UPDATED: UFC's Dana White Offers Details on Release of Golden Glory Fighters
by Fraser Coffeen on Aug 4, 2011 11:12 PM EDT
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Yesterday, we reported on the surprising release of Marloes Coenen, Valentijn Overeem, and Jon Olav Einemo. The three Golden Glory fighters were all released from their Strikeforce/UFC contracts just days after high profile Golden Glory fighter Alistair Overeem was let go by Strikeforce. Details are now starting to come forward from all sides, starting with Dana White.
Explaining the decision to cut the Golden Glory fighters, Dana pointed out the unique nature of their contracts. According to White, all Golden Glory fighters insist that the organization pay Golden Glory directly, with Golden Glory then paying the fighters. This is the opposite of what normally happens where the UFC pays the fighter directly, and the fighter pays his gym. White argues that while Strikeforce was willing to work with these contracts at one time, they are no longer interested in doing business this way. Here's his exact quote, courtesy of MMA Fighting:
This is actually a pretty simple explanation. If you look back throughout history, we haven't had any Golden Glory guys fight with us since Semmy Schilt, right? And the reason is we have very different business practices. It's tough to do business with them. The bottom line is the way they do business is, you have to pay them, not the fighters. We don't work that way. It's not the way we do business. It's not how it works in the United States with the athletic commissions. You don't pay the managers and the managers pay the fighters. You pay the fighters and the fighters pay the managers.
As for Jon Olav Einemo, the only Golden Glory fighter under the UFC, not Strikeforce, banner, White said that Golden Glory made a one fight exception and agreed to have Einemo be paid the normal way.
While this makes sense on the surface, it's odd that Dana puts the blame on the shoulders of the athletic commissions, claiming that U.S. commissions force them to handle contracts in the "normal", non-Golden Glory way. But if that is the case, how were Coenen and the Overeem brothers both allowed to fight under U.S. commissions for Strikeforce? Again, Einemo is the exception, as his lone Zuffa fight was in Canada.
UPDATE: Marloes Coenen disagrees with Dana's statement, writing on twitter: "hurts me 2 hear things about my management that are not true." She also posts a photo of a check from Strikeforce made out directly to her, not Golden Glory, which seems to contradict Dana's story. Check image and her tweet here.
More, including comments from Scott Coker and Martijn de Jong, in the full article.
This also contradicts what Scott Coker had to say about the reasons for the cuts, as Coker simply puts the blame on the limited number of TV spots. Here, he explains his story on The Fight Show:
[T]hat whole thing about Alistair (Overeem), I think it's been documented. I think it's been regurgitated over and over so I don't know if we have to get into that. But with Valentijn (Overeem) and Marloes (Coenen), you know, right now, there's only so many TV spots, as you know, until the middle of next year. And, uh, they're, um, you know, in this business, you've gotta keep winning. So, to me, it was a situation where Valentijn had that loss, I believe in June, so that was already in the works anyway. It just seems sudden to everybody because it just all happened this week. But that was already on its way for Valentijn. The slots are going to be for the fighters that are victorious right now. We have a lot of athletes under contract and we have to get everybody fights and there's only so many slots. There's only so many TV dates, we only have two more TV dates on the big show before the end of the year. September is already full, December is getting full and then January is hopefully are finals and that's going to have a full card already. So in fairness to the athletes, why just let them hang around? It's a much fairer situation.
So which is it? Were they cut because of TV spots, or because of contract legalities? And regardless of the reason, why were they all cut now and not after their last fights? As for Einemo, why was he even signed in the first place, especially when he was then given a high profile opponent in Shane Carwin?
Confused yet? If you are, no worries, Golden Glory head coach Martijn de Jong is right there with you. De Jong spoke to MMA Junkie, mentioning nothing about either contracts or TV spots. Here's de Jong on the big question - were these cuts related to the Alistair Overeem troubles?
You tell me. I have no idea, but it doesn't look good. Of course, for us, it's really bad. I'm very disappointed. What can I say?
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why don’t you guys just post the video to the interview…?
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions
@kidnate…is it a editorial decision not to post MMA Fighting videos anymore since MMA Nation was launched?
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Answered the question for myself...
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Dustin Green needs better questions. He just let Dana control the interview. Didn’t ask anything about GG. instead he asked stuff about TV deal…really? That is not the question we need answered right now.
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions
If only
If only we could get MMA Fighting’s interviews and content with BE’s community I’d be in heaven :-)
No Co-Promoting here too?
Just as the UFC plays hardball with its competitors, BE/SBN has realised MMA Fighting/AOL is a competitor and is not Co-Promoting MMAFighting videos anymore.
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 9:27 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
They still have links to the MMA Fighting headlines on the bottom right though.
"He's like Elvis in Korea! They love him there." - Mike Goldberg on Denis Kang
we still post their videos when they're really news worthy and compelling
but not every post. We just don’t post as much multi-media since Nick “Multi-Media Savant” Thomas left.
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Would you like Freys with that?
by iiowyn on Aug 5, 2011 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Clearly, Dana is making an example out of GG fighters. Sending a message to every manager or fighter out there, get down with the way we do things or GTFO.
I also realize that GG might not be without blame here, IF Martin tried to make a play for more money, he picked a REALLY shitty time to do so.
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classic body language.
when someone lies they scratch the back of their neck…. guess what danna does when he says this line?
stands out like dogs balls, watch the vid.
it could be B/S but just saying…
by Ronnie Liddle on Aug 5, 2011 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions
This is bullshit
You can only give spots to winning fighters, so you cut a former champ one fight removed from the title. How fucking stupid do you think we are?
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by Neil Manich on Aug 4, 2011 8:12 PM EDT reply actions 5 recs
I though dana White had nothing to do with Strikeforce!
Y’all stand corrected.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Lol at Coker's response
That made, about, 1 ounce of sense. Maybe.
So true.
Even with Dana’s statement actually making sense, Coker again does a good job of making an already confusing situation even more confusing with his random comments.
Both of their explanations are BS.
Bunch of used car salesmen we got on our hands, trying to sell us lemons!
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I feel kind of sorry for Coker
He seems like a decent guy struggling to tow the company line.
by Damnatio Memoriae on Aug 4, 2011 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I doubt he really actually WANTS to tow the Zuffa company line
I’m pretty confident that he will be in the middle of another upstart promotion in less than 60 days after the final Strikeforce event.
