Is Roger Huerta Worth More Money?
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 7, 2008 10:02 AM EDT
in MMA News
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PrintOver the past few weeks the tide of internet opinion has been turning against Roger Huerta. As with most things in life it all comes down to money. Roger wants more of it and has said so publicly which has in turn upset Dana White. There is a lot of talk in the MMA community that Huerta is a "protected fighter" who has not beaten anyone that puts him in line for the kind of raise he is rumored to be asking for (word is that he wants a bigger deal than BJ Penn has).
While the idea of more money than Penn is a stretch I've got to believe that the UFC is in a place where they almost have to bend to his desires.
The UFC was fine with losing Tito Ortiz to Affliction, if for no other reason than his demands could be financially crippling for the upstart promotion. I do get the feeling that the UFC brass probably wish they would have re-signed Andrei Arlovski after seeing the reaction he received at the inaugural Affliction show. Arlovski has remained a strong fan favorite even despite some lackluster showings toward the end of his UFC run and he remains one of the fighters I most get asked about by casual fans. Arlovski would have even provided a boost to UFC 90 in Chicago as he remains a popular figure in the area.
Huerta has broad appeal, he is handsome, young and is an all-action fighter. Win, lose or draw this Saturday he can demand a nice sum that should be within reason for any of the major promotions. The amount he asks for will likely be above what he has "earned" in terms of major wins but it isn't going to be at Ortiz levels of being potentially promotion crippling.
Perhaps the most important aspect of Roger Huerta though is his heritage. Being of Latino descent he has what is still a relatively unique appeal for the upper levels of mixed martial arts. Having covered boxing for several years it is considered a general fact of life that the Latino market is huge for fight PPV sales. As the sport grows having marketable Latino stars is going to be something of increasing importance for MMA promotions. Roger is exactly the kind of star that has been money for the Latino market in boxing with his brash but not overly cocky attitude and gutsy hard-charging style. In today's economy the UFC would do well to continue to attempt to expand its appeal to as many demographics as possible and letting Huerta go would go strongly against that philosophy.
Is Roger Huerta being unreasonable by wanting more money? Perhaps. But the real question is, can the UFC afford to let his marketability be taken elsewhere? I think not.
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More where he came from?
I like Huerta BECAUSE he is Latino. You heard that right. I’m white and I’d love to see the UFC more representative of America, if not the world. Huerta is an eager ambassador, and he’s got the GQ looks going for him too (and a charismatic fighting style). That said, I don’t wanna see him played as a company favorite. That’s what makes this weekend’s Florian fight so interesting. I think the UFC isn’t interested in committing to Huerta because he isn’t “there yet” in terms of accomplishments and because latino spokespersons are a dime a dozen. C’mon, Dana is probably crass enough to think like that. Even from a fan’s point of view, I’m wondering why skinny Miguel Torrez doesn’t put on 20 lbs. He could play the role if Huerta doesn’t work out. As awful and opportunistic as that sounds, I think that’s about all that we can expect from the UFC from a demographic analysis.
There is a difference, though. Brazilians don’t speak spanish. Pretty much eliminates them on that basis.
Take it where?
Where else can Roger take it and get his ransom demands made? His heritage does for sure come into play but he’s not a lone star. Cain Velasquez is someone they can lock in and groom. Mexicans do not care about pretty fighters, just good ones. Sure he probably does deserve a little more money, but to be paid better then the best in the world without ever having fought someone at that caliber?
I was under the impression he wasn’t taken as a ‘true’ Mexican by those in Mexico by the way he talk and by the way he looks.
by Eugene Schelfaut on Aug 7, 2008 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m not claiming that the Latinos I am friends with represent everyone in the culture. But my friends consider him a great fighter because of his style, the looks don’t factor into it for them. They claim to like him because “he is Mexican” and the way that he fights.
The look thing is more of a thing for the casuals. For example, my wife LOVES him. I was speaking more in terms of the combination of the “looks” which is a factor for some and then the Latino thing which is a major angle in things.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 7, 2008 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions
You’re thinking of De la Hoya, who “whitewashed” himself and represented the US at the Olympics. Roger grew up in LA, Texas, and Mexico before hitting his teens.
