Unionizing Pro MMA Fighters

[GeneChing]

Time to scrutinize the 'men behind the curtain'. Big money attracts big snooping.

Culinary asks FTC to investigate Ultimate Fighting Championship
By Howard Stutz
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Sep. 1, 2011 | 2:01 p.m.

Culinary Local 226 wants the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the business practices of Las Vegas-based Ultimate Fighting Championship, claiming the world's largest promoter of mixed martial arts events is violating U.S. antitrust laws.

Zuffa LLC, which operates the UFC, is majority-owned by Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta, the principals in Fertitta Gaming and operators of Station Casinos. The Culinary is locked in a bitter, long-standing feud with Station Casinos over attempts to organize many of the company's 13,000 employees.

"The Culinary obviously knows nothing about the fight business and this is aimed solely at the Fertittas," UFC President Dana White said.

The Fertitta brothers paid $2 million for majority ownership in UFC in 2001. In 2008, Forbes magazine valued UFC at more than $1 billion.

In a letter Wednesday to the FTC, Culinary research director Ken Liu said Zuffa bought out four rivals to dominate professional mixed martial arts. The union cited a 2008 independent equities research firm estimate that UFC controls 80 to 90 percent of its market.

"Zuffa has preserved and strengthened this dominant market position through exclusionary conduct by refusing to co-promote events, as well as anti-competitive contractual restraints that severely limit a professional athlete's freedom of movement," Liu wrote.

White said FTC approval would be needed only if the deals were each valued at more than $65 million.

In the letter, Liu said Zuffa's contracts with fighters have an "automatic renewal" extension if an athlete becomes a champion, and require the fighters to negotiate with Zuffa after their contracts expire. That prevents them from becoming free agents and negotiating for higher pay.

The Culinary also said fighters forfeit their image and likeness rights "in perpetuity" for merchandise and ancillary agreements, and that Zuffa won't promote events with rival companies.

"Zuffa does not operate as a professional league, and thus cannot justify its restrictive behavior as being necessary to preserve a competitive balance in mixed martial arts," Liu wrote.

In Las Vegas, UFC cards are typically held at the MGM Grand's Garden Arena or at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, where UFC 137 is scheduled for Oct. 29. Employees of both venues are represented by the Culinary.

"Every time we host one of our UFC events in Las Vegas, it brings $100 million of economic impact ... ," White said. "That benefits Culinary members. The Culinary is hurting their own members. They are taking their union dues and taking them to attack our company."

The Fertittas' ownership of Station Casinos is not mentioned in the letter.

Yvanna Cancela, political director for the Culinary, said the union is not interested in organizing UFC fighters. She said the reasons for the action, "are spelled out in the letter."

The complaint to the commission is not the first time the Culinary has climbed into the octagon with Zuffa. Last spring the union's affiliated New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council lobbied against legalizing mixed martial arts events in the state. The issue is pending.

At the time, White called the union's action "extortion," and said "these union idiots" were trying to keep the UFC out of New York because of the Fertittas.

The Culinary has lodged several unfair labor practice complaints against Station Casinos and tried to interject itself in the company's recently completed bankruptcy. The Fertittas own 45 percent of Station Casinos, which operates 18 casinos in the Las Vegas Valley.

Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Unions and gambling mobs, I wonder which one is seedier?
LOL !

[lkfmdc]

The fact that the owners of Zuffa also run a NON union casino has been behind a lot (heck MOST) of the anti-MMA stuff politicians do

RE READ THAT

politicians don't really care about "safe sports" or "protecting children" blah blah

They get contributions from big unions and get lobbied by big unions and the unions are against the owners of the UFC, could care less about the actual UFC

The reason MMA is still illegal in NY has everything to do with the unions

[Dragonzbane76]

it all boils down to money period.

[GeneChing]

I'm changing the title of this thread from 'Zuffa LLC' to 'Unionizing Pro MMA Fighters'.

Aug 05, 2015
Teamsters and UNITE HERE Announce Initiative to Organize UFC Fighters



Las Vegas, NV – Today, two of the largest unions in the “fight capital” of the world launched an initiative to organize MMA fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), the largest promoter of professional MMA events.

“We have been surprised to learn how poorly these professional fighters are treated in the UFC. We want to help them to improve conditions for themselves and raise standards for the sport,” said Chris Griswold, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 986, one of the largest Teamsters locals in the country with 17,000 members in Southern California and Nevada.