Pretty well documented that he didn’t want to go along with the Zuffa/SF buyout.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
He's on the "cashed out" list
Coker knew what was going to happen when he cashed that check.
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yep
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Aug 5, 2011 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions
I feel sorry for the little guys and the women fighters over there. Sure Tim, Souza, Gilbert, Woodley, Safedine(?), Hendo, Cormier, Bigfoot, and maybe Lawler will be fine, but if you’re not a name then tough noogies. If I was a lower tier guy I’d be petitioning to get on every SF card until they fold and try my best to win in exciting fashion, try to build my name so to speak. The women are fucked though, no matter how big of a name they are.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Aug 5, 2011 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Well don't listen to what Coker says since Shelby and Harris run things there
DW reasoning makes a little sense I guess. This whole thing is a cluster F.
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why does dana care
what they do with the money they are paid just pay them and let them split the money the way they see fit
the fighter’s seem to have no problem with the system GG has why does dana give a shit if fighter’s had a problem they woudl leave GG
If you listen to the interview, Dana says the ACs require the purses to be held in to a escrow-like account, then the AC pay the fighters.
From what we know about boxing it sounds correct. I guess that is how ACs withhold a fighter’s purse post fight due to infringements.
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Dana is full of it
GG has dealt with American AC’s for many years via SF. It never has been an issue before.
Strikeforce is most likely paying a small amount to the fighter to appease the AC and then paying the lion’s share to GG. I’m guessing could be seen as attempting to circumvent the ACs and while Strikeforce is (or was) relatively under the radar as far as these ACs are concerned and have shown that they will circumvent ACs by putting on fights for Barnett in Texas when he has issues in CA, the UFC is in the limelight and does not want to be seen to be undermining the AC’s authority in any way and that kind of behavior is old hat for the UFC.
Just my guess judging from prior behavior of both orgs.
What? Are athletic commissions tax agencies now?
How much power do these people have?!
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 9:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Well they do report how much the fighters get paid.
So they do have a role in the money changing hands. Since locker room bonuses happen in boxing too I guess Zuffa is cool doing that because there’s precedent for it but maybe paying managers a lion’s share of a fighter’s pay is a bridge too far.
by Rob Young on Aug 4, 2011 9:39 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
So now Dana's all for accurate disclosure?
I wonder how ,many zeros we’re going to start seeing after Brock’s name.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t see how it’s undermining the California commission if the Texas commission allows Barnett to fight. CSAC decides who fights in California and they have no reason to concern themselves with what goes on elsewhere (unless it’s a state that honors their suspensions, but it’s not like that’s doing them a favor).
And Marloes’ cheque is for 37k.
"He's like Elvis in Korea! They love him there." - Mike Goldberg on Denis Kang
It always seems like many if not most foreign fighters receive almost no official pay (per the ACs).
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
Death before dishonor, drinks before lunch.
Never send sheep to kill a wolf.
by The American Ronin on Aug 5, 2011 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Does not Team Takedown work the very same way?
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
Death before dishonor, drinks before lunch.
Never send sheep to kill a wolf.
by The American Ronin on Aug 5, 2011 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Also worth noting that Dana has passed the PED testing buck to the commissions when there’s nothing stopping the UFC from doing PED testing above and beyond what the commissions require.
And the UFC seems to prefer to deal as directly with the fighters as possible and keeping managers, camps and anyone else as marginalized as possible.
by Damnatio Memoriae on Aug 4, 2011 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions
But isn't testing part of the Athletic Commissions duties?
Because its kind of shadowy for a company/sport to regulate your own PED testing. Seems too close to pro-wrestling. The Athletic Commission can by all means use WADA if they feel its necessary.
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
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Most major sports handle their own testing, not some government body.
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
Death before dishonor, drinks before lunch.
Never send sheep to kill a wolf.
by The American Ronin on Aug 5, 2011 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Why does the Athletic Commission get involved when someone does test positive & then hand out suspensions? I mean, the UFC could just say, well no one tested positive so everything’s fine- nothing to see here.
Just a question, not refuting what you’re saying. The fact that each state regulates makes it hard to understand the logistics.
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
What Phildo said is the correct answer, I just want to add that if they were serious about it, UFC/Zuffa could do their own out-of-competition testing to whatever degree they chose, but it would supplement rather than the replace whatever testing each AC does.
Watch how closely Dana clings to the whole “the government handles it” – he doesn’t want additional testing any more than the majority of the fighters do.
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
Death before dishonor, drinks before lunch.
Never send sheep to kill a wolf.
by The American Ronin on Aug 7, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
They don’t require an escrow in Pennsylvania. In fact, they require the promoter to pay the fighter immediately after the fight. If they had an escrow, they wouldn’t need that rule, would they?
.....
ooooh yeah
by Scabby Knuckle on Aug 4, 2011 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions
p86
golden glory is doing this to evade tax. i’m not sure if they are evading US tax or dutch tax, but this is definetly tax evasion. and for this reason i am happy that the ufc will not play ball.
also GG could also be screwing the fighters like old time boxing promoters did see tyson/don king.
o.k
lets say the commision stated marleos pay was $ 3000 she would only pay tax on that $3000. but then strikeforce send 30k to GG who claim the 30k as some sort of co-promotional set up and they would pay a smaller tax amount. i’m not an accountant but business seem to always pay less tax than personal tax. if strikeforce put down 30k as MC pay she would have to pay tax on all 30k.
Not really, cause everybody files there own taxes.
In the event of an audit, she would just have to account for all the money’s whereabouts, “like, my manager has it.”
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 8:51 PM EDT up reply actions
lol
Why would she allow that? Is she handicapped or something?
Calling that tax evasion is fucking stupid
Is it tax evasion to get married and pay less taxes? People mess with their finances for tax purposes. It isn’t fucking evasion.
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If it's legal, what's the UFC care?
let Uncle Sam fight his own battles. And if Coenan is getting fucked, that’s her problem.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 9:06 PM EDT up reply actions
maybe just maybe the ufc doesnt want to fuck with the
US govt. and would rather just pay the fighters so they have no problem.
and neil they are definetly doing this to evade tax and you are stupid if you don’t see it.
They are definitely doing this for tax purposes
But “tax evasion” is a different term.
