The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

by Luke Thomas on Apr 7, 2008 2:44 PM EDT in News Comment 18 comments

"The first time was an actual dispute over pay," he said. "They negotiated a contract for a fight with Bas Rutten. Then they came back and said they couldn't pay. I tried to get them to honor their commitment. They couldn't, so I chose to leave. Plus I was getting ready for the 2000 Olympics.

"This is different. This has been an accumulation of things: ancillary rights, use of my name, video games. A bunch of things. I had outside jobs that had nothing to do with the UFC and they wanted to control them. The inability to sign Fedor was the last straw."

It is incredibly cheap and almost unethical for the UFC to run roughshod over the ancillary rights of its fighters. In essence, without each fighter having said rights, the UFC can use their likeness, e.g. image, in deals with various outside manufacturers without the fighter's consent. So if the UFC wanted to allow Mattel to make Rampage action figures, Rampage wouldn't get a dime without ancillary rights.

As far as a I know, what the UFC is trying to pull wouldn't work in MLB or NFL and even the WWE. Even professional wrestlers would get a cut if their likeness was used. But fighters in the UFC? No chance.

Maybe when Couture speaks about "respect", he means more than money after all. I'm sorry, but the UFC should have more respect for it's fighters than this.

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Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

No, he still means money. I mean, you just explained how he may not get any from ancillary rights and that made him upset.

by godzillad on Apr 7, 2008 3:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

A friend of mine is a contract lawyer and I spoke with him about the UFC's attempt to deny fighters (or at least try to prevent them) their ancillary rights. He said, and I quote, "That is incredibly unfair. You can't offer contracts like that and expect to be taken seriously."

It's more than a matter of X amount of dollars. Within the parameters of the contract is the underpinning of how you're viewed as a commodity, employee, etc. Combine this with the fact that UFC continually marketed Couture as an undeserving underdog. Granted, his popularity is due in large part to his ability to overcome, but I can completely see why Couture would feel less than championed by his UFC bosses.

by Luke Thomas on Apr 7, 2008 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

You're still talking money, Luke.

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by Richard Wade on Apr 7, 2008 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

Just because it happens to involve someone receiving money does not mean that the principle is monetary. The issue here is not money, it's principle. Fighters bring to the table not only their individual fighting abilities, but also an image that they individually cultivate (Randy is the quintessential pleasant sportsman with no anger towards his opponent, Rampage as a howlin, chain wearing character straight out of a Tekken game, etc). The UFC simply does not (or should not) have the right to their images without compensation.

Besides, even if it were just about money, who gives a shit? These fighters risk their health when they step in the Octagon. I dislike whiny millionaire athletes as much as the next guy, but it's not like billionaire owners are much better. NFL players work ridiculously hard to get to the NFL, and then they work year round to stay in shape and perform at their best - if they don't, they'll quickly be out of a job. I think they deserve to be paid. As long as people watch the game,and the money comes in, a good portion of it should go to the players. Same for MMA.

Fighters in the UFC need some kind of Fighters Association, like the Players Association in the NFL - to keep them from getting dicked. The fans and the fighters deserve transparency from Zuffa regarding their finances, so we can decide if the fighters are getting a fair shake. If Zuffa is paying them fairly after expenses and taking in a reasonable profit, then why would they fear transparency?

by Jiiri on Apr 7, 2008 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

First of all, I don't for a second buy that it's "about principle" more than money. It's always about money.

They deserve to make whatever anyone is willing to pay them and not a cent more. If they can't find a better contract than the one offered by the UFC, they're not worth more than that.

There's no reason for Zuffa to be transparent. They're privately owned. It's none of your business nor mine how much profit they're making. And I ask you, "what is a reasonable profit? And what gives you the right to tell someone what is a reasonable profit for them to make?"

I am sick of people acting like they have the moral authority to tell other people what contracts they can and can't enter into.

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by Richard Wade on Apr 7, 2008 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

And in business the two are never mutually exclusive.

by asa on Apr 7, 2008 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

If he signed a contract giving the UFC the ability to use his likeness, etc as they see fit. Then I don't feel bad for him for a second.

If not, then he could very quickly and very easily go to court and prevent them from doing such.

by Brent Brookhouse on Apr 7, 2008 3:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

I got to argue with you on this one. The UFC contracts seem very similar to the old DC comics contracts -- you know the one where Siegel & Shuster sold any and all rights to Superman for all time for $130. Those bullshit rip-off contracts were thrown out of court repeatedly and for a good reason, they're grossly unfair even if both parties agreed to them. The UFC is trying to treat the fighters like disposble commodities that they own in full to do with as they wish. It's not a sustainable model.

by Kid Nate on Apr 7, 2008 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

Dude, that's all fine and dandy but this isn't like Randy was an unknown who didn't know anything about the fight game or the UFC business. He came out of retirement and negotiated that into his contract. This was a brand new deal. It's not like they were capable of sneaking it in there. He must have gone over everything throughly. Simple fact of the matter is like the dude said above. You signed a contract. Too bad. You don't want to contract, that's fine. It's the UFC's house, they set the rules for the table.

It sucks, but it's business, he put his name on the dotted line.

by Gabber on Apr 8, 2008 8:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

Ok, but if he's contractually done in July as he believes he is and as a court could soon decide he is by matter of explicit judgment, then what has he done wrong by sitting out?

by Luke Thomas on Apr 8, 2008 8:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

same thing with A&R in the music world, they'll sign a band to a shit contract when they're desperate, and the contract controls them for life even if the record company never records or releases a track. I'm oversimplifying there, but still, A&R sucks.
it's entirely possible for a contract to be agreed upon by both parties and STILL BE TOTALLY UNFAIR. sorry libertarians.

by garth on Apr 7, 2008 4:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

Fair as determined by the arbitrary standards of third parties like yourself. If either party didn't think the terms of a contract were "fair," they shouldn't have signed it.

I enjoy watching Couture fight, but screw him for thinking he shouldn't have to honor a contract because he now realizes he shouldn't have signed it.

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by Richard Wade on Apr 7, 2008 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

How has Couture not honored the contract? If a court throws out the contract and/or agrees with the interpretation of Randy's lawyers, what exactly has he done wrong ethically or legally?

I don't understand people who go to bat for the company/owners when it comes to labor disputes in sports.

by MikeyPatriot on Apr 7, 2008 9:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

If the courts find in his favor, I'll admit I was wrong. Until such time, I'll continue to contend that he should have just finished out his fight contract.

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Apr 7, 2008 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

As with anything else in life...I side with whichever side I believe is in the right. In this case I don't see that as being either side honestly.

by Brent Brookhouse on Apr 8, 2008 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

This has the POTENTIAL to be unfair. But I am not aware of the UFC making any money off of Randy's name and likeness. It seems like he has been the disappearing man for the UFC. Check out the next TUF show. Do they use his likeness. I don't know but it will be intersting to watch to see if he has been edited out so to speak.

Randy can go out and sell his own Couture doll tomorrow nothing is stopping him. It's one thing to whine about it, its a whole different story to prove they have unfairly denied him due compensation

by MusicCityBeatdown on Apr 7, 2008 6:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

Couture signed the contract...so I don't feel for him ONE BIT...matter fact...he's been switching his story up from the get go...fuck'em.

by Tha Realness on Apr 7, 2008 7:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights

Um, are we all forgetting that this is the same Randy Couture who came out swinging last year about how he was getting screwed on his contract? The same guy that every MMA blog got behind and said, "shame on the UFC!" And the same guy who, it turns out, couldn't do math?