**Official UFC thread**

[Crowe Diddly]

How bout gsp v Fedor? Gsp v Gabi Garcia?

I don't get your point.

no real point, and I would like to see him face askren finally (though not a huge # of others would, unfortunately), but where I would absolutely LOVE to see GSP is in RIZIN. GSP-Wandy in Japan would be the nuts. GSP-Fedor not likely obv, but not impossible, and the Gabi comment was just a joke saying that I'm pretty OK with a GSP garbage/freakshow fight. All's it has to be is fun.

[Shizzmoney]

This is going to be a legal shitshow:

If Georges St-Pierre is a free agent that comes as news to the UFC.

St-Pierre announced on Monday that his attorney had terminated his contract with the UFC, which made him a free agent eligible to sign with any promotion interested in retaining his services.

The UFC answered back with a statement issued to FOX Sports refuting those claims and saying that St-Pierre remains under contract with the promotion.

"Georges St-Pierre remains under an existing agreement with Zuffa, LLC as his MMA promoter," UFC officials said.

"Zuffa intends to honor its agreement with St-Pierre and reserves its rights under the law to have St-Pierre do the same.”

St-Pierre was still under contract with the UFC when he took a sabbatical from the sport following his last fight against Johny Hendricks in 2013.

A typical UFC contract doesn't expire under those terms, but instead only extends until an athlete is ready to return to action.

http://www.foxsports.com/ufc/story/u...e-agent-101716

[4Dragons]

This is going to be a legal shitshow:

If Georges St-Pierre is a free agent that comes as news to the UFC.

St-Pierre announced on Monday that his attorney had terminated his contract with the UFC, which made him a free agent eligible to sign with any promotion interested in retaining his services.

The UFC answered back with a statement issued to FOX Sports refuting those claims and saying that St-Pierre remains under contract with the promotion.

"Georges St-Pierre remains under an existing agreement with Zuffa, LLC as his MMA promoter," UFC officials said.

"Zuffa intends to honor its agreement with St-Pierre and reserves its rights under the law to have St-Pierre do the same.”

St-Pierre was still under contract with the UFC when he took a sabbatical from the sport following his last fight against Johny Hendricks in 2013.

A typical UFC contract doesn't expire under those terms, but instead only extends until an athlete is ready to return to action.

http://www.foxsports.com/ufc/story/u...e-agent-101716

It's almost like he's bluffing so he can take another year off.

[BetCheckBet]

This is going to be a legal shitshow:



http://www.foxsports.com/ufc/story/u...e-agent-101716

It's almost like he's bluffing so he can take another year off.

Not really. Problem is he wants what he is worth. Since UFC kicked out all the sponsors George would actually make less money than what he was before since he can't make money off of them now (before he was allowed to have sponsors). I get that they have him trapped in a contract but UFC is scum for the way they don't allow fighters to have their own sponsors.

They have been arguing over this for a long timer and UFC won't budge

6 months ago

http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/4/18...deal-a-hang-up

One of the things to hammer out is potentially a new contract. When he stepped away from the sport in 2013, the UFC did not have an outfitting policy with Reebok. GSP was allowed at the time to wear his own sponsors in the Octagon and got paid for that. That is no longer allowed in the UFC with Reebok in the fold, and St-Pierre is looking to make up that money somehow.




"It changed a lot of things in my contract," GSP said. "We need to renegotiate maybe a new contract. I'm not allowed to wear my sponsors anymore, and I lose money. It depends how it's gonna go down with the UFC. We'll see what's gonna happen."

[DJ_Chaps]

[4Dragons]

It's almost like he's bluffing so he can take another year off.

Not really. Problem is he wants what he is worth. Since UFC kicked out all the sponsors George would actually make less money than what he was before since he can't make money off of them now (before he was allowed to have sponsors). I get that they have him trapped in a contract but UFC is scum for the way they don't allow fighters to have their own sponsors.

They have been arguing over this for a long timer and UFC won't budge

6 months ago

http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/4/18...deal-a-hang-up

One of the things to hammer out is potentially a new contract. When he stepped away from the sport in 2013, the UFC did not have an outfitting policy with Reebok. GSP was allowed at the time to wear his own sponsors in the Octagon and got paid for that. That is no longer allowed in the UFC with Reebok in the fold, and St-Pierre is looking to make up that money somehow.




