFC did indeed file how much they make (creditors) & that financial reporters like Meltzer. Nash, Ourand get this info.
He was shocked, that his team had no idea about this but a guy on Sherdog did.

Imagine being that high up in the organization & having less info than I did 3 years ago.

It is asinine that these fighters have no idea about their own business.

That’s crazy but unfortunately not very surprising. Seems like so many are clueless.

 

[Rambo John J]

I don’t even feel sympathy for them anymore. They should have come together years ago in solidarity, so they could collectively bargain issues like this, apparel, tv deals, etc. They continue to do nothing but complain.

problem is it is an individual sport and they act that way...just like the american dream they all believe they will be millionaires and champs

everyman for himself attitude

and that is the type of thinking that keeps them from lawyering up as a group and using their earning power to get the rights, healthcare, and paydays/share they all deserve.

ees normal

 

[FrankieNYC]

That’s crazy but unfortunately not very surprising. Seems like so many are clueless.

It was incredulous.
A follow-up was another well-known ex-champ saw a tweet where someone from SD used numbers I got from Meltzer/Nash.
He said they were "BS" and again I was brought into it.
He said "who are you & why would UFC tell you?" lol
I explained these were reported by Meltzer & Nash (not me) & he never heard of either.
The two main guys that give UFC financials, he never heard of.
That is like being in the movie business & never hearing about THR or being in music & never hearing about Billboard.
Unreal.

 

[Chromium]

It's also a cultural issue. Unionization is easier in already collective efforts like team sports for example. MMA's hyper individualism means it's easy for management to divide and conquer. That's what I mean by developing class consciousness. Fighters talk and largely know one another, but have to of necessity keep each other at arm's length because their job is to try to hurt one another (or each other's training partners). To me, the model used to unionize actors (guild structures) would work best because of similar competitive features in that culture. There are some legal battles that would have to be won first to get to that point and as far as I know Rob Maysey and some others are still working toward them.

The thing is, MMA isn't a hyper-individual sport. Fighters have teams. Most of the UFC's elite talent can be found in maybe two-dozen gyms, and the vast majority of those are just in the US and Canada, with certain areas like SoCal, the Bay Area, Southern Florida, Denver, Albuquerque, etc. being super-represented. I think some people overestimate how spread out most of the UFC's roster really is.

 

[Haulport]

Unions are a fucking disaster and do nothing but make the rich richer and eliminate opportunity. And in a couple of months (or sooner I think) the SCOTUS will vote against FORCING people to pay union dues and unions will finally be wiped from American life because of that.

The reality is that if the fighters don't like how the UFC treats them then SIGN WITH ANOTHER ORG. Everyonenis just trying to squeeze every penny out of their contracts and stay with an Org that abuses the shit out of them and then complains. IT IS THEIR FAULT if they do nothing to support ALTERNATIVES. These are grown men. If they want to allow other men to determine their destiny then I have no sympathy for them...

 

[Dat Pre-HollyHolm Ronda $]

Unions are a fucking disaster and do nothing but make the rich richer and eliminate opportunity. And in a couple of months (or sooner I think) the SCOTUS will vote against FORCING people to pay union dues and unions will finally be wiped from American life because of that.

The reality is that if the fighters don't like how the UFC treats them then SIGN WITH ANOTHER ORG. Everyonenis just trying to squeeze every penny out of their contracts and stay with an Org that abuses the shit out of them and then complains. IT IS THEIR FAULT if they do nothing to support ALTERNATIVES. These are grown men. If they want to allow other men to determine their destiny then I have no sympathy for them...

I agree as I dislike unions myself but they dont have to form a union.
Simply sticking together to form a collective bargaining agreement like
NBA players have.

The problem is they don't organize and speak with a strong voice at all.

They each individually bend over and take whatever dick Dana gives them