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by Neil Manich on Aug 4, 2011 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
That isn't tax evasion
Why do American athletes want to play in Miami even though Miami fans are legendarily shitty. No state income tax. But guess what, that’s not tax evasion.
Tax evasion implies that it’s illegal. Nothing here is illegal.
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"Evasion" means that you're ILLEGALLY trying to avoid paying taxes.
It doesn’t mean every tax reduction strategy is evasion.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions
based on life lessons
also dont put me down as believing all what dana says, because i know he says what he want to wether true or not.
i just think GG is shady in regards to this.
GG has had numerous accusations
of stuff that could be considered shady throughout the years. Just because we all hate DFW doesn’t mean we should hold GG up as a shining example, because they aren’t.
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by Cory Braiterman on Aug 4, 2011 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions
You shouldn’t accuse people of serious crimes with zero evidence, let alone any proof.
Most governments are very good at getting the money they are legally owed, it is both extremely difficult and extremely dangerous to evade taxes when you are talking this kind of money.
lol
wow
lol
no. just no.
Mel Gibson shot the movie Apocalypto on location at the center of my taint.
-Fake Emcee
by Cory Braiterman on Aug 5, 2011 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions
There is absolutely no reason to suspect that
But if you have a hunch whatever.
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by Neil Manich on Aug 4, 2011 9:19 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
tax avoidance
It could be tax avoidance which is 100% legal through loopholes. Dutch income tax is like 52% in the higher income brackets
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 9:22 PM EDT up reply actions
How do you know UFC isn’t already messing with the internal revenue service? Those secret locker room bonuses they supposedly give out (I don’t believe they even exist) as a way to keep fighter pay low seems pretty shady to me.
We shouldn’t act like Zuffa is cutting the GG fighters because they want to do whats right. They’re cutting them because they consider themselves prize fighters who fight for the biggest purse available, and Dana hates those type of fighters since he can’t take advantage of them.
I stone cold guarantee they have to report those bonuses to the IRS as income
They aren’t listed on the AC reports because it’s not guaranteed or otherwise contractually stipulated. It’s simply a way for DW to reward fighters for good fights AND to hide the exact payout so it can’t be used by everyone in negotiations i.e. “I want Anderson Silva money!” There’s no way they can hide that tax wise.
Not afraid to nitpick
The locker room bonuses
do exist. Go ask a fighter.
Remember that DanaVLOG where he gives Snoop like 60k in cash because he lost a bet with him????
That’s illegal gambling and no taxes paid on that either
by Papercut Elbow on Aug 5, 2011 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Even illegal activities have to be reported and taxes paid on them (paid by Snoop in this case). Dana can, of course, report gambling losses up to the total of his gambling winnings.
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
Death before dishonor, drinks before lunch.
Never send sheep to kill a wolf.
by The American Ronin on Aug 6, 2011 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Still counts as income
Revenue services are waaaaay up on companies buying houses and cars for people – it’s treated the same as if you were paid cash
by FightingFighting on Aug 5, 2011 1:55 AM EDT up reply actions
You're crazy if you actually believe JOE got cut for the reasons Dana sited.
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You're crazy if you think Einemo got cut for the reasons Dana actually sited.
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A comment so nice
He had to say it twice
You know what, chris81203? You confuse and infuriate me. - James Brady (Ninjames)
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You're bonkers if you think JonE got cut for the reasons Dana said.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 9:17 PM EDT up reply actions
He's made it pretty clear
that he doesn’t believe what Dana said
You know what, chris81203? You confuse and infuriate me. - James Brady (Ninjames)
Most of the time I am a rather quiet fellow, who likes to read about Philosophy, Mathematics and History, but like most people I also have a deep appreciation of sex and violence... - John Danaher
I'm pretty sure you can thank Don King's actions for the current set-up.
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
I'm not as well educated in this as I should be,
But doesn’t Team Takedown have a similar situation with their fighters, where they collect their purses and pay them a living wage?
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by Neil Manich on Aug 4, 2011 8:21 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
are you sure?
who’s to say the check is made out to team takedown? the check could be made out to the fighter then he gives a check to team takedown….
but is Team Takedown paid directly or do the fighters surrender their paychecks to Team Takedown?
It could be the latter.
Ohhh, forgot about those guys. Excellent point.
It’s just Dana trying to spin it again. He doesn’t want to pay anyone what they’re worth because he wants everyone to think of themselves as bad asses who fight just to prove their tough rather than guys like the GG fighters who consider themselves prize fighters fighting for the biggest purse available. A prize fighter is Dana’s worse enemy since he can’t easily take advantage of them.
He did the same thing with the drug testing. “It’s out of my hands and in the hands of the commissions.” No it’s not. UFC is making money hand over fist. They could easily pay for out of competition drug testing, but they don’t want to because it doesn’t benefit them and actually hurts their product.
...
Retaliation is related to nature and instinct, not to law. Law, by definition, cannot obey the same rules as nature. - Albert Camus
Interesting....
I guess they figured cutting Kharitonov would be too much of a blow to the tournament?
Yeah, how does Dana explain that little irregularity?
by Damnatio Memoriae on Aug 4, 2011 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions
He states in the interview that Kharitonov is being paid directly too
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Hopefully that continues.
Because I love me some Kharitonov. So glad he is back with a major organization. If he’s not brought into the UFC fold, I’ll be very disappointed.
Retaliation is related to nature and instinct, not to law. Law, by definition, cannot obey the same rules as nature. - Albert Camus
Good man`
Sergei is the darkhorse. I’d love to see him win it all (he won’t).
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
Mohandas Gandhi
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
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He states in the interview that Kharitonov is being paid directly too
And Coker’s fib that only winning fighters get to stay will serve as the explanation when he gets cut if he loses.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions
also, if this is true… where us Paul Daley’s pink slip?
by troyd on Aug 5, 2011 12:02 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm stupid.
But not THAT stupid. Don’t piss in my face and tell me it’s raining.
by pud333 on Aug 4, 2011 8:25 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Golden Shower =/= Golden Glory
But close
Retaliation is related to nature and instinct, not to law. Law, by definition, cannot obey the same rules as nature. - Albert Camus
by Jonathan. on Aug 4, 2011 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions 7 recs
I loved SF
But Dana has turned it into an abomination and Coker sounds like a chromosome deprivedbversion of White himself. Just burn this thing to the ground already.
by mortarz on Aug 4, 2011 8:29 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Give it a rest
SF was never going anywhere with Coker at the helm. Dana didn’t “turn it into” anything that is wasn’t already. The Grand-Prix was Coker’s Folly. And did Dana White force Coker to bend over for M-1 for co-promotion? Did White force Coker to NOT put a champion’s clause in SF contracts?