“UFC fighters can set a new agenda for their sport and make it better by working with regulators, sponsors, investors, and other stakeholders,” added Griswold. “As our efforts did for workers in other industries, fighters united for change can make a huge difference.

“All workers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity,” said Geoconda Arguello-Kline, Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE’s Culinary Workers Union Local 226, the largest union in Las Vegas with 55,000 members. “Housekeepers, kitchen workers, and tens of thousands of other workers in Las Vegas have stood up together to fight for an opportunity to provide for their families. There is no reason UFC fighters cannot do the same.”

“Our unions can bring more tools and resources to the table, including our relationships with other professional athletes’ unions,” added Arguello-Kline. “Mixed martial arts play a big part in the success of the Las Vegas tourism industry, and UFC fighters deserve to share in that success, too.”

More information can be found at the initiative’s website, Fighters’ Agenda: www.FightersAgenda.org.

Teamsters Local 986 and UNITE HERE Culinary Local 226 have several joint organizing projects in Las Vegas, including the Station Casinos organizing campaign, one of the largest private-sector organizing drives in the country. Station Casinos, an affiliate of the UFC, is the worst labor law-breaker in the history of Las Vegas gaming industry, having broken federal labor law eighty-eight times.



CONTACT:

Bethany Khan

(702) 386-5249

bkhan@culinaryunion226.org

[GeneChing]

Does anyone know any professional sports that are already unionized like this? Is pro boxing unionized?

Former Mixed Martial Arts Champion Cung Le's Next Big Fight Is Union Organizing
by JOSH CHESLER
UFC Hong Kong Media Day

UFC middleweight fighter Cung Le appears at the Macao UFC Fight Night Press Conference at the Four Season Hotel, August 20, 2014 in Hong Kong. Anthony Kwan / Getty Images, file

Since leaving Vietnam as a small child just before the fall of Saigon, Cung Le has been fighting for his entire life. For 34 years, the bulk of Le's battles took place in one martial art or another. After his mother enrolled him in taekwondo when he was 10, Le went on to train in everything from vovinam — Vietnam's traditional martial art — and Russian sambo to kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

But the latest battle for the retired Strikeforce middleweight champion is going on off of the mat and outside of the cage.

"I'm pushing for an association to get behind MMA fighters and ensure that there is fair play for the fighters and to bring the Ali Act — which is what boxers have now — to MMA," Le told NBC News. "I want the fighters to get paid what they're worth at a fair market amount. A lot of fighters are very upset with what the UFC pays, but they can't speak out because they are scared to lose their jobs. It's an association's job to step up and speak out for all of the fighters, not just one."

"IT STARTS OUT WITH A NUMBER, AND IT GOES UP FOR THE FIGHTERS WHO ARE BIG DRAWS, BUT EVEN THEY STILL DON'T GET PAID THE AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE WORTH. THE PERCENTAGE IN BOXING IS LIKE A 50-50 SPLIT BETWEEN FIGHTER AND PROMOTER, BUT THE UFC TAKES LIKE 85 PERCENT OF THE PROFIT AND LEAVES THE FIGHTERS 15 PERCENT."

Le isn't the only former UFC fighter pushing for a union and fighters' rights. Other MMA veterans, including Jon Fitch, Jamie Varner, and the late Ryan Jimmo have been pushing for unionization for years, saying that the UFC mistreats its athletes. In an event in July, a former UFC champion took home an event-high $2,500,000 while five fighters on the card walked away with less than $50,000 of disclosed pay. Overall, the UFC paid approximately $7 million in disclosed salary for an event that made approximately $10,700,000 in live attendance and sold reportedly between 1.1 and 1.2 million pay-per-views at between $50 and $60 a piece.

"[The UFC] are going to get by with whatever they could to pay the fighters the lowest they could," Le said. "Some fighters get paid more than others, but there's no set pay on which fighters get what. It starts out with a number, and it goes up for the fighters who are big draws, but even they still don't get paid the amount that they're worth. The percentage in boxing is like a 50-50 split between fighter and promoter, but the UFC takes like 85 percent of the profit and leaves the fighters 15 percent."