Looks don’t mean jack. You don’t have to be ugly to get Mexican fans. Hell, Josh Barnett took his nickname from Marco Antonio Barrera.
Also...
DLH redeemed himself with some gutsy performances. He is not quite AS despised as he was. He’s a bad man in all honesty. Or at least he used to be..
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 7, 2008 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Where?
Affliction is ready to pay for anyone and everyone right now it seems. I don’t think that screams “long term planning” but it does provide a place he can go.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 7, 2008 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Affliction definitely seems like the place to make a quick buck. Or to leverage for a better deal. Personally, I’m old hat when it comes to contracts: I think if you sign a contract, you man up and fulfill it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make noise before the deal comes up. Huerta can talk all he wants about better pay, but I don’t think he deserves it yet. Ultimately, I think the UFC will give in somewhat, precisely because he is marketable. But Huerta has to start beating some bigger names. Beating Guida was a good start.
He won’t be going any where for two more fights. The UFC drags their toes on his last fight and lets Affiliction and DREAM fizzle away. I still say bad timing on Rogers part.
Numbers don't lie
http://www.sherdog.com/stats/fightstats/bestrecords-weightclass
The guy has the best win to loss ratio of any Lightweight. Gray Maynard doesn’t count because he only has five fights.
Numbers do lie
Look at the quality of his competition. Not exactly top flight. His toughest test to date has been Clay Guida. Clay is a great fighter, but not top ten by any means.
I see Roger Huerta in a similar light as Forrest Griffin before the Rampage victory. Not many people (including myself) believe that he is a top lightweight. He has an aggressive and exciting style, an uncanny ability to survive, and all the intangible qualities of a good fighter. Unfortunately, he just isn’t proven. If he gets past Florian, then I’ll change my mind.
I don’t think it’s fair to say he isn’t a great fighter because of who he’s faced. He isn’t Joe Silva, it’s not up to him. You could insist that it remains to be seen if he’s a top ten lightweight, but he’s done a fine job with the opposition he’s been asked to fight. I think he sees a good match up with Florian, and don’t forget that he’ll have a lot of friends and family in the audience (he’s made his home in Minnesota for years now). I’m excited for the fight and I hope he does earn a raise. I don’t sincerely believe he’s serious about wanting BJ money. But hey, you go to buy a car, sometimes you go so low the dealer loses his lunch. Ultimately, you meet somewhere in the middle.
Lastly, Dana wasn’t as mad in that interview as it’s being reported. He almost just chuckled about it in passing. It’s pretty obvious he hears a lot of that noise on a daily basis..
we will have our answers after Saturday night
I think this fight will show everyone including Roger himself what is what. A win propels him up the rankings and gives him a bigger bargaining position and a loss lets him know he’s getting ahead of himself.
I’m picking Kenny for the win so El Matador would do best to not rush things and wait for contract renewal time.
If Heurta beats Florian, let him fight Penn. Then talk about contract money. Put up or STFU. I used to like Roger until he started to whine about money.
by MusicCityBeatdown on Aug 7, 2008 8:15 AM EDT reply actions
Hahaha….so you think Dana wants to potentially put a belt on a guy who’s contract would be over? Yeah, I’m guessing not. Only takes one elbow….
I doubt seriously that he wants to further invalidate that. Besides, is it smart business to have a guy who will probably get to leave with your belt walk out the door after beating the only lightweight you have that anyone will take seriously? Just what the UFC needs: another interim belt. Nothing like boxing at all, guys!
It’s all Ariany’s fault. She ruined him like tito got ruined by Jenna… J/k. He needs to beat kenflo and then he can start talkin a new contract.
Hold up, are we talking about this Arianny?
by steak_knife on Aug 7, 2008 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Her head looks 4x
too big for her body in that picture.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 7, 2008 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
back to the question
Sorry for distracting everyone w/ the photo, but is Arianny really involved w/ Roger Huerta? When did this happen? Isn’t there a policy regarding fighters and ring girls (like Ali Sonoma and Diego Sanchez)?
