Ortega stands by decision to not fight at UFC 226: ‘I’m no yes man’

[FrankieNYC]

Update:
If this has been discusses I apologize bc I was away for a few days, but Ortega said that Dana said they would discuss the situation next week, so nothing is official about him getting nothing for his time. Maybe they will or most likely he will get a small bump in pay for next fight (maybe he will be offered one next week)

 

[FrankieNYC]

@BirdWatcher
Something I left out after re-reading the post you liked.

Dana has very little control over paying a fighter for refusing a replacement fight, but he can give him a bit more for his next fight.
That is what I think might hopefully occur in this case.

 

[La Paix]

@BirdWatcher
Something I left out after re-reading the post you liked.

Dana has very little control over paying a fighter for refusing a replacement fight, but he can give him a bit more for his next fight.
That is what I think might hopefully occur in this case.

Good info above thanks.

I don't expect all kinds of hands outs and charity for these guys but it's a costly commitment prepping for these big fights. A little insurance or guaranteed pay for the ones not at fault would be great to see.

 

[FrankieNYC]

Good info above thanks.

I don't expect all kinds of hands outs and charity for these guys but it's a costly commitment prepping for these big fights. A little insurance or guaranteed pay for the ones not at fault would be great to see.

I agree completely.
But the way AC's & prize fighting is set up, doesn't cater to that.
I was replying to your comment about the contracts & what is in them.

Its a weird situation.
I don't think UFC ever stiffed a guy (in the end) when they couldn't get a replacement fight for them.
But they had a fighter on stand-by & Ortega had to know that.
Then he refused anyway.
I can see WME telling DW "fuck him"
What was the point of the fighter on stand-by?

Somewhere in the middle is fair, but contractually the fighter is fucked.

 

[La Paix]

I agree completely.
But the way AC's & prize fighting is set up, doesn't cater to that.
I was replying to your comment about the contracts & what is in them.

Its a weird situation.
I don't think UFC ever stiffed a guy (in the end) when they couldn't get a replacement fight for them.
But they had a fighter on stand-by & Ortega had to know that.
Then he refused anyway.
I can see WME telling DW "fuck him"
What was the point of the fighter on stand-by?

Somewhere in the middle is fair, but contractually the fighter is fucked.

You think Brian was forewarned about this possibility and knew Stephens could be next?

 

[FrankieNYC]

You think Brian was forewarned about this possibility and knew Stephens could be next?

Seemed like a lot of people knew.
Weird if he didn't.
why would they keep that from him?
At least his camp had to know.
MMA is not a big world.
Camps & fighters talk.

 

[Ted Williams' head]

I'm with him 100%. If you're at the very top for a title shot, why risk that in a "days notice" fight against a dangerous guy like Stephens? For no additional money? How does that make sense?

Guys need to take a step back and start looking at it like a business, and drop the "anywhere anytime" caveman nonsense. Frankie had a title shot and fucked up by taking on Ortega.

 

[Aj Garcia]

Bout agreements are for that fight only.
The commission overseas that
They have the AC reported pay from the promoters & could pay the fighters if it was in the bout agreements, but they are not.
Ask @Aj Garcia about being fucked out of money & tickets & having to pay to watch the show he was supposed to fight on
In some states they have a "if you weigh in, you get your show money" rule.
Vegas does not.

UFC has given partial or full show money in the past, depending on circumstances.

WME are a lot tougher on this than Lorenzo era.
So this is not on DW.
If you think he should be paid camp expenses, I can completely see that as a compromise & this is where WME are more adherent to the signed word than Lorenzo & certainly where the blame (for lack of better wording) should fall.

Ya I totally feel for Ortega. Camps are not cheap and if something like this happens you definitely get screwed, but at the same time I get it too. If max had pulled out at the weigh ins and Ortega made weight I think he should’ve at least received his show money, but it happened the week of and he was given the chance to fight still but turned it down. I had the chance to fight and wanted to but my coach was the one that didn’t like the fight or else I would’ve taken it and got paid. It was definitely some bullshit tho that they couldn’t at least comp me some tickets so I could be a part of the show dedicated to my coach.

 

[1031]

He took a step-up fight against Edgar and made the most of the opportunity, he then balked at terms which would have allowed another fighter to attempt the same. That speaks volumes.