Follow
MMAFA @MMAFA
#MMAFA's @CungLe185 asks all fans and fighters in all promotions to stand with us and change the sport! #AliAct2MMA
4:14 PM - 17 Aug 2016
50 50 Retweets 96 96 likes

These days, Le is in a unique position to discuss fighter benefits. With time spent fighting in the UFC, Strikeforce, and several kickboxing promotions, the 44-year-old is well versed in fight sports. At the same time, his movie career and martial arts legacy mean that he'll likely never have to worry about securing a payday from a mixed martial arts promotion again, although he's now serving in a promotional role with Bellator MMA while pursuing the expansion of boxing's Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which would set federal rules on how fighters are to be treated by promotions, to the cage. Currently, mixed martial arts has no federal governing body, as the sport is ruled by individual state athletic commissions and promotions.

Part of the reason Le's not afraid to intertwine himself with Bellator while working on fighters' rights is he believes the promotion is friendlier to fighters than its competitors. Le said he wants to make sure that the fighters who come after him are getting the treatment they deserve, and he believes that current Bellator president and former Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker is helping things move in the right direction.

"Scott has always been super good to me and all of the fighters under his banner," Le said. "I'm not a part of the fight team for Bellator, but I enjoy being that ambassador because there are not a lot of promoters like Scott Coker."

Follow
Cung Le ✔ @CungLe185
We all suffer permanent health issues in MMA. In sport approved by states--~15% to fighters ~85% to promoter is unconscionable. @abcboxing
7:00 PM - 16 Aug 2016
42 42 Retweets 62 62 likes

In recent weeks, fighters' rights made the news with sports agent Jeff Borris announced the formation of the Professional Fighters Association (PFA). Although Le doesn't endorse the PFA, he believes his group, the MMA Fighters Association (MMAFA), is on the cusp of finally bringing the Ali Act to mixed martial arts. The MMAFA has partnered with U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma, himself a former professional fighter, to push a bill for fighters' rights through Congress.

"It's just a matter of time before the Ali Act gets pushed through," Le said. "Then fighters will have more security than fighting for chump change. They'll be getting what they should be getting."

RELATED: Benson Henderson Fights for His 'Love of the Game'

Whether or not unionization happens anytime soon, Le's mark on mixed martial arts is already visible on a regular basis. A sport that used to be dominated by wrestling and Thai kickboxing techniques is beginning to see more flashy strikes mixed in by fighters of all backgrounds and skill levels. As one of the first and biggest names to throw techniques involving spins and diverse angles, the visibility of Le's style when mixed martial arts was a young sport helped shape the current generation of top fighters, such as Conor McGregor and Anthony Pettis, Le said.

"Before MMA got big, a lot of guys were watching me on ESPN2 — promoted by Scott Coker — and they got the chance to watch me scissor kick guys, throw wheel kicks and pick guys up and throw them on their backs," Le said. "I think that inspired a lot of martial artists. A couple of weeks ago, [UFC women's bantamweight contender] Cat Zingano told me I was one of her favorite fighters before she even got started. I think it's the evolution of martial arts — what I did back in the day, a lot of people are doing now. I'm happy to be a part of it, but I'm not the only reason people are using those techniques now."

Outside of martial arts competition, Le's built a name for himself with a 20-year-long career in the film industry. With roles in television series like "Walker, Texas Ranger" and "Hawaii Five-0" to movies such as "Fighting," "Tekken," "The Man with the Iron Fists" and the upcoming "Security," Le is a go-to whenever Hollywood needs a highly skilled martial artist. Fighting and acting have always been in a delicate balance for Le, as he had to vacate his Strikeforce middleweight title — while still keeping an undefeated record — in 2009 to focus on his acting career.

"I started out as a martial artist and because of my training and the way I fight, it's opened a lot of doors for me," Le said. "I've done a lot of studio-type movies. I've done movies where I can say I starred along with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Russell Crow, Lucy Liu, Ben Foster, Channing Tatum, so it's been really good for me. I'm about to leave to go to Ireland and be in multiple episodes with Daniel Wu of 'Into the Badlands' on AMC. It's been an exciting time for me to not be the fighter. I get to sit in the crowd and watch all of the fights instead of being in the back room and missing all of the fights until I walk out and see who I'm going to fight. It's the yin and yang balance for me."

For now, Le's focused on his next event — the official pre-fight tailgate for Bellator 160 on Aug. 26 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. He'll be one of several fighters there to meet fans and promote the event headlined by a lightweight bout between former UFC champion Benson Henderson and former Bellator champion Patricio "Pitbull" Freire. To Le, it's a chance to make some fans' day while helping out a promotion he believes in.