All what can be accused of is consolidating the business and letting the contracts run out. He could have probably found a way of just shuttering SF altogether but he isn’t There are still a few good fights to be had and the G-P does have some intrinsic interest.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
Mohandas Gandhi
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Muhammad Ali
"If MMA is like dog fighting, those are some pretty fucking smart dogs."
"I don’t want to lick any butt."
GSP
by jackbox on Aug 4, 2011 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You do realize that SF co-promoting with M-1 is what put them in the big leagues in the first place right?
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by Neil Manich on Aug 4, 2011 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Getting bought out and dying are two incredibly different things
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They would have died if thy hadn't been bought out.
It was a great regional promotion but they just couldn’t make it work for a long period of time as a national promotion.
"What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease."
by dedstrk316 on Aug 5, 2011 9:29 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
it also cost them millions
paying Fedor, losing half or whatever the gate due to co-promotions and other issues are a huge, huge expenditure and just one reason why they became a liability instead of an asset to the parent company.
Mel Gibson shot the movie Apocalypto on location at the center of my taint.
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by Cory Braiterman on Aug 4, 2011 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Seems unnecessarily anti-Coker
Man did what he could do with limited resources and limited negotiating strength. If Strikeforce was positioned in the market like the UFC was, he could have made better deals. They weren’t, so he had to make a lot of concessions.
by FightingFighting on Aug 5, 2011 1:59 AM EDT up reply actions
It's funny that everyone always says how Dana is so full of shit and Coker's not.
Who the hell really buys Coker’s explanation?
And what? You buy Dana's?!
“Golden Glory doesn’t fuckin’ let us pay the fuckin’ fighters directly cause, hey… ok look, except that one time with Einemo TWO fuckin’ MONTHS AGO! Oh yeah, and Sergei’s next fight. Yeah, yeah, uh does that clear it up for ya?”
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Because Scott Coker has to consult Lawrence Epstien, Lorenzo, Dana and the women who brings Dana his morning coffee on what colour shirt he should wear?
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by MattParker117 on Aug 4, 2011 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions
What a crock of shit...
I like how he comes out and trys to feed his fans a spoon full of shit. This guy WAS good for the UFC…Now he is just keeping the company at a standstill. His business model needs to change or ufc/mma will be stuck in this hole with no progression.
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White 1, Coker 0
Coker’s explanation sounds like “homina-homina” BS. An attempt to make it seem as though he’s in control. White’s explanation sounds like a post-facto rationale. After all, wouldn’t GG fighters know this about the UFC already? Clearly JOE knew and got a one-and-done contract.
If we are cynical i suppose we could say “why should Zuffa care who get’s paid?” but I think they are sincere about not wanting the reputation of scandal and corruption that has plagued boxing since day dot. Paying the fighter makes more sense because then you are negotiating with individuals who can make individual choices. But that might be an American mind-set. I happen to think it is the best way to do business.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
Mohandas Gandhi
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
Muhammad Ali
"If MMA is like dog fighting, those are some pretty fucking smart dogs."
"I don’t want to lick any butt."
GSP
Ariel - Dana interview .
Dana seems confident that GG won’t agree to let the fighters get paid instead of them.
I can understand cutting Fedor as he is on a 3 fight losing streak. But Einemo & Overeem would of helped fill a shallow HW division. Dana White seems to hate foreign fighters.
by DELUXE SIDE ARM CHOKE on Aug 4, 2011 9:00 PM EDT reply actions
Golden Glory Fighters
seems to be happy with the deal that they get paid through GG , or else why they risk getting cut and have no income at all by staying under THE GG BANNER
Dutch income Tax Rate 52%
exactly…GG has businesses elswhere they could use to funnel the money through. All legal i’m sure
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions
You really don't understand the concept of "evasion" vs. "avoidance" eh?
Not afraid to nitpick
by joker24 on Aug 4, 2011 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
And it really matters?
Let the fighters fight, let the referees ref, but dear God, don't let the judges judge.
I SWEAR DANA WHITE IS LIKE A POLITICIAN!
When his lies don’t add up, you can always count on his mindless drones to fill in the holes for him.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions
and six dollars?
Mel Gibson shot the movie Apocalypto on location at the center of my taint.
-Fake Emcee
by Cory Braiterman on Aug 4, 2011 10:31 PM EDT up reply actions
For some reason I'm reminded of Mousasi's $2K
From that time he KO’d Babalu, and people being up in “WTF” about it.
Exactly
SF was ‘paying’ these guys practically nothing and even at the time we knew why.
Now, all of a sudden, people are saying “look, they pay Sergei directly”. Who fucking knows how much they paid GG in ‘bonuses’ behind closed doors.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
Marloes Coenen just tweeted that Dana is lying
and posted a check signed over to her to prove it. Dana White is such a liar.
by Swordstorm on Aug 4, 2011 9:09 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
The plot thickens
Meet me on Monsta Island. Where the girls look good and the MC's be Wildin'.
Also, follow me on Twitter @DeoWade
It was already pretty obvious Dana was talking out of his ass.
Contributor at cagepages.com Come check us out.
Head Kick Legend
Anyone else notice the payout?
$37,506….not bad, not bad.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 9:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Sadly
that’s not even my yearly income :(
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Aug 5, 2011 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
No, it only supports Dana’s argument. Yes she was paid directly by Zuffa/Forza. I think that is what Dana was saying. But here management GG want to receive the cheques instead.
She may have gotten everything lost in translation
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions
No it doesn't.
The bottom line is the way they do business is, you have to pay them, not the fighters. We don’t work that way. It’s not the way we do business. It’s not how it works in the United States with the athletic commissions. You don’t pay the managers and the managers pay the fighters. You pay the fighters and the fighters pay the managers.
Exactly Dana, YOU DON’T. And Marloes just proved it.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Marloes
Proved that in this instance Forza paid the fighter directly.
That does not prove that GG doesn’t want to be paid by the promotion in place of their fighters.
