Quote of the Day 2: Heath Herring Calls Out Dana White and the UFC Brass
by Nate Wilcox on Feb 14, 2010 5:40 PM EST
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"I really don't care too much for them, and I don't think they care too much for me (Dana White and the UFC ownership group).... They've got their guys they want to push, guys they want to market. Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir are the guys they want to push and market. The problem is if you're one of the guys who's not one of their favorites, they want to keep you out of the competition.... I'm trying to make money for myself, feed my family, and these guys are trying to do everything they can to make it impossible for me.... With the way the UFC's pay scale is and as much as it costs me to get ready for a fight, at the end of the day I made like 40 grand.... If I was getting a little more money and it was worth my while I'd get back into fighting. But right now I'm making more in movies. I've got to look out for number one as far as that goes.... These guys are literally making money off our blood, sweat and tears. We don't get any health insurance. If you get hurt training for a fight, you're screwed. It's really kind of crazy.... Dana White's got six Ferraris. Hell, I just want one."
Heath Herring talks to Fight Night Radio on ESPN 1080
Herring really has himself to blame considering he got a huge promotional push for his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 8 in 2007. But then he went and lost to Jake O'Brien and since then he's been relegated to the back burner by the UFC.
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Herring has a point, and compared to top draws, he has a good argument for earning more money than he does. Still, many people don’t make $40,000 in a year – he makes it for one fight.
But yeah, they do make money off of the blood, sweat and tears of fighters. That’s capitalism for you.
COmpared to top draws, he has very little case. You can take his argument about MMA fighters being underpaid in general, which can be debated. His last fight we have numbers for is UFC 82, where he got 70k to show and another 70k to win, for 140k. Frank mir only get 45/45 for being a much bigger name and a much better fighter. Junior Dos Santos gets even less at 30/30. He’s definitely not underpaid by UFC standards.
by TLow on Feb 14, 2010 5:41 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I say
We fly the red flag of revolution, topple the establishment and redistribute more fights to Comrade Herring.
by lightmyf1re on Feb 14, 2010 5:45 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
he doesn't even have a ferrari?
what kind of a “life” is that?
It's probably a good thing he doesn't have a Ferrari
He wouldn’t be able to afford to fix it if he had one.
Herring really has himself to blame
Yup. I just don’t get his ill will – he decided it wasn’t worth it, what’s the problem? Now if Brock made the same judgement…
by ununkvadrium on Feb 14, 2010 5:37 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m going to take my wife out. I don’t want to be around to read the comments on this one. I know where this leads.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 14, 2010 5:38 PM EST reply actions
The only way to be sane on the internet is not to be on the internet…how zen of you…
New Orleans Saints - 2010 Super Bowl Champions. Unbelievable. Who Dat.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Feb 14, 2010 5:40 PM EST up reply actions
good call
Yeah, I’m gonna go to Hooters and be pathetic.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Feb 14, 2010 5:42 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
That sounds fun.
Bolts from the Blue // "He looks like a catfish" - Nick Hardwick on Brandon Siler
Bloody Elbow // " looks like your comment violated rule #4. and it’s a heck of a rule, rule #4" - Kid Nate
by Richard Wade on Feb 14, 2010 5:57 PM EST up reply actions
Maybe Heath should blame himself for putting his signature on the contract.
by bigc4277 on Feb 14, 2010 5:38 PM EST via mobile reply actions 2 recs
maybe Heath should win more fights
by TannerMatthews on Feb 14, 2010 5:39 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
No one held a gun
to his head and said “You are going to fight in the UFC.”. Maybe if he actually fought he could get paid. He is coming across as a whiny cry baby. What you need to do Health is man up and and do your job. If you win 3 or 4 you would get a shot. By Disappearing and not fighting, then complaining when you do return, makes you look foolish.
If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. The more productive I am, the more I get paid. Health should try it.
by Riney on Feb 14, 2010 5:43 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
No MMA company offers year round insurance.
Clearly Heath is uhnappy with his current place in MMA. I get that. Does he have a right to be frustrated with Zuffa? On some things, he likely does.
