Randy Couture is a legend of the sport. A three-time UFC heavyweight and two-time UFC light heavyweight champion, he helped usher in the TUF era as a coach on the very first season and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2006. He's also someone who's name has been attached to a whole host of fighter issues over the years: be it a fighters union or having the Muhammed Ali Boxing Reform Act expanded to MMA (and even possible renamed the Randy Couture Act.)
With talk of a fighters association heating up and a petition being launched to expand the Ali Act (text of Act here), I thought it would be a good time to talk to Couture and get his take on the current MMA landscape.
Do you think the Ali Act should be expanded to include MMA fighters?
I think it's a no brainer that the Ali Act be expanded to MMA. The similarities in the individual combative sports across the board, and the way the promoters deal with the athletes, is exactly why the Ali Act was formed. And to amend it a little bit and to expand it to mixed martial arts is, I think, a very simple thing to do.
So you see promoters acting in the same way in MMA as they did in boxing? One of the major motivations behind it was that promoters had all the leverage and were forcing boxers to sign extremely one-sided contracts.
This is the problem. The exact thing that went on in boxing, and the reason why the Ali Act was formed in boxing is exactly what is going on and what has happened in mixed martial arts.
As much of this sport has grown and how much some of these promoters are making off these athletes, it's a travesty how far the balances of power has shifted in one direction.
How do you think the promoters will react to any efforts to bring the Ali Act to MMA?
I think they're will certainly be some pushback. I know I've seen interviews with Scott Coker that said he thinks it should be expanded to include mixed martial arts, and he's one of the biggest promoters in the sport. I haven't seen anything from the World Series of Fighting but I can guarantee you there will be pushback and resistance from Zuffa.
One part that many have told me would make a surprisingly big impact is the fact that promoters would have to disclose to the fighters how much revenue they make off an event. How big of impact do you think that would have?
It creates some transparency. The promoters have to disclose what is made and paid on a fight, be it a verbal agreement or a written agreement, which is something that is written into the Ali Act. A big thing that goes on is these side deals with these independent contractors that the public doesn't know about. And it's a way the promoter can protect himself from having a fighter going somewhere else and getting bigger pay.
There is a petition right now for the Ali Act to be expanded to MMA. What do you think of that and have you signed it yet?
I have signed it and I think the more we fighters unite and come together to put some pressure not only on the promoters but also how things are done on a legal level the better it is for us. The more in control of our own destinies we have.
What do you say to those fans that worry the Ali Act would hurt the sport of MMA.
It doesn't make any sense. Expanding the Ali Act will help the market flourish.
What's your view on an association for mixed martial arts fighters? Is it something the fighters need?
I think it makes sense, every other professional sport has representatives, collectively bargaining tool. Usually it's those first guys that get together to put those together that really get hammered.
Maybe a union isn't always neccessary but when you got companies taking advantage of their athletes then a union or association is necessary.
Seems like we've been talking about an association for years. What do you see any movement towards it actually happening?
I definitely think with the current climate in this sport and all the things being done, especially with the lead promotion, the UFC and Zuffa, there is a stronger movement than I've ever seen. It's been talked about since I got into this sport in 1997, but I've never seen a stronger movement towards it then there is right now. Ultimately it takes those top tier guys to want to put it on the line and affect a positive change on their sport and they're the ones actually making money from the promotions and they're risking damaging that relationship and they're ability to make a living doing what they love to do. Risking being blackballed, a whole bunch of things.
What do you say to those fans that don't want to see any of this come about? That they think the sport is better off when the promoter has a lot more leverage than the fighters?
I think someone is drinking Dana's Kool-Aid. I don't think they understand the sport, they don't understand what it's like to be an athlete.
LINK: Randy Couture: It's a no brainer that the Ali Act be expanded to MMA