You know what, chris81203? You confuse and infuriate me. - James Brady (Ninjames)
Most of the time I am a rather quiet fellow, who likes to read about Philosophy, Mathematics and History, but like most people I also have a deep appreciation of sex and violence... - John Danaher
That does not prove that GG doesn’t want to be paid by the promotion in place of their fighters.
Perhaps so, but what they want is utterly irrelevant…fighters and NFL players want fully guaranteed contracts too, but that’s not happening either…
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
Death before dishonor, drinks before lunch.
Never send sheep to kill a wolf.
by The American Ronin on Aug 6, 2011 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s a shame people didn’t read b4 jumping to conclusions and accusing DW of lying.
Well, maybe GG has a cheque from the UFC? Otherwise, ppl need to eat humble pie
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions
not really, she could be collateral damage from the other fighters. But we shall see.
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions
this is off a computer
i cry photoshop i can check my checks online as well i never seen light/dark and contrast as a option.
-_-
Meet me on Monsta Island. Where the girls look good and the MC's be Wildin'.
Also, follow me on Twitter @DeoWade
by Damon O. on Aug 4, 2011 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Thats not photoshop. If you dont use photoshop dont talk about it like you do
Thats obviously some online document viewer and thats a scan of her check. In fact it may even be a document viewer from her own bank account showing the check that was deposited.
by Papercut Elbow on Aug 5, 2011 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions
wow ,who is saying the truth now ?
MarlosConen @danawhite hurts me 2 hear things about my management that are not true. #Ibelieveinthetruth #proof http://twitpic.com/6113vq
by E1GUAPO on Aug 4, 2011 9:09 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Conen made $10K for her last win against Carmouche,
So do you really believe she made $37K for her loss? The reality is THIS CHECK contained her money and the money GG was supposed to get. In this case, like any other fighter, she gets paid, then SHE pays her managers. Probably, GG was not happy about this because of the tax reasons already stated and would like to get paid the other way. It is Zuffa’s show, and if anyone does not like how they operate, they are completely free to pursue other opportunities.
The only cut that pissed me off was Marloes. Male MMA is booming and while Overeem should be stepping in the cage with high level competition, he will do just fine being a hired gun. The money will be good, and the same goes for the other two guys as well. Marloes, on the other hand was just booted from one of the only places that pay women fighters well and getting booked will not be as easy for her.
She lost her title and then she lost her job in the same week, fucking brutal.
I’d rather just climb this fridge
marloes is cool and classy they got rid of cyborg and her
who else they got to fill the void. you going bring back gina who wants to do movies now. they are killing the foundation for wmma
To be fair
Cyborg left because they could not find a warm body for her to beat on, but yes sadly the foundation of women’s MMA is taking some major hits.
I’d rather just climb this fridge
"So in fairness to the athletes, why just let them hang around? It's a much fairer situation."
Yeah, they treated Cyborg fairly. I mean, it’s not like they just let her hang around or anything. Er….
.....
ooooh yeah
by Scabby Knuckle on Aug 4, 2011 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I feel bad for Marloes also, but really,
If you added up every female fighter in every weight class that is at a high enough level to be fighting on PPVs, could you really even fill ONE division? Womens MMA is where mens MMA was when guys were fighting in tank tops and one boxing glove. A few very good, serious fighters and a bunch of filler.
Golden Glory Gate!
I hope Dana gets forced to admit he is a liar!
by DELUXE SIDE ARM CHOKE on Aug 4, 2011 9:20 PM EDT reply actions
That Golden Glory Management were the ones being paid directly instead of the fighters themselves, which obviously isnt the case/truth as Marloes check is made out to HER from Forza, so it contradicts what Dana was saying as well as what Coker gave for a reason. Coker stated that it was because they all lost and theres no room for losers in Strikeforce
How do you Know where Im at? If you dont Know where Ive been...Understand where Im coming from??
What he means is....
Dana said new contracts and their continuing relationship is impossible because GG WANTED them to pay GG directly. DW said they were only willing to pay the fighters. Therefore, the check proves nothing. (To be clear, this doesn’t mean that Dana wasn’t telling a lie, just that the check proves nothing)
by Brandon Starr on Aug 4, 2011 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Dude, if you can keep up to speed I can’t help you.
by DELUXE SIDE ARM CHOKE on Aug 4, 2011 9:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Bandwagon
no, I’m up to speed, you’re on the bandwagon.
A cheque from Zuffa/Forza goes to support what Dana said in the interview. The UFC pay the fighters and not Management. If Dana is a liar, we’d have a cheque from Forza to GG
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 9:36 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
OK, time to shut you up for good. Here's the full article.
In the end, Dana White says, the split between the UFC, Strikeforce and its Golden Glory fighters came down to business issues.
Reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem along with fellow Strikeforce fighters Valentijn Overeem and Marloes Coenen and UFC heavyweight Jon Olav Einemo were cut during the last week in a surprising development. Questions arose over what precipitated the move.
On Thursday, UFC president Dana White spoke about the issues that led to the split.
“This is actually a pretty simple explanation,” he said. “If you look back throughout history, we haven’t had any Golden Glory guys fight with us since Semmy Schilt, right? And the reason is we have very different business practices. It’s tough to do business with them. The bottom line is the way they do business is, you have to pay them, not the fighters. We don’t work that way. It’s not the way we do business. It’s not how it works in the United States with the athletic commissions. You don’t pay the managers and the managers pay the fighters. You pay the fighters and the fighters pay the managers.”
White went on to say that while they had previously honored existing Strikeforce deals, it became apparent Golden Glory management wouldn’t change their long-held practices.
“They won’t do it,” he said. “We have to pay them, not the fighters.”
Meaning it’s not some new request, but a continuing practice. The very same practice that has kept GG fighters out of the UFC since Semmy Schilt, supposedly.
While White said when they brought in Einemo, Golden Glory gave in to Zuffa’s request, it was apparently a onetime only change. Asked if for example, Zuffa would bring back Coenen if they once again played by Zuffa’s rules, White shook his head.
“They don’t and they won’t,” he said.
Not only is he saying that Einemo was the “onetime” exception to this practice, but that GG DOES NOT (present tense) and WILL NOT (future tense) acquiesce.