 

[FrankieNYC]

He was compensated

Brian Ortega says he was compensated by UFC, will wait for title shot and pray for Max Holloway

Brian Ortega says he and Dana White were able to work out a financial arrangement in the aftermath of a scrapped UFC 226 title shot, and all is well between the featherweight finisher and the UFC boss.

“I’m feeling a lot better now,” Ortega said. “The heartbreak was a little bit real at first, but then once I started to realize the bigger picture and everything – and I had to put my ego aside and put my thinking cap on in terms of businesswise – we made the right decision. I talked to Dana just the other day, and everything is good between me and him. He compensated me – we reached an agreement.”

 

[Yossarian]

The responsibility should be on the fighter who did not make it to the fight. And at the end of the day... it was Holloway... it is what it is.

 

[Wild]

He 100% made the right call. Fuck an interim title.

 

[Ted Williams' head]

Seems like something that needs to be worked out on the contract level. I see it from the UFC's perspective - it's a crazy business where injuries happen and at times you're going to need guys to take short notice fights to save cards. But it's such a shitty position for a guy like Ortega to be in, where he reached the pinnacle and is finally getting a title shot, you spend months training for a specific guy, and then a few days out the rug is pulled out from under your feet and now you're expected to fight an entirely different guy for a non-title bout. In a dangerous sport like this with so much on the line, that's a lot to ask.

Maybe they should work alternates into the contract for all title fights. Have a designated alternate, so your bout agreement says you're fighting Max Holloway, but in the event that he has to pull out, you're fighting Jeremy Stephens. So everyone knows months in advance, and at least the alternate is in the minds of the fighters.

Ortega takes that Jeremy Stephens fight short notice, a guy who he hasn't even though about, he gets caught with a punch and knocked out, and suddenly you're likely at least a year away from another shot, if in fact you can even get back to the spot to get one. And a guy with nothing to lose takes all your heat. Can't blame Ortega for turning it down.

 

[Filthy]

Maybe they should work alternates into the contract for all title fights. Have a designated alternate, so your bout agreement says you're fighting Max Holloway, but in the event that he has to pull out, you're fighting Jeremy Stephens. So everyone knows months in advance, and at least the alternate is in the minds of the fighters.

it doesn't seem fair to make a fighter prepare for two opponents, it takes a lot to analyze an opponent at this level and come up with a strategy. DC said his camp noticed a small weakness in Stipe when he broke the clinch, and built a game plan around it. That's a lot film to watch, and time to put in training some very specific situations.

I'd rather if they just stripped the belt from the champion if he couldn't get to the first bell. If the promoter says "We're having a fight for the belt on Saturday. Be ready." everybody in the division is going to be ready. You give the former Champ the status of #1 contender with a guaranteed next shot at the belt, and you give the fans what they paid for. How hard could it be to give the top 5 available guys in a given weight class licensed in the state that's hosting the championship fight?

And how many of these are due to missed weight? UFC can't figure out how to outlaw weight-cutting? Like the dude who shows up to watch you pee in a cup can't carry a scale?

Promoters gotta promote, fighters gotta fight. And it's stupid, but it's all about the belt.
When a promoter or a fighter is bigger than the belt, it's bad for business. Diluting the championships with interim titles is bad for business.

 

[CLINTK9]

fighters get injured and pull out all the time, it should be no shock when it happens and as a FIGHTER you should be ready to fight a replacement if that happens. if you CHOOSE not to fight, dont expect pay of any kind. fighting the replacement fight also is better for all your fans that paid and came to see you fight.

 

[Filthy]

fighters get injured and pull out all the time, it should be no shock when it happens and as a FIGHTER you should be ready to fight a replacement if that happens. if you CHOOSE not to fight, dont expect pay of any kind. fighting the replacement fight also is better for all your fans that paid and came to see you fight.

right, you should risk everything you've worked for in exchange for no appreciable benefit...oh wait.

you should not do that.

 

[jimmy boogaloo]

'no' then 'yes' following each other in a sentence is very barely tolerable.

 

[Robbie Hart]

'no' then 'yes' following each other in a sentence is very barely tolerable.

Lol, i caught myself doing this recently

 

[Leto1776]

Fuck his money. Denied someone else the same opportunity that got him to where he is. Other fighters who got compensated for not fighting, weren’t offered an alternative fight, or were physically unable to through no fault of their own (Borg, Chiesa). TCity and his bitch ass pony tail were, and he turned it down. No sympathy.