But he has dropped the ball repeatedly. He lost his UFC debut and both of his high profile bouts.
Maybe it is time for him to focus on acting, he might take greater joy in it.
by Lynchman on Feb 14, 2010 5:44 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
sadly, i think the heavyweight division has passed him by already in skill and technique, regardless of his comments above. he had some great fights and moments. thanks heath.
www.tapology.com | twitter @tapology
Really?
With a Hague vs. Tuscherer fight on the most-recent card, you think the skills aspect of the heavyweight division has passed Heath Fucking Herring by?
Although detractors decry (MMA) as a brutal, bloody form of human cockfighting, aficionados know it is a brutal, bloody, totally fucking awesome form of human cockfighting. -The Onion
by The Kittitas Kid on Feb 14, 2010 6:51 PM EST up reply actions
I don't think he meant that everyone can beat him
Seems an obvious point, actually.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Charles Awad on Feb 14, 2010 6:56 PM EST up reply actions
Well, I think he could be pretty competitive with Gabriel Gonzaga, who is in the co-main event of the Versus show. And since he went the distance with Brock Lesnar that means he’s in an exclusive class with…no one. Plus he has a win over Cheick Kongo, who is perennially in the mix. And he’s only 31.
It tells a lot
When a guy is earning more money by doing unknowns moviesx that nobody has heard of than by fighting in the biggest MMA organization in the world and having a name.
The thing is that Herring is probably among the first half on the UFC payroll and is not at all one of the most underpaid.
I think it tells more about the movie industry than the MMA industry.
by brad23 on Feb 14, 2010 5:50 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Before people start with their revenue percentages and the fuzzy math that always ends up happening in this topic, David Stern said that the NBA is going to lose 400 million this year, so they want to cut back their salaries, and the NFL owners are also looking to cut back their salaries.
So the answer to why can’t the UFC pay as much as the other sports is because the other sports are paying out too much.
by Phildo on Feb 14, 2010 5:45 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
That is specious reasoning. So the NBA and NFL, which have seen growth and profits for 20+ years, can now blame players saleries for their sudden downturns and not, say, a massive recession? I guess we have to assume that consumers and advertising spending habits haven’t changed.
The good news for both those leagues is that thanks to collective bargaining agreements players salaries is based on a share of revenue. So as the NBA and NFL make less, players salaries will inevitably go down.
by John Nash on Feb 14, 2010 6:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yet both of these sports are going to be locked out in 2011 if the players don’t agree to reduce that percentage of revenue, which is sort of the entire point.
My mistake. I read your comments to mean that salaries were a direct cause of their problems, not that they would have to be corrected to match current realities.
Carry on.
by John Nash on Feb 14, 2010 6:44 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
yea, i don’t feel bad for any business owners, i just find it odd that people will complain that Zuffa doesn’t pay out the same % of revenue that the other leagues do, when it’s not working for the other leagues, and they have lots of advantages over zuffa.
To me, it’s obvious fighters are making less than what the market can bear. But this isn’t really Zuffa screwing over fighters as much as a lack of options for top talent. It’s as if there was only one major studio in Hollywood, so they can easily out price everyone while at the same time putting a cap on pay. Sure this studio pays more than everyone else, but it’s less than what an actor would get if there was a second studio avaliable.
by John Nash on Feb 14, 2010 6:56 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Hollywood stars make what they make due to movie sales, if they sell a lot they will make a lot. The number of studios doesn’t change that at. Supporting actors get acting jobs in roles they fit into, it’s not like every actor fits every part, that also wouldn’t change according to the number of studios. Of course in movie and TV they are also part of the actors guild so their pay rates are pretty much set by that to start with, also something that has nothing to do with the number of studios out there.
by who me on Feb 14, 2010 7:38 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Hollywood stars make what they make because studios (and production companies if it’s going to be by negative pickup) pay them that to help sell movies. If studio A thinks Bruce Willis will really help their movie’s sales, and offers $10 mil, then studio B might have to offer $13 mil to make sure he signs on to their project instead. But if there is only a Studio A making big budget films, then why not offer Bruce $7 mil? It’s more than he can get paid anywhere else, but it’s not as much as they’d actually be willing to pay for him.