The only existing Golden Glory fighter to remain on the Zuffa payroll is Strikeforce heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov, who remains in the Heavyweight Grand Prix and is expected to fight in September. Zuffa sources said because Einemo, Valentijn Overeem and Coenen had all lost, they could be cut. They chose to honor their existing deal with Kharitonov, but are paying him directly. If he loses, he would likely be cut.
Perhaps that was the existing deal all along.
White said Golden Glory should have no issues doing things their way in other foreign promotions, but as long as they deal with U.S. athletic commissions, Zuffa can only handle business one way.
“The reality is, we’re trying to work out deals with these guys and they won’t do it,” White said. "They said you absolutely can’t pay the fighters, you have to pay us. And it’s pretty simple to look back and see that the last guy who fought in UFC was Semmy Schilt. There was a reason for that.
Well except in marloes’, Einemo’s, and Sergei’s cases.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Point is Dana’s contention is that it’s been a long standing practice, meaning they’ve been paying GG directly, which is the very same practice that led to the cuts. That contradicts your assertion the the UFC has always paid the fighter directly and only NOW is GG trying to rock the boat.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 4, 2011 10:31 PM EDT up reply actions
?
Your assumption isn’t correct GSP.
GG asking to get paid directly has been a constant request and not a “long standing practice”.
No one from GG has fought in the UFC since 2001 according to DW b/c GG insist on receiving the fighter’s cheque. So how do you deduce this
GSP wrote:
bq. it’s been a long standing practice. meaning the’ve been paying GG directly, which is the very same practice that led to the cuts.
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions
"They don’t and they won’t," [White] said.
If they do not and they will not, the cheque shouldn’t be made out to Marloes. It’s not like White is blatantly lying, but he’s being unclear while trying to demonize GG just because they ran a hard bargain. You’re right in that Dana’s complaint is GG pushing for something he opposes, so it’s mostly irrelevant whether the fighters are currently getting paid that way. The important thing is that I’m pretty sure this has literally nothing to do with why they were cut.
"He's like Elvis in Korea! They love him there." - Mike Goldberg on Denis Kang
C'mon guys, it's RIGHT THERE in the text. Quit spinning it.
White went on to say that while they had previously honored existing Strikeforce deals, it became apparent Golden Glory management wouldn’t change their long-held practices.
"They won’t do it," he said. "We have to pay them, not the fighters."
It doesn’t say long standing “request”. It says long standing “practice”. If it was merely a request, then according to you, since Zuffa always pays its fighters first, that means that Zuffa has consistently and successfully denied GG’s requests up until now. How is that an issue? Are you arguing that Zuffa has grown tired of successfully paying GG’s fighters directly? “it became apparent Golden Glory management wouldn’t change their long-held practices.” So what, they won’t stop asking?!?! Big deal. Let them ask. According to you, it hasn’t gotten them anywhere in the first place.
When he mentions “previously honoring Strikeforce’s deals”, what he’s saying is that the UFC doesn’t conduct business this way. That’s why no GG fighter has been with the UFC since Semmy Schilt, with the exception of Einemo (cause apparently GG made a onetime exception). However, SF DOES conduct business that way and Zuffa is saying that they no longer feel obligated to continue in that vein.
That would all make sense had it not been for Coenan releasing a picture of a check made out to her personally, immediately disproving Zuffa’s claim that they were forced to pay GG directly for all of their fighters under contract with SF. That, and the contention from de Jong that he has no idea why they were cut supports my argument.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 5, 2011 4:12 AM EDT up reply actions
GG asking to get paid directly has been a constant request and not a "long standing practice".
No one from GG has fought in the UFC since 2001 according to DW b/c GG insist on receiving the fighter’s cheque. So how do you deduce this
That’s in the UFC (apparently Einemo was the exception due to a onetime acquiescence on GG’s part). SF was a different story. White said that they decided to honor SF’s existing deals but GG’s continued refusal to allow fighters to collect convinced Zuffa to cut ties. But GG allows their fighters to collect directly, as Coenan’s check proves. So what’s the problem?
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 5, 2011 4:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Listen to the interview again.
grease s. pieces wrote “Well except in marloes’, Einemo’s, and Sergei’s cases.”
Dana White states clearly…
We are not going to be in the situation where we write a cheque and give it to anyone other than the guy who earned it…Never going to happen
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 10:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Exactly. His actions contradict his words.
He claims that GG won’t let him pay the fighters YET he admitted to paying Einemo directly and says he will do the same for Sergei. Also Coenan produced a check proving that she was paid directly as well. So actually GG does allow their fighters to collect directly, contrary to what Dana says.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 5, 2011 4:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Know they don't
DW said GG don’t like the UFC paying the fighters directly. GG accepted for Enimo, kharitonov & Coenen to be paid directly for their last fight but then GG stated they don’t want fighters paid directly anymore. DW wasn’t going to pay GG directly, so he cut their fighters.
read this link where you’ll see Coenen wnating her management (GG) to receive her purse b/c of tax reasons. link MMA NAtion
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 5, 2011 4:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Team Takedown did the SAME THING and they were fine with Zuffa.
Team Takedown did the exact same thing, maybe even moreso since Team Takedown wasn’t just collecting their paychecks, but paying for their lives too.
Team Takedown fighters are signed to a seven-year deal, where they’re given salaries, health benefits, a house, and a car. All training expenses are paid, including private instruction in each of MMA’s disciplines.
In exchange, they give 50 percent of their earnings to the company.
Three fighters make up the team: Jake Rosholt, Johnny Hendricks, and Shane Roller. Hendricks and Rosholt are in the UFC after the WEC’s welterweight and middleweight divisions were shuttered, while lightweight Roller remains in the lighter weight promotion.
Ted Ehrhardt says it takes about $450,000 a year to support his fighters, and estimates the company has invested between one and two million dollars since the company’s inception.
It’s a risky investment in a highly unpredictable sport, but it’s beginning to pay off. Recently, Team Takedown began its third year of business.
That was okay since they weren’t making a lot of money, but the second you have leverage to make some money, Dana is going to force you to either fight for peanuts or get lost. GG got lost.
by NoHo on Aug 4, 2011 9:25 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
does zuffa pay them directly.?
it does not say that weither they get paid from the fighters or from ZUFFA .
Team Takedown Fighters
Get paid directly by Zuffa and, just as the above says, gives 50 percent of their earnings to the company.