It’s as though fighters don’t realize that every organization that is not owned by ZUFFA is hemorrhaging money. While Affliction and the AFL are able to offer lucrative deals, the chances of each organization to survive through the year, let alone long term, are slim to none. EliteXC, an organization with a network television deal, already finds themself in such dire financial straits that they cannot so much as bid on free agents coming out of IFL and UFC.
Additionally, while Huerta has the potential to be a huge marketing tool for the Latino community, he is not that yet. Does going to an organization with less exposure in the Latino community than the UFC enjoys help him in the long term towards earning better sponsorship deals and sustaining a high priced fight contract? I calculate not.
Meanwhile, let us not forget that Huerta is hardly the only “great Latino hope” under the ZUFFA umbrella. It seems to me Miguel Torres is still under contract with the organization. Torres is Latino, has every bit the sterling record and impassioned fighting style as does Huerta, plus he has the bonus of not only having beaten the best competition, but is also in an organization that just signed a Mexican television deal. However, one could argue that Torres lacks the name recognition of Huerta at this moment, but then he’s had just three fights in the WEC, his most recent being his most watched and by most accounts a fight of the year contender. What did Roger Huerta do in his third UFC fight? He fought in a possible fight of the year against Leonard Garcia.
To me, it’s very simple. Dana has said that if Huerta wins, it’s a different story. As usual, White is probably right. Beating Florian on what should be among Huerta’s largest stages to date would solidify him as a top 10 Lightweight and justify paying him as one of the best in the UFC. Should he lose, I think given the tenuous state of ZUFFA’s rival organizations, to let Huerta explore his options. He may have a fight or two with Affliction before they fold, at which point Huerta will have to determine if he wants to fight in Japan where his name means nothing, compete at reduced pay for one of ZUFFA’s remaining rivals in the states, or go back to the organization that helped him to become a star with the ability to push him to greater heights of stardom.
The problem...
is that Torres isn’t going to be leaving the WEC any time soon. I’m speaking more on the UFC which is the Zuffa “flagship” organization. I don’t want to see Torres put on weight to be able to fight in the UFC so he isn’t really helping with the PPV buy rates.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 7, 2008 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Torres fights at 135, a weight class that is relatively insignificant to most MMA fans in this country. I think its really hilarious that the WEC somehow matters in spite of pulling IFLesque ratings for all but one of its shows, and the guys there not named Faber are big stars or something.
Lightweight, though more significant, is hardly the marquee division to most MMA fans in this country. However, this county (that is, the US) isn’t really the issue. Both Huerta and Torres have the greatest potential to draw in Mexico, where they may in fact be more receptive to lighter weight classes if their taste in boxers is any indication.
While you’re inclined to ignore the WEC as a legitimate organization, I’m inclined to point out once again that the organization has signed a television deal in Mexico. The inroads are being made, and it’s clear that Torres, among others, will be featured prominently in that market.
Should Huerta sign with Affliction, he will join an organization that seems to be on a limited time line and does not have a television deal in North America. In no way will that help him increase his drawing ability or marketability.
That is indeed true, however its a significantly larger draw than anything below it has ever proven to be. This is undeniable fact. When it comes to comparing bantam and lightweight as far as drawing power, lightweight is exponentially more important at the moment.
I’m not “ignoring” the WEC, I’m just stating what it is in between all the endless banter about how wonderful it is. It is great to watch and I haven’t missed a live show yet, but let’s not go pretending they’re equally important to the UFC. They can’t come close to selling 1,000 tickets in Vegas and their TV generates nearly no ratings unless Faber is fighting Pulver. That they have a TV deal in Mexico is also just wonderful….so how many households is it in? How many people are watching? What kind of revenue is it generating?