by John Nash on Feb 14, 2010 8:01 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Well if studio A wants to remain the only big budget studio then they will have to still pay what it takes to get and keep him. His leverage in this is attached to how much money his name brings in not how much demand there is from multiple studios for him. If they don’t pay him enough to keep him happy then he’s liable to find a lesser company to work for and bring them up to being major players. Heck Willis is also a movie producer too (as are lots of big name stars).
His value comes from public demand for him because he (and pretty much all the big stars) are not just interchangeable, if a studio wants him (even if there is only one studio) then they have to pay what it takes to get him or their project suffers in sales in the end.
These situations are just a lot more complex than a simple statement that competition makes things better or that it would cause people to make more money.
Actually it is pretty simple, competition does make things better. That’s why, along with supply and demand, it’s one of the cornerstones of capitalism.
Forget actors, because I can see we’ll get into a pointless discussion over actors’ operating as their own producers, so we’ll use screenwriting as an example. You write a great sci-fi flick that could easily be a blockbuster. As your agent I offer it to studio A who are willing to give you $700,000 for it. Good, but I think we can do better so I bring it to studio B who offer $1 mil to make sure they get it. Just like that I got you nearly 150% the first offer.
Now what if there is only studio A? If we don’t like their offer we can’t just start are own studio, that takes a huge amount of capital (especially for sci-fi blockbusters). Nevermind the infrastructure for distribution and marketing. So a new studio is a non-starter for us. So what’s to keep studio A from offering less than last time? It’s not like we can take it anywhere else. See that’s the beauty of the film industry, and competition in general, if someone is not paying us what we think we’re worth we can go to someone else. Currently, unless you want to take a big pay cut, that option doesn’t exist in mma.
On that note, it’s fitting that I’m off to see Casablanca and Double Indemnity. Have a good V-day.
by John Nash on Feb 14, 2010 9:13 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Well that starts with the assumption that everything involved in Capitalism is better or that it’s that simple of a system(as in why we don’t use a pure form of capitalism). Heck you brought up supply and demand and it’s one of the major things that interferes with the idea that competition makes everything better. Too much supply kills the demand and the value of everything associated with it. Too much competition in a tight market risk flooding the market and driving down profits for everyone involved. Competition for competition’s sake isn’t necessarily a good thing. It has to be a quality alternative and there must be a demand for an alternative product or it’s just diluting the system and wasting money.
So a new studio is a non-starter for us.
Well capitalism disagrees with that. If there is a public demand for a second studio to make more sci-fi blockbusters then one will form and those movies will get made too. If there isn’t a demand for a second studio then the sci-fi movie scripts must not be of that high of a demand and thus the market offer from Studio A would be correct. Do I agree with this myself? No, but then I am just pointing out that these things are way more complex than simple examples on a blog discussion can cover properly.
Enjoy the movies V-day is already pretty much over here.
Great point at the end. When you are given fights against guys like Brock and Nogeria and lose that is OK, but don’t complain about not being promoted like a star if you lose to Jake O’Brein. This guy was given the chance to be a star, but proved he is just a middle of the road fighter, and the longer he stays out the more young up and coming guys are going to blow right past him. Have fun with small roles in B movies, MMA doesn’t miss you or need you Heath.
by dpk875 on Feb 14, 2010 5:54 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Of course I had to be delayed a minute...