"Bellator and Scott Coker always want to take care of their fans, so they treat their fans to special events like meeting certain fighters," Le said. "It creates awareness of big fights coming up, like this one between Ben Henderson and Pitbull, and it keeps the fans engaged to have direct contact with the fighters."

I'm now imagining an MMA union going on strike and picketing, and then scab pro-fighters trying to break that picket line. That would make for a great MMA flick...or at least a decent YouTube vid.

[GeneChing]

Imagine if they went on strike. Imagine the scabs trying to break the strike line. Now that's a fight I'd tune into for sure.

UFC fighters form Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association
By BRETT OKAMOTO via ESPN Nov 30, 2016, 10:12 PM ET

For the first time in the sport's history, five prominent mixed martial artists have publicly aligned with a fighters association.

A group of athletes including former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre, along with former Bellator MMA CEO Bjorn Rebney, announced the foundation of the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association on Wednesday.

According to its official release, "The Association's sole concentration is to fight for the rights of MMA fighters and force UFC's ownership, [WME-IMG], to dramatically alter the company's decade plus outrageous treatment of its athletes."

In addition to St-Pierre, who retired in 2013 but is interested in a comeback, the group includes active fighters Tim Kennedy, Cain Velasquez, Donald Cerrone and? TJ Dillashaw. Those five will serve as the MMAAA's board members, and they intend to recruit other UFC athletes, both active and retired, to join.

The MMAAA declined to provide a detailed outline of its plans but said its goals ideally include an out-of-court financial settlement with the UFC, an increase in revenue share and insurance and pension packages that do not currently exist for UFC athletes.

"In essence, what the association is going to achieve for the athletes is a settlement to address the past wrongs, driving up [revenue split] to 50 percent up from 8 percent, and a benefits package that provides a safety net," said Rebney, who was replaced as Bellator head in 2014.

All four of the active fighters are scheduled to compete at UFC events in December, and each admitted that adds a feeling of angst to the announcement.

"Absolutely there is still fear, but it needs to be done," Cerrone said. "Standing with the five guys here, these are big names. We just need the rest of the guys to not have fear and stand up with us. We're putting ourselves out there."

St-Pierre, who entered negotiations for a comeback fight with the UFC this year that ultimately failed, added, "This same thing has happened before in every other sport -- NFL, NHL, NBA. Now it's happening in the UFC. It's going to happen whether they like it or not.

"I know a lot of fighters want to remain anonymous, but I'm telling you guys, come see us. It's time to stand together."

St-Pierre said even a fighter at the level of Conor McGregor, who received a record $3 million disclosed purse for a fight against Nate Diaz in August, is not making a fair share.

A UFC official told ESPN.com the promotion does not intend to make a formal statement on the announcement, but respects all of its athletes and encourages open communication on how to improve the sport.

Rebney made it clear the association is not an effort to unionize -- the current landscape defines UFC fighters as independent contractors rather than employees. The initial focus of MMAAA also will be only on UFC athletes, not those signed to other organizations.

Four of the five athletes on the board are represented by entertainment powerhouse Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a well-known rival of WME. WME purchased the UFC for more than $4 billion earlier this year.

According to Rebney, CAA is not directly backing the association but "supports" the athletes' rights. Rebney declined to identify the venture's source of funding, other than saying, "Some people stepped up."

Rebney also mentioned the possibility of a "labor strike," although both Kennedy and Velasquez later stated their goal is to "work with the UFC" to resolve these differences.

This is not the first pro-fighter effort to take place; however, it is the first to feature such prominent, public support from a board of high-profile fighters. Another effort calling itself the Professional Fighters Association was announced in August, although that differs in that it seeks to unionize UFC athletes.

"We're going to change the face of the entire industry and sport today," Kennedy said.

[GeneChing]

California Legislature Passes Bill Creating New MMA Fighters Pension Fund
Assemblymember Haney’s AB 1136 will require Mixed Martial Arts promoters to set aside a portion of their ticket sales for a California state run retirement benefit fund for combat sports
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, September 15, 2023
Nate Allbee
(415) 756-0561

California Legislature Passes Bill Creating New MMA Fighters Pension Fund

Assemblymember Haney’s AB 1136 will require Mixed Martial Arts