As for Huerta signing with Affliction or whomever else, I doubt he cares what kind of fighters they can offer him as much as how much money they can offer him. If UFC offers him $70,000 a fight and EliteXC offers him $200,000, he’s stupid not to take it. Even if EXC goes under, who the hell cares? He can just go back to the UFC like Pulver, Penn, Ortiz, and others have.
Huerta doesn’t deserve anything close to Penn. Forget about fighting skill and win/loss records. Roger is popular but I have a hard time believing he can anchor a PPV event. If he dominates Kenny (I don’t believe that will happen) then he obviously deserves a bump but come on – he’s not the star he thinks he is.
I agree 100%. As of right now, there is no way he could headline an event.
by monkeyfightclub! on Aug 7, 2008 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions
The next level:
Silva
Florian
Penn
Machida
Griffin
Not the next level:
Ortiz
Arlovsky
Rampage
Lesnar
Huerta
This should determine pay in my opinion.
Well...
in reality popularity plays a much bigger role in pay than success. And that is how it should be in a situation where you make money off people being interested in watching your fight cards. Despite Tito being soundly beaten by Machida…he easily is worth more money to a promotion because he brings in more viewers.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 7, 2008 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Being that i’m not a fan of professional wrestling. Pay based on popularity as opposed to talent is a fact I wish wasn’t so. Maybe as MMA fans we should speak out against guys like Lesnar and wannabe Lesnar’s like huerta.
Lets reserve our judgment on Lesnar for after Saturday. Most people think Lesnar has more than a chance to beat Herring.
It’s a favorable match up for Lesnar. Herring isn’t great at jujitsu and his wrestling is only okay. He’s more of a striker, and strikers without a good sprawl is meat against wrestlers. I see a ground and pound stoppage by Lesnar if he has the cardio for three rounds.
Lesnar will beat up Herring...
SO WHAT! The UFC never should have given herring a contract either. Herring is a wannabe lesnar.
Good fights:
Machida vs. Silva
Florian vs. Penn
GSP vs. Condit
Couture vs. Fedor
Bad fights:
herring vs. lesnar
fedor vs. silvia
actually, not too many in the UFC or WEC for that matter
Couture vs. Fedor is a mis-match..not a good fight btw.
http://tharealness.wordpress.com/
by Tha Realness on Aug 7, 2008 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
wannabe Lesnar’s like Huerta
Herring is a wannabe lesnar.
This is getting pretty far off topic on the question of whether Huerta deserves more money, but I have to ask this: Have you ever actually watched mma? Calling Herring (a 10+ year vet who has fought many of the very top guys in mma) a “wannabe Lesnar” (a 1 year vet who has fought nobody and shown absolutely nothing yet) is one of the silliest comments I’ve read on any mma site in quite a while—and that’s saying quite a lot given some of the drivel that floats around the UG and Sherdog. I’m not even sure why you’d call Huerta a “wannabe Lesnar.” I’m not sure anyone who is already in mma can be a “wannabe Lesnar.” Maybe I’m just completely missing some really valid point you’re trying to make, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what it might be …
how exactly is herring a wannabe lesnar? he’s been in the fight game for a while now.
by monkeyfightclub! on Aug 7, 2008 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Oscar De La Hoya is the highest paid and biggest drawing fighter in any combat sport of the last 5 years, and he has never legitimately been one of the 5 best guys in any weight class he competed in during that same time period.
yeah but he was at the top or near the top before that. his past accomplishments and image are why he is/was a huge draw.
by monkeyfightclub! on Aug 7, 2008 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions
You serious? I’ll name Fernando Vargas off the top of my head. Vargas had beaten Vernon Forrest twice and Forrest had beat Shane Mosley twice.
by N. Rodriguez on Aug 7, 2008 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Too bad the fight with Vargas was 6 years ago. He followed it up with a lot of inactivity and Yori Boy Campos. Vargas, it should be noted, didn’t beat Forrest twice. Mayorga did, but by the time Oscar fought him, it was very clear that Mayorga wasn’t anything approaching an elite fighter anymore. Along the way, he lost his paper belts to Shane Mosley after not fighting the clear best challenge at 154 (Winky Wright), won the WBO belt thanks to a horrid decision in a fight against the terminally overrated Felix Sturm, and then lost (as expected) to B-Hop.