"It changed a lot of things in my contract," GSP said. "We need to renegotiate maybe a new contract. I'm not allowed to wear my sponsors anymore, and I lose money. It depends how it's gonna go down with the UFC. We'll see what's gonna happen."

So he can't just 'retire', give back the belt and move to some other franchise? Seems like a monopoly.

[Shizzmoney]

Not really. Problem is he wants what he is worth. Since UFC kicked out all the sponsors George would actually make less money than what he was before since he can't make money off of them now (before he was allowed to have sponsors). I get that they have him trapped in a contract but UFC is scum for the way they don't allow fighters to have their own sponsors.

They have been arguing over this for a long timer and UFC won't budge

6 months ago

http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/4/18...deal-a-hang-up

One of the things to hammer out is potentially a new contract. When he stepped away from the sport in 2013, the UFC did not have an outfitting policy with Reebok. GSP was allowed at the time to wear his own sponsors in the Octagon and got paid for that. That is no longer allowed in the UFC with Reebok in the fold, and St-Pierre is looking to make up that money somehow.




"It changed a lot of things in my contract," GSP said. "We need to renegotiate maybe a new contract. I'm not allowed to wear my sponsors anymore, and I lose money. It depends how it's gonna go down with the UFC. We'll see what's gonna happen."

So he can't just 'retire', give back the belt and move to some other franchise? Seems like a monopoly.

He gave up the belt the minute he took time off. The issue is his fight rights.

The UFC's contracts are some of the most usurious and rigid in all of sports and sports entertainment.

Google Randy Couture's fight with the UFC to get out of his contract; they have so many clauses and stipulations in there, it's almost impossible to get out of it. Unless you want to go to war with the UFC's lawyers, which not even a guy like GSP can't match dollar for dollar on. Very few can; this is why a union in the UFC has been suggested where guys can pay dues collectively, bargain collectively, and use that platform and media attention to leverage the UFC and the fairness of a labor arbiter process that would reach a decision that is amicable to both sides.

The UFC has all of the leverage, because they have a virtual monopoly (although there are still some lower tier "competitors" like WSOF, Bellator, and Legacy FC) and in sports it's harder to argue against them doing so because sports is often considered a meritocratic pursuit; tiers are what define that business in all aspects. It doesn't help that some of these fighters are lapdogs to the fight game in general, even if they are starting to bithc more and more after the big $4 billion deal that made money for 6-7 people.

It makes no sense for them to just let the guy out of his contract and let him go to a competitor. Unless this lawyer GSP has, found some loophole, which I doubt is a "gotcha" for the UFC because their contracts are so rigid.

[sonatine]

So he can't just 'retire', give back the belt and move to some other franchise? Seems like a monopoly.

He gave up the belt the minute he took time off. The issue is his fight rights.

The UFC's contracts are some of the most usurious and rigid in all of sports and sports entertainment.

Google Randy Couture's fight with the UFC to get out of his contract; they have so many clauses and stipulations in there, it's almost impossible to get out of it. Unless you want to go to war with the UFC's lawyers, which not even a guy like GSP can't match dollar for dollar on. Very few can; this is why a union in the UFC has been suggested where guys can pay dues collectively, bargain collectively, and use that platform and media attention to leverage the UFC and the fairness of a labor arbiter process that would reach a decision that is amicable to both sides.

The UFC has all of the leverage, because they have a virtual monopoly (although there are still some lower tier "competitors" like WSOF, Bellator, and Legacy FC) and in sports it's harder to argue against them doing so because sports is often considered a meritocratic pursuit; tiers are what define that business in all aspects. It doesn't help that some of these fighters are lapdogs to the fight game in general, even if they are starting to bithc more and more after the big $4 billion deal that made money for 6-7 people.

It makes no sense for them to just let the guy out of his contract and let him go to a competitor. Unless this lawyer GSP has, found some loophole, which I doubt is a "gotcha" for the UFC because their contracts are so rigid.

Im not sure its that complicated; the UFC effectively altered the terms of his contract when they went balls deep in Rebok. Id imagine one could easily argue that in doing so, the UFC has violated the terms of their original contract.

Unless of course GSP signed a contract that allowed the UFC total freedom to alter the contract as they see fit, because he's a dimwit bisexual Canadian weirdo.