So I’ll post that I miss the guy. Most people don’t realize just how good he was at his best. Legitimate top 5-10 guy for a time.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 14, 2010 5:58 PM EST up reply actions
That’s great but you don’t hear guys like Rollie Fingers going around bitching that they played baseball before guys like him earned 8 figures a year. It’s not Dana White’s fault that Herring peaked before MMA gained a big following in the USA. I’ve been a fan of Herring’s for a while but stuff like this just sounds like sour grapes. I made a couple comments over at Mania on this quote that I’ll post here in a few minutes.
by ufc4 on Feb 14, 2010 6:09 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Jeez...
a few of you guys really thought I was defending his statements. I’m just saying…I’ll miss the guy when he hangs it up for good.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 14, 2010 8:19 PM EST up reply actions
At Heath’s best, he was moderately well rounded for the time (Erikson in a fight he was losing and an out of shape Kerr were his best wins) . At worst, he could barely hang with the top guys (he was mostly dominated by Nog in their great first tilt) and sometimes got decimated (Mirko, Fedor). At others, he could be prone to the upset, both then and now (Belfort – and yes I know the story behind the fight -and O’Brian respectively).
Heath was never a great HW. He was a default contender in a division that had a few top guys and nothing else. Not to trash his career, but it’s worth noting since he’s now acting like he should be paid like a contender, when it’s a role he hasn’t earned.
by David Castillo on Feb 14, 2010 7:00 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah he might make more doing movies but look at the type of movies they are. B-movies that nobody cares about. Maybe he can get Jake O’Brian to star alongside him in his next movie and he can have it written in the script that he beats him this time. LOL
by SBrooks on Feb 14, 2010 6:04 PM EST via mobile reply actions
The point he was making wasn’t “I’m making great movies” it was “I’m making more to be in movies than I am to fight”
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 14, 2010 8:20 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Do What Chael Sonnen Did!
Heath, dude, stop complaining. The popular fighters who you mentioned are popular for a reason. First of all, they win, and win in an exciting fashion. Second, they have personalities, whether it be inside or outside the cage. Anderson Silva has the personality of drying paint, but his attitude and display inside the cage have made him a fan favorite. Or you can do what Chael Sonnen did, compensate for your rather boring fighting style with a mouth that the people love. Or even if you don’t want to, just be like Jon Fitch: boring style, not a super outgoing personality, but he WINS fights.
by bcpjkell on Feb 14, 2010 6:14 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Why would he want to mimic Sonnen and Fitch, when he makes more than they do?
by John Nash on Feb 14, 2010 6:21 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Last payout for Fitch that I saw was 45/45. For Heath it was 70/70.
by John Nash on Feb 14, 2010 6:28 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I should be more specific
Fitch is basically making $90K a fight because he always wins, except against GSP but it has been widely reported that main event fighters get large, unreported bonuses from the UFC so he probably made 6 figures that fight. Add in the fact that he usually fights 3 times a year and he is probably making double what Herring is per year (in MMA) even if his base salary is lower. So yes, he should mimic Fitch if he wants to make more money.
But fighting more and winning is a lot of work.
by John Nash on Feb 14, 2010 7:17 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Welcome to the real world Heath!!!!
So your telling me the owners of a company
a) drive better cars than you
b) make more money than you do
c) get way more perks even if you work harder than them
d) have their favorite employees.
Wow, Heath you just described my life and the life of most Americans.
by bigdmmafan on Feb 14, 2010 6:19 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Heath you just described my life and the life of most Americans
Except he makes $40K per fight while I make that much in a whole year.
What’s the difference? Herring isn’t good at acting and he makes more at that than he does fighting.
by ufc4 on Feb 14, 2010 6:27 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Wow, Heath you just described my life and the life of most Americans.
Yeah, and like many Americans, he’s changing jobs, because the new job is more lucrative and less risky than his last one. If the paychecks get bigger, maybe he’ll go back. If not, he’ll keep doing what he is doing now.
You can’t be mad at that, because that’s how capitalism works too.
I'm not mad I dont care what Heath does
acting for sympathy because you only made 70k dollars to lose to Brock Lesnar when there are a shit load of people out of work is stupid.
I understand everyone wants to make more money I mean that is the goal in life but its hard to feel bad for someone who really only has to show up whenever they’re fighting.
sure if you want to win and get a better contract you have to train but if Herring had sat on his ass for 3 months showed up the day of the weigh insand then showed up to fight and fought he makes 70k regardless. A lot of people would love to be in that position.