Kenny has destroyed all weaker competition
Huerta has merely survived them and then eventually put them away in the 3rd. There’s a huge difference between the two.
Huerta’s got good stand up, but he has no KO power in his hands. His wrestling and jujitsu is weak as he’s gotten near submitted many times but found a way to get through it. His tenacity and his gas tank is legendary. That’s why he keeps winning in the third because he outlast people.
No matter how popular you are, you’ve still gotta win. The UFC can’t sign people on popularity, only wins. His biggest test is Saturday. I will be the first to congratulate him if he wins and I will change my tune and consider him a top lightweight. Unfortunately, I can’t see how he could beat Kenny Florian. No way, no how.
“Kenny has destroyed all weaker competition. Huerta has merely survived them and then eventually put them away in the 3rd. There’s a huge difference between the two.”
Name one time when Roger was in trouble against Wiman, Guillard, Blackburn, Garcia, Dent, Halverson, Crane or Aina. Clay had him rocked and for the sake of argument I’ll count having Doug Evans laying on him for three minutes “trouble”.
Kenny, on the other hand, almost had his knee ripped off by Mishima, his ankle by Lauzon (who he didn’t really finish despite having mount for about seven minutes), beat Din by knee injury, took longer to beat Alvin Robinson than Nate Diaz did and had no answer for Sherk.
by N. Rodriguez on Aug 7, 2008 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Steroid Sherk? He’s improved leaps and bound since then.
Kenny dominated from start and finish Mishima, Robinson, Thomas, and Lauzon. He was never in “trouble” in any of those fight except perhaps the Mishima fight, which he dominated from start to finish but couldn’t put him away.
You already answered your own questions so why ask it? You discount Doug Evans laying on Huerta and yet you dismiss Sherk, a former UFC champ, for laying on Florian? And don’t even compare Huerta’s competition with Florian’s. Doug Evans is a 5-4 fighter. Garcia was a UFC newby who is now fighting in the WEC at 145. He beat a Wiman that was pre-TUF.
Huerta beat a bunch of cans who are no longer in the UFC. Florian dominated current UFC fighters. How do you even start to compare?
I must have missed Mishma, Karalexis, and Cope all still being in the UFC. I also really enjoy that Matt Wiman was markedly improved by TUF. If that’s true, it must make Mac Danzig a legit title contender.
What has he improved in? Wrestling? Striking? The always popular “everything”? Meanwhile, has Huerta stagnated in his development? I’m confused. We all want young fighters to fight amongst each other to see who is best, right? How is this a negative for Huerta? If you want to pick someone that it was bordering on impressive to see Florian get a win over, Leben in TUF1 would be a good pick given how big the guy is and where he still is in that division. Florian’s record is borderline garbage without Din Thomas’ famous exploding ACL and Joe Lauzon’s win over Pulver.
That’s pretty typical of you. If only… well, then, if only Guida didn’t lose, Huerta’s record would be garbage. Stupid reasoning.
Is it? Guida/Huerta doesn’t leave any questions for me. Din Thomas/KenFlo left plenty. Quite franky, I still don’t know what to make of Lauzon either.
Also worth noting since everyone loves the record talk: So, beating a guy who is now the DEEP Featherweight champ is impressive, but beating one of ZST’s top lightweights (and their representative in the PRIDE LW GP) wasn’t?
Guida/Huerta leave no question? Huerta was getting soundly beaten for the first two rounds. Give me a break. I’d like to see a rematch of that fight.
I’m amazed that you’re trying to put down Florian to prove that Huerta is better. The fight is Saturday. The proof will be there.
I agree that the fights Florian had with Din Thomas and Joe Lauzon left a lot of questions out there. Hopefully they will be answered come Saturday.
I am rooting for Huerta btw.