[adamantium]

I mean even with the reebok deal he would probably make like 5 million when all is said and done in a superfight against Silva, why be greedy?

[Crowe Diddly]

Im not sure its that complicated; the UFC effectively altered the terms of his contract when they went balls deep in Rebok. Id imagine one could easily argue that in doing so, the UFC has violated the terms of their original contract.

and then they did it again with the USADA deal. funny part of that is, one of the reasons GSP left was how badly he got hung out to dry on the drug testing issue before the Hendricks fight, and drug testing might be one of the issues that ends up freeing him.

[Hockey Guy]

I remember years ago when fighter pay would come up & the UFC always brought up that by fighting in the UFC they were able to make sponsorship money & that was the game changer for fighters. Then they went to this stupid reebok deal & the UFC said every penny was going to the fighters when they actually meant every penny above what was already going to the UFC since every sponsor paid a significant fee to the UFC, would go to the fighters.

Either the fighters & sponsors would lie to the UFC about how much they made in these sponsorships because that directly correlated into how much they also had to pay the UFC or the UFC brass were just stupid greedy cunts. I personally think it's pretty obvious it's the former but wouldn't completely rule out the latter.

[Crowe Diddly]

I mean even with the reebok deal he would probably make like 5 million when all is said and done in a superfight against Silva, why be greedy?

Greedy? That's silly talk. For UFC 158, he probably made over 5 mil in for his PPV cut. He also likely made well over a million, maybe a few, with his endorsements for the fight. Plus I forget his base pay, half a mil probably at least. Why ever the fuck would he agree to come back and fight for less money, when he's still gonna make the UFC multiple times the amount he'll get?

[adamantium]

I mean even with the reebok deal he would probably make like 5 million when all is said and done in a superfight against Silva, why be greedy?

Greedy? That's silly talk. For UFC 158, he probably made over 5 mil in for his PPV cut. He also likely made well over a million, maybe a few, with his endorsements for the fight. Plus I forget his base pay, half a mil probably at least. Why ever the fuck would he agree to come back and fight for less money, when he's still gonna make the UFC multiple times the amount he'll get?

Didnt know he made that much before

[Shizzmoney]

ESPN reports that GSP’s position is that “UFC breached (his) contract by not offering him a fight” indicating that GSP has been looking for a return bout since February.

When Zuffa was given a “10 day deadline” by GSP’s team to offer a bout they replied with “a “letter” that referenced a potential bout against former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler” but no other details such as date, venue , number of rounds etc.

So can this amount to a breach of contract? Perhaps. It will depend on the terms contained in GSP’s contract which is not a matter of public record. Assuming the contract contains standard clauses that other Zuffa contracts contain there is a lot of grey.

If the contract does not call for times to offer a Bout courts will deem a ‘reasonable time-frame‘ as being applicable. Failing to offer a bout from February – October is likely unreasonable given the short shelf-life of a fighter’s career.

https://combatsportslaw.com/2016/10/...tract-dispute/

[Crowe Diddly]

Embedded Tweet

https://twitter.com/twt/status/788552852377481216

[Hockey Guy]

Cost cutting for the UFC's new owners is in full swing:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/mma/new-ufc-...ber-employees/

[sonatine]

Cost cutting for the UFC's new owners is in full swing:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/mma/new-ufc-...ber-employees/

Yeah yuuuuuge cutback on foreign events as well. I cant say I blame them, beyond Brazil its not like I've seen many new talents show up on cards, and that was the whole point of them doing these weird ass events in China etc.

[sonatine]

Gus might have just been forced to retire due to a medical issue with his back. No one can figure out whats wrong with it so far and apparently on bad days the pain extends into his legs, making training impossible. Hes taking an indefinite break to hopefully get it fixed but its been years and no one is sure where to start.

[Crowe Diddly]

bit of a Samman update. There won't be a toxicology done on him, as the hospital took a sample when he was admitted that came up positive for "drugs", but that sample gets tossed out after 3 days, and the Broward med examiner never got another sample, so his death goes down as probable drug overdose. However, his friend who died before he did came up positive for heroin, coke, alcohol, and xanax.

[DJ_Chaps]

Bigfoot is now a free agent. Where does he end up?