Capitalism has nothing to do with it, people change jobs all the time to try and get a better life for themselves, that’s been happening for thousands of years now. What was so silly about these comments was that Herring is blaming the UFC for the fact that he’s not climbing the ladder and driving a Ferrari when all that is his own fault. MMA is a performance based job, if you want to be making more money then you have to be winning big fights in an impressive manner. Good for Herring in finding a new career to make money off of but lets get real here the reason his MMA career wasn’t going anywhere is because of his performances not because his boss was screwing him over.
Yeah, people always changed jobs.
That’s why we even still have last names like Miller and Fletcher…
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
These guys CHOOSE to be fighters.
It’s funny when these guys cry about not getting paid enough or not getting insurance when they CHOOSE to sign a contract that says what they will and will not get.
So he should have a SAG card now making movies, right? Why cant he get insurance through them
@fjbar on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner
SAG insurance
Most of those policies have riders that bar actors from activities that would cause filming to be disrupted.
certified warlord
had herring beat brock he would be making top dollar
all and all 40k after expenses for one fight is solid
thats more then the average america makes a year.
also out of the 8 movies heath is listed in on imdb , only one has nothing to do with mma
fighting is the only reason he has acting work
by Richard Doughty on Feb 14, 2010 6:24 PM EST reply actions
My comments on this quote from MMA Mania
He’s probably making double or triple what he made in Pride but he’s still whining. Sounds to me like a guy who’s on the downside of his career and he realizes it, now he’s mad that he doesn’t have more cash in the bank even though he made 6 figures in 07 and 08 while people like you and I have to live off $40,000 a year or less.
…when fighters cry about how little they make they always just mention the number they are getting from the UFC (or whatever promotion they fight for), they never include the amount they get from sponsors or the various appearances, after parties, autograph signings, etc. they do throughout the year that supplements their income. I’m not gonna pretend like these guys are filthy rich or that they’re making as much as most baseball or basketball players are but guys like Heath Herring are making a helluva lot more money a year than I am so I have a hard time feeling sorry for them.
He’s not making double or triple what he did in PRIDE. That’s just stupid.
Although detractors decry (MMA) as a brutal, bloody form of human cockfighting, aficionados know it is a brutal, bloody, totally fucking awesome form of human cockfighting. -The Onion
by The Kittitas Kid on Feb 14, 2010 6:53 PM EST up reply actions
3 fights and he clears $120,000 a year + sponsor money.
He was on a local San Diego show as a commentator.
by snakecharmer1340 on Feb 14, 2010 6:25 PM EST reply actions
Heath needs to understand that....
Win bonuses usually double your salary. Also, good performances gain bonuses, and notoriety which in turn gets you more for sponsorship…. He didn’t do much to maximize his earning potential.
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
Heath is an independent contractor and independent contractors, whether they’re working for the UFC or Sherdog, don’t get heath insurance through their “employers”. Luckily for Heath, there is a huge tax incentive for self employed people to buy their own health insurance. Assuming he’s at least in the 33% marginal tax bracket, he would get back $33 for every $100 he spends on health insurance.
He is not an independent contractor
This is done often by large companies to avoid having to pay fringe benefits. Rarely does it benefit the worker. Heath if I’m correct signed away the rights to his likeness for the UFC video game, to me that says he is an employee and not a contractor. The independent contractor thing is BS. The fighters at a minimum deserve health care
by KING FEDOR on Feb 15, 2010 8:54 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah... he is.
Just because it sucks doesn’t mean it’s not true.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
Hey Heath--
You want a bigger contract? Play yours out.
Dude is getting 40k per on a deal he signed at the end of 2006. He’s probably got one or two fights left on it and he hasn’t fought in like 18 months. Truth of the matter is Herring probably doesn’t feel like he can hang in the division anymore. Lesnar took it out of him and now he’s making a bunch of excuses (what the hell movies is Heath Herring even in?).