For me, I was not too impressed to be honest. I am not saying that Joe did so much better than Kenny, but I was not impressed. I really didn’t like the way the fight ended. Granted Joe was mounted, but Kenny was not causing any damage – yes, I know Joe was not improving his position – but I wanted to see more.
who has he fought?
No one
I cant wait to hear his tone after Kenny puts him in his place.
by WhiteyBarrington on Aug 7, 2008 9:51 AM EDT reply actions
Jim Miller
I’d really like to see Jim Miller get a crack at the loser. I know that is a bit bigger of a fight than you normally get from the UFC for guys before they’ve been in the promotion for a while…but Miller is totally legit and deserves a big fight early to prove it.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 7, 2008 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Due to popularity, Huerta is probably justified in seeking a bigger contract. Like it or not, popularity is a big part of the picture. Should he get a contract similar to what B.J., GSP, or Liddell receives without proving himself as a top lightweight, it would set a dangerous precedent for the UFC. It would signal that the UFC is willing to cave in on demands if you are marketable. At this point he’s no Tito. While Tito may not be atop his division anymore, he’s proven his marketability over the course of years. Even Tito’s impact is questionable without the UFC.
Secondly, Huerta, being a young fighter, should really look at the viability of these other organizations before jumping ship. If he feels there is a reasonably good chance that Affliction or another promotion that may sign him won’t be around in a couple of years, he would probably be better off staying in the UFC unless the upfront money he’s going to get from the competitor is enormous. Certainly, Huerta should use potential suitors as leverage. If he has to come back to the UFC in the near future after signing with a defunct rival, however, his leverage will likely be significantly less than it is at this point.
I agree.
And I doubt he’s stupid enough to actually jump ship at this point. If he is, then he’s definitely chugging the Kool Aid. All he’s doing is posturing. And while it’s pretty brash, it’s also smart in a way.
I like him, personally, and I think this is just a pompous business move on his part. Hopefully it doesn’t screw him over in the long run.
Huerta wants headliner/champ money. He won a tough fight with Guida, who is only a gatekeeper right now (I’m a big fan, but that is the reality) and that was by far his biggest fight. He does not deserve that type of deal.
Now, if he wins Saturday, he should be in line for a BETTER deal, but not what he is demanding. If he beats florian, he will show that he can hang with anyone not named BJ, in the UFC, but he has in no way shown that he can carry or even help carry a big time ppv card.
UFC is his home, they built him up and have big plans for him. He would be stupid to demand more than he deserves and leave the UFC, imo.
"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"
it's funny
It’s funny how good UFC’s promoting is when the guy their promoting starts believing his own hype.
Where would he be now if he hadn’t signed the contract with the ufc… the contract he is now appalled by?
You can’t bitch about fighter pay when you sign a freagin contract…
suck it up and renegotiate when the time comes. It’s your fault you signed the contract not the UFC’s.
I’m sick of these pre-modannas bitching about pay when they signed the contract. You don’t like it renegotiate when the time comes and if you don’t like that go somewhere else and frank shamrock your career.
UFC will always be in this type of conundrum where if they promote a fighter too much that fighter get’s more leverage over the UFC when contracts come up so then they have to stop promoting him until he resigns and if renegotiation doesn’t go well they tear him down.
This is not good for the fighters and the UFC.
They need to create a system where fighters are pretty much locked up for life so they ca really invest in the fighters in terms of promotion the right fight at the right time, etc…
The only way this would work is if fighters really were set… so they need to start getting on the ball with sponsorship and licensing deals and structure it where it’s more equitable.
With sponships they should set up exclusive sponsorship opportunities only available to ufc fighters.
locking the fighters up for life is kind of not realistic so they should have like a 3 year non-compete.And there should be standard pay scales so a fighter doesnt get screwed by a low contrac… meaning if he headlines he gets headline money, pay per view etc.. depending on which time slot – so on and so forth.
They should add in royalties on dvd sales and on the video game.
This will benefit the UFC and the fighters as everyone will win.