Man, I hope that's after taxes
Otherwise, those guys don’t see a dime besides what TT pays them in salary. 50% to the feds & state gov’t, 50% to TT.
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
Anyone else get the impression
that Zuffa went into the negotiations to buy Strikeforce knowing it sure wouldn’t be a battle of wits?
.....
ooooh yeah
I think everyone should recognize that blaming management is a go to tactic for Dana
He rages against faceless showtime execs, AKA management, Greg Jackson, M-1 and many others. Its a careful smear campaign. Even with Fedor, who he famously discredited, he always said he respected him as a top heavyweight (pre-werdum) and a historically great fighter, but would pull no punches against Vadim. its a carefully thought out ploy to not only distance fighters from management in a divide and conquer strategy, but it allows him to recover in case he wants to bring these fighters back into the light.
That GG operates in a strange way financially was already common knowledge. Defaulting to the tired ‘blame management’ argument with ready made criticisms should come as no surprise.
by Stiff Jab on Aug 4, 2011 10:06 PM EDT reply actions 7 recs
Divide and conquer
Of course. Seriously that’s a good point.
Contributor at cagepages.com Come check us out.
Head Kick Legend
that check tweet is the first time WMMA has been interesting
This could get fun
Since when do big corporations have to explain their business decisions to the public? I know DFW takes it upon himself to “update” the public, but historically hasn’t he been full of shit a lot of the time?
by SkeezinSteevin on Aug 4, 2011 10:33 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
When they are a publicly traded company.
Unfortunately Zuffa is not a publicly traded company or there would be a lot more transparency.
www.mmalinker.com
by exsanguinator on Aug 5, 2011 5:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Dana shouldn’t give us any reason why they cut fighters. It’s a private business, they can do whatever they want.
What a sham of a post...
Someone (Fraser Coffeen) needs to re-write this post:
UPDATE: Marloes Coenen disagrees with Dana’s statement, writing on twitter: “hurts me 2 hear things about my management that are not true.” She also posts a photo of a check from Strikeforce made out directly to her, not Golden Glory, which seems to contradict Dana’s story.
How does that contradict what DW is saying?
Because I heard DW say this:
The bottom line is the way they do business is, you have to pay them, not the fighters. We don’t work that way. It’s not the way we do business. It’s not how it works in the United States with the athletic commissions. You don’t pay the managers and the managers pay the fighters. You pay the fighters and the fighters pay the managers.
Where is the contradiction?
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 4, 2011 11:05 PM EDT reply actions
If you can't see it
you’re seriously blinding yourself to the reality.
1. Anderson Silva is waiting for you to punch him.
2. That guy is Anderson Silva.
3. Don't fucking punch that guy.
by Chris Barton on Aug 4, 2011 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Ok I consider myself a pretty smart guy, I also don't troll or even post anything controversial so I'm not looking to start now.... but,
I really don’t see the contradiction. I might have missed something in the interview, I’M NOT RYAN BADER. Dana says we won’t pay GG directly we will only pay the fighter. DW says “We are not going to be in the situation where we write a check and give it to anyone other than the guy who earned it…Never going to happen”. Marloes posting that check shows that what he said is true. I took from the interview that GG doesn’t like that and they want it done differently which is where the argument stems from in the first place. He says they won’t budge on it and, according to that quote, neither will Dana…. so the relationship is done. Now, other actions by Dana and his dealings with GG in other situations may certainly contradict his quote, but the posting of that check does not.
by Brandon Starr on Aug 5, 2011 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
Totally agree Maui
Marloes’s check only proves that she was paid personally, it does not however give any indication to what GG is trying to negotiate with Zuffa/UFC/Strikeforce. If they (Z/U/SF) have to deal with GG trying to negotiate getting paid for their fighters at every turn, I can understand why Dana would not want to do business with them.
You know what, chris81203? You confuse and infuriate me. - James Brady (Ninjames)
Most of the time I am a rather quiet fellow, who likes to read about Philosophy, Mathematics and History, but like most people I also have a deep appreciation of sex and violence... - John Danaher
The full interview has Dana saying that the UFC won't deal with GG since Semmt Schilt...
…YET Strikeforce does. Due to the purchase of SF buy Zuffa, Dana says that they decided to honor SF’s deals but decided to cut the fighters cause GG won’t change their “long-standing” ways. That means GG’s continued receiving of checks directly led to Zuffa cutting ties. Problem is Coenan’s twitpic proves that there is no long-standing “requirement” that GG be paid directly. They may request it, but they don’t enforce it.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 5, 2011 4:32 AM EDT up reply actions
That is b/c Zuffa just purchased SF
Strikeforce was fine with this arrangement with Golden Glory fighters, but after Zuffa bought the promotion, they imposed their company policy of direct payments to fighters on the gym. Attempted to impose it rather. Coming on the heels of a scheduling dispute with Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, Golden Glory’s top fighter, that ended with the champ being cut.
via mma Nation
Who knows what SF arrangement w GG was before Zuffa’s purchase, but under Zuffa, they don’t pay management directly according to DW
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 5, 2011 4:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Then maybe Dana White should have made that more clear. Or he could have told the truth:
“We’ve actually been paying GG fighters directly this whole time. Apparently the Strikeforce contracts said absolutely nothing about it. Now I’m going to pretend Golden Glory management said they’d walk if we didn’t acquiesce to this demand, which made me cut them all first! Except the one guy that inexplicably didn’t demand it, he’s still with us. I was totally fine with those shifty Dutch trying to pay less in taxes until Alistair Overeem upset me, buy hey, it’s a great scapegoat for my own despicable business practices.”I’m baked right now but still pretty sure all that stuff is the truth, OK?
"He's like Elvis in Korea! They love him there." - Mike Goldberg on Denis Kang
Off topic, but...
LO-fucking-L! Is that Penn shopped to look like Raphael!?
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Aug 5, 2011 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
Okay
I watched the vid instead of reading the transcript and it’s not as clear cut as I had originally thought, so sorry for that.
Still… Danas story doesn’t add up. He claims GG wants money first, not the fighters and that it’s the AC’s who dictate this. From what we can tell, no GG fighter has ever not been paid directly. Marloes was. JOE was. And if the AC’s dictate that rule, so was every other one.
Now Dana is saying it’s always been like this with GG, but there were a couple of exceptions and GG is giving him grief about the current exceptions. The thing is, they have the contracts so it doesn’t matter if GG gives them any grief. If Dana had just said, “Look, GG is trying to change all of their contracts to make us pay them instead of the fighters. They’ve done that to me before” it would make a lot more sense.
Then again, it’s Dana and that could be what he was trying to get at. It still makes no sense to cut people with good contracts just because their management didn’t like they pay structure.
1. Anderson Silva is waiting for you to punch him.
2. That guy is Anderson Silva.
3. Don't fucking punch that guy.
by Chris Barton on Aug 5, 2011 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions
That we can agree on.
If you take the pay structure situation though and couple it with what Scoker said (I’ve decided to combine his names just now) it doesn’t seem that nuts. A little out there for sure but just the simple fact of dealing with the complaints about pay, along with fighters coming off of losses, along with them not having enough slots to fill, along with GG looking to start a promotion, along with Reems injuries and the fact that it’s hard to get him to fight, I can’t say I completely blame Dana for just wanting to wash his hands of it. You’re right though, it doesn’t seem to make total sense and I wonder if there is still even more out there that we don’t know about from all of this.
by Brandon Starr on Aug 5, 2011 12:57 AM EDT up reply actions
I wonder if there is still even more out there that we don’t know about from all of this.
I can promise you this.
1. Anderson Silva is waiting for you to punch him.
2. That guy is Anderson Silva.
3. Don't fucking punch that guy.
by Chris Barton on Aug 5, 2011 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions
You are deaf and blind then, watch the video. This BE post is inaccurate.
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 5, 2011 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Just watched it.
Dana said that they put the money into an account and then the Athletic Commission writes the checks to the fighters. So basically, GG has no say in the matter. That explains why Einemo, Coenan and soon Sergei have/will all get their checks from the AC. GG might complain, but they have no sway in the matter. Still sounds like a BS copout to me because GG’s demands are no obstacle whatsoever. In fact, they’re seemingly easy to circumvent since the AC dictates who the check is made out to. According to Dana, they make them out to the fighters.
This means that all GG’s fighters are now, and have always been, paid directly by the AC. This contradicts Dana’s claims that GG “refuses” to abide by those stipulations. That’s a lie because GG has no choice but to abide by them, and evidently (as Coenan proved) they have been.
by Grease S. Pieces on Aug 5, 2011 4:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Is this a serious question? Or did you not bother to read what you quoted? Haha.
by Fausto Geraci on Aug 4, 2011 11:42 PM EDT up reply actions
The post is poorly written an inaccurate. Watch the interview in the Fanshot b/c BE doesn’t post MMA Fighting videos anymore.
The assumption you are making is that Zuffa ever paid GG directly. DW clearly states that GG “want” to get paid directly as they have in Japan…But that the UFC doesn’t “pay management”, they pay fighter and fighters pay management.
by higgledy-piggledy on Aug 5, 2011 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions
you have to pay them, not the fighters.
Obviously this isn’t true, since fighters are under contract (or were) that got paid instead of GG. So clearly this isn’t some unshakeable rule like Dana is painting it out to be.
1. Anderson Silva is waiting for you to punch him.
2. That guy is Anderson Silva.
3. Don't fucking punch that guy.
by Chris Barton on Aug 5, 2011 12:48 AM EDT up reply actions
huh!
if thats the case and GG is demanding the money first.. whats sergei’s deal??? I think dana is bullshitten and theres way more to the story then “oh there managers demand the money”…
come at me bro!
By the by, didn’t Dana say athletic commissions pay the fighters?
Follow me on Twitter or Jon Jones won't sign your replica belt! @BVandDietPepsi
I've never heard this before
You know what, chris81203? You confuse and infuriate me. - James Brady (Ninjames)
Most of the time I am a rather quiet fellow, who likes to read about Philosophy, Mathematics and History, but like most people I also have a deep appreciation of sex and violence... - John Danaher
Yes, he clearly did say that. Zuffa pays into some escrow account then the commission uses it to pay the fighters. Coenen’s check indicates that is not always the case unless that 37k is a bonus of some kind (highly unlikely). Basically, there is nothing to support anything that Dana has said in this matter. This is some fabricated dispute for as of yet unknown reasons. I still think that Overeem will be fighting in the UFC very soon as he is an international star, is very much needed in the UFC ranks, and Frititas know he is a true professional. This compensation “problem” should be very easy to work out . The only thing that prevented them from moving Overeem to the UFC b4 was it would viewed as a tortious action from SF’s perspective. Now that there is a legit reason for him to be released, Zuffa can approach him in a few months a get a deal going. Perhaps at that time they will also get a contract for the other fighters as well, but certainly AO will be coming over to the big show.
Your beliefs become your reality.
by Hardy's in your face on Aug 4, 2011 11:52 PM EDT up reply actions
coulda sworn that was the case. maybe it varies from state to state? the AC’s are at least impartial and as concerned about tax #s as the UFC is.
by heymanhowsitgoing on Aug 4, 2011 11:56 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
hmmmm this sounds interesting
i wanna see the GG guys all get signed back up and get this cleared up but thats probably wishful thinking
"I have smoked weed with alot of UFC champions" - Joe Rogan
"Você ta fudido. Se vai levar muita porrada, ta ligado?" - Anderson Silva
Lies Lies Lies......marloes is spreading lies.
Because dana white never lies. ever in the history of lying. Or ever goes back on something he said changing it to a different story. Someone will soon be exposing that picture as a photoshop.
Sometimes, these things happen in MMA
by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on Aug 5, 2011 2:48 AM EDT reply actions
I don’t buy anyone’s explanation of this situation 100%, but this card being a 1 time deal is kind of plausible. Coenen’s last 2 reported paychecks, both title fights on Showtime main cards were 10k with no win bonus and 2k with a 1k win bonus. Did she sign an extension since then? that would be one crazy contract to start with 2k to show 1k to win and 2 fights later be up to 30k to show.
Also GG fighters getting something from zuffa doesn’t really deny the claims. The ACs won’t let professionals fight for free, so there has to be some money going to the fighters, and Strikeforce’s history of screwing with the reported payouts has a strong basis in reality. hershel Walker was paid 600 dollars when it was widely reported that his “six figure” (that doesn’t mean a purse with the number 6 in it) was going to charity. Frank Trigg was once paid $1 according to AC’s, and then we have the people that received money by selling tickets.
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