I just wish he was still fighting. He’s still a quality test for any of these young up and comers and the Kongo fight showed that he can still take it to someone if he’s motivated. This kind of talk isn’t very prudent. It’s like he’s trying to get his contract restructured by whining in public. This isn’t the NFL, d00d..
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Well
He’s working.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Charles Awad on Feb 14, 2010 7:02 PM EST up reply actions
I was given a rough estimate by someone in the know of what he made for Never Surrender…even with awful movies…the dude is doing just fine.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 14, 2010 8:29 PM EST up reply actions
Excellent idea
I would absolutely love to watch that fight if Kimbo beats Meathead.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Charles Awad on Feb 14, 2010 7:02 PM EST up reply actions
I’m sure Heath would love to take that fight.
by John Nash on Feb 14, 2010 7:05 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
And I could see Kimbo getting his ass handed to him
by KING FEDOR on Feb 15, 2010 8:57 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
He can't exactly play it out ...
When the UFC hasn’t scheduled a fight for him in nearly a year and a half. The 40 K take home or 100 K for winning wouldn’t be bad at all if he was fighting at least 2 times a year. If you didn’t work in your career since September of 2008 would you be able to make it? The bummer is the UFC won’t release the contract so he can fight elsewhere, they even tried to kill him doing commentating deals. How can anyone not see what the issue is here? Oh never mind … I know why now.
by Johnnynumber5 on Feb 15, 2010 12:22 AM EST up reply actions
Actually he was hurt in the fight with Brock so he took some time off, they scheduled him to fight at UFC 99 and he dropped out with an injury.
Yeah
And he’s said on multiple occasions that he’s not interested in fighting. People are conveniently ignoring those facts. Dude is off acting, not being held hostage. He’s never even said that.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Charles Awad on Feb 15, 2010 1:30 AM EST up reply actions
Considering Heath has stood toe to toe with the likes of Big Nog,Fedor ,Cro Cop and Lesnar it be a big boost of cred to KImbo and reintroduce Heath to the casual fan. They would eat up the Nakao KO highlight.
I doubt it would boost Kimbo’s cred to be schooled by a top level fighter. I can’t see the UFC wanting that fight
by KING FEDOR on Feb 15, 2010 8:59 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Haven't UFC salaries gone up since Heath's last fight?
He has a 2-3 record in the UFC. If he would have kept fighting and winning, he might be in a higher scale now.
by snakecharmer1340 on Feb 14, 2010 7:10 PM EST reply actions
For sure
Part of what I was saying above— dude should have finished out his old deal (with a few wins) and made more on his next one. He’s got a deal that’s four years old.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Charles Awad on Feb 14, 2010 7:11 PM EST up reply actions
Except are we sure that he picks when he fights? Haven’t we all heard stories about how Zuffa holds people to the last possible minute to offer them their last fight, so that they DON’T become free agents?
Eh
It’s pretty clear he hasn’t been interested in fighting, so you can save that shit for another time.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Charles Awad on Feb 14, 2010 8:35 PM EST up reply actions
No real argument here, except that the same people who say, “Nobody put a gun to his head and made him sign the contract” think he’s a jerk for deciding that if he can make more money in movies for less risk to his body he’s going to do so. The UFC could release him if they saw fit, because I think he lost his last fight.
I get it
If he prefers making movies and is making good money, more power to him. But the guy first said that he just doesn’t feel like fighting anymore, and now he wants Dana to buy him a Ferrari. I find it inconsistent.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Charles Awad on Feb 14, 2010 8:45 PM EST up reply actions
Maybe he’s just saying that he has a better chance to get a Ferrari as an actor than as a fighter. And he’d be right, because if he ever did get a name built up as an actor, he’d be in a position to demand a bigger deal from Strikeforce when his contract expires.
Pretty much everyone in the world would have a better shot to get a Ferrari as a actor than as a professional athlete, for the most part being a professional athlete is a crappy career choice if your just looking to get paid. Of course Most of us aren’t going to get a Ferrari regardless of what we do or how hard we work at it.
Being an actor might even be worse than being an athlete. There is a saying about actors “95% of all actors are currently out of work, and of those working 95% of them are looking for a starring role.”
the vast majority of actors make less than shit.
by John Nash on Feb 14, 2010 9:16 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
The vast majority of professional athletes don’t make squat either, for similar reasons. We get stars in our eyes looking at the very small handful of people who make it big in the largest sports or in Hollywood and we think that those are legitimate career choices but that’s all smoke and mirrors. If you are going either just for the money then you made some real bad life choices. These are things that should be done first and foremost for love of what you are doing because the money just isn’t going to be there for most people.
Who has said anything about him being a jerk for wanting to act? If that’s what he wants to do then great, go ahead, but don’t cry about not making enough money in MMA when it’s nobodies fault but his that he isn’t making more as a fighter.
by ufc4 on Feb 14, 2010 8:57 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
He said in the interview ...
The UFC is keeping him in limbo. He’d love to finish out his contract but the UFC has to schedule fights for him first. They’d rather throw the semi recognizable names out there than a guy like Herring who has a decent size contract. They’d love for Herring to never fight again in any MMA promotion. Otherwise, he’d of been released. They’ll keep throwing Cro Cop out there even though he’s done but they won’t give Herring a fight. For shame.
by Johnnynumber5 on Feb 15, 2010 12:26 AM EST up reply actions
There is an obvious fix for this.
Herring vs. Cro Cop rematch. LHK to the rescue!
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
Show me a link
Never seen that— he keeps saying he’s not interested in fighting if they can’t make it interesting for him.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Charles Awad on Feb 15, 2010 1:30 AM EST up reply actions
Here's another idea
Finish one of your fights maybe? 5 UFC fights and 5 decisions isn’t helping your cause Heath.
At the same time...
that includes not getting finished by guys like Lesnar and Nog.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 14, 2010 8:30 PM EST up reply actions
You mean that includes not finishing Nog?
by ufc4 on Feb 14, 2010 8:58 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah, I mean. I get your point. I’m just saying…
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 14, 2010 9:24 PM EST up reply actions
I really didn’t even notice that Heath Herring hasn’t been fighting. It’s a shame he’s not a free agent because I’m sure Strikeforce would pay him $40k to lay under Bobby Lashley and get punched in the face for three rounds, other than that he might as well just head off to that crap movie Hollywood sunset and leave the MMA career behind. If you can’t even finish Brad Imes then you should probably stop blaming Dana White for your lack of a Ferrari and start looking internally.
He…would…murder…Lashley
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 14, 2010 8:30 PM EST up reply actions
Most likely. But that doesn’t stop people from thinking that it would be a good fight. Personally, I’d be cool with Herring vs. Rogers on a Strikeforce card.
Herring vs a lot of guys could be great
He’s not going to win a title in a major org, by any means, but there are a lot of interesting fights for him. If he wants to maximize his income, he should do both (fight and act). He wouldn’t be the only guy.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Charles Awad on Feb 14, 2010 8:47 PM EST up reply actions
I was thinking of more established fighters (Rashad, Jardine, Rampage, et al).
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Charles Awad on Feb 14, 2010 9:00 PM EST up reply actions
I was unaware that ’Suga and The Techno Viking even did a movie.
by Johnnynumber5 on Feb 15, 2010 12:39 AM EST up reply actions
Multiple terrible movies, even. Add Arlovski and Pyle to the list, too (both were in the new Universal Soldier).
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Charles Awad on Feb 15, 2010 1:31 AM EST up reply actions
..
I suppose he has a point about how expensive training can be and how much fighters get paid compared to what Dana takes…but you know, it’s not like the guy hasn’t had opportunities. If he beats Nog and Brock then he would most definitely be making big money and getting a bigger push. He lost those fights though, so what can you say? the top guys get paid big money and he isn’t a top guy..
You could a couple loses in the UFC and get back on track with a couple of wins. Had he just continued to fight he could have gotten back into the HW title mix.
by snakecharmer1340 on Feb 14, 2010 8:01 PM EST up reply actions
But now that his contract has expired, he can pursue opportunities elsewhere. And since he has been acting, he (a) isn’t hurting for money, and (b) is broadening his exposure, which could help him earn a more lucrative deal.
I’m not taking sides here because that’s not really anything I enjoy doing in these situations.
But I will say that most fans don’t realize how expensive training camps are for these fighters. This isn’t like what you pay at your local gym.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 14, 2010 8:36 PM EST up reply actions
Right.
Miguel Torres even said publicly in his last blog that he was relying on the kindness of a company that doesn’t even sponsor him to put him up for his training camp.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
hey Heath ...
win once in a while. your $ will get better. you’ll get promoted more and get better fights.
of course, outlandish comments like his mean that we’re finally talking about Heath Herring … which is probably the point, from his end.
If you want a consistent paycheque DO NOT BECOME A PROFESSIONAL FIGHTER!!!!!!!!!
Keep firing Assholes!
I don't know what I'm talking aboot.
That’s hilarious that you called it a paycheque.
Also he turned down a fight with Cain because he wasn’t a big enough name. I believe it was then rescheduled as Cain/Kongo? I just don’t see how you can complain about pay when you decline these fights. It’s not like Heath was a massive name either mind you.
twitter.com/thisredengine
by Matthew Roth on Feb 14, 2010 9:46 PM EST up reply actions
he got injured
He never turned down the fight with Cain. They actually made promos for it but then he got injured somehow and Kongo stepped in.
by bigdmmafan on Feb 14, 2010 10:18 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Here is what I think:
The UFC doesn’t need him or want him anymore. He has a relatively large contract or his skill level and recognition. Basically, they have to market him and put him on the main card of a PPV if it comes down to it, and he isn’t that marketable because of the rapid decline in his skills. He could be a gate keeper type of fighter but he isn’t worth 70/140 to the UFC, period. So, instead of just cutting him all together, they keep him in limbo and he eventually has to pursue other revenue streams. The UFC knows Strikeforce would scoop him up and throw him against some of their guys like Lawal, Lashley & Rogers to give them more credibility: “these guys beat the same guy Lesnar did and finished the fight etc etc” and the UFC can’t let him walk away like that. I say give him a fight or say bon voyage for good and let him go elsewhere. Let him fight Herschel Walker or something … doesn’t seem necessary to hold him hostage if no one wants to be in the situation. Let the guy make some money fighting before he retires. Not everyone is Don Frye or Randy Couture.
by Johnnynumber5 on Feb 15, 2010 12:32 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
they can’t keep him in limbo forever.
Every contract has an end date. If the UFC is able to postpone that end date because of decisions heat made that’s his probably.
if he fought 3 times a year he would take home 120k which isnt a bad haul for a dude who lost his first fight which was spose to be his coming out party in the UFC, then turned around and had the chance to make history (in a small sence i guess) of being the first guy to ko Nog. Finally he talks shit about brock and then gets smashed. If he would just shut up and fight and if he actually won 2 of those fights he would be doing quite well.
I think herring is trying to jump on the “Payscale” band wagon but come on man don’t hand people shit and tell them its choclate. He had his day in pride right now he sould just try to fight as often as possable and collect a few wins.
Talk about pathetic, Heath has become a joke I remember the hype around him coming into the UFC only to see him get embarrased by Jake O’Brien to this day that was one of the worst performances i’ve ever seen.
Heath is overated and overpaid and now that he’s called out Dana, he will get frozen out and sent on his way with an embarrasing loss to SF or Dream of whoever is foolish enough to sign him good ridance.
The thing is, the “frozen out” thing has already happened. And the “embarrassing loss” won’t be happening, because he’s not required to fight for them. He’s actually been pretty savvy by waiting until the contract expired to make the statements about the bad blood from UFC management.
I’m trying to make money for myself, feed my family …. Dana White’s got six Ferraris. Hell, I just want one."
Which is it …. Feed your family or a Ferrari?
by MMAInFeRioRiTy on Feb 15, 2010 2:33 PM EST reply actions
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