The UFC will really capitalize on it’s fighters where they can sincerely promote them and not worry about creating monsters ala ortiz… and the fighters will really capitalize from the UFC as they will have more of an equity stake in their relationship.
otherwise they will continue to play this cat and mouse game with the new affliction that pops up every now and then.
The UFC has competitive advantages that no other org has and so far they are only using a few.
3 year non-compete if they don’t want to fight, a scalable pay scale per fight based on the type of card and where on the card, if the fighter loses some fights or the ufc doesnt give the fighter fights they can pause the contract and fight in other shows and then resume at a later date, and lastly but not least a serious licensing and sponsorship program.
No fighter in their right mind would sign a “lifetime” contract with any promoter, regardless of what the terms are. So many things can change in a heartbeat that it would be foolish to do so. Of course, Dana White may have his Carl King to work with (and probably does), so who knows what varying fighter managers would tell them.
...
It only took 75 comments to get someone to answer.
Obviously he is worth more than he is getting right now though…His stock is higher than when he signed his current deal.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 7, 2008 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Allow me to rephrase if you will, he is not worth anywhere near what BJ Penn is making. He is due for a raise maybe $50,000 to show/$50,000 to win.
I thought the basis of this discussion was about him wanting almost more than what BJ Penn makes.
That actually sounds like a reasonable sum, along with promotional bonuses and some incentives. Also, if he’s smart, he’ll write in an option to renegotiate if he hits a certain number of wins/takes the title. Seriously, contracts with options like that can be win-win; I don’t know why more athletes don’t go for it.
by AJB on Aug 7, 2008 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Probably...
because the precedent has yet to be set.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 7, 2008 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions
You know, it would be great if the UFC did some cross promotion with DREAM. Could make some great light weight matches that way. There’s actually precedent for that indicating its a possibility. When Dana starts offering guys contracts like that instead of sitting them for not taking his offer, I’ll believe it as a viable option.
not lifetime
not lifetime… but a 3 year non-compete if you choose not to fight for the UFC..
I believe wwe has a 10 year non-compete.
if the UFC doesnt provide fights you’re allowed to fight anywhere else.
If you lose 2 in a row the ufc has the right to pause your contract where you can fight in other shows to get some wins.
Pay is based on a scale of when you fight (ppv, fight night, etc…) and in which order.
Plus a very comprehensive royalty deal.
This way the UFC can truly promote every fighter to their full potential and not play this build up tear down game… while at the same time locking out their competitors.
This has to be done with care as the downside to this could lead to collective bargaining – unionization.
incase your wondering how they will be able to bargain if they sign a scalable pay contract if the market changes…
well one way would be the fact that the ufc will need to continue to bringing in new blood and as new fighters come in they will be looking to sign at fair market value at that time… so then it will adjust accordingly for the rest.
they have to start this with the loyal guys then move to every new sign up and slowly weed out the ones who don’t want to play ball.
WWE's non-compete
has not held up well in court from what I remember.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 7, 2008 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I think
I think it was never defeated in court…
If i recall correctly Lesnar disputed it but they settled outside of court where he still couldnt pro wrestle anywhere but he could compete in real sports.
Bottom line is you’ll be in court for about 3 years to defeat it so either way it serves its purpose.
This set up is the best for the fighters as well as the UFC.
Again: why would a fighter who thinks he’s title contending material sign a contract with a 3 year no compete? No matter how much you offer him, he’s likely to think he’s worth more when you do that.
well...
right now they sign an unlimited extension if they win the title so 3 years is paltry.
And I am not speaking about just huerta here… Im speaking to migrating the whole roster to this system eventually.
first the loyal soldiers and every new signee. then the rest trickle in and after that the rest will fade away.
again there has to be a good and comprehensive back end in place.
I
it's called a migration
it’s a migrated system that will happen over years… if the gsp of today wont sign then the next gsp of tommorow that you sign today will.
And if done right the GSP of today should sign… if the gsp’s of today don’t then the package wasn’t done right.
There’s alot you can do for a fighter that also benefits the UFC assuming the fighter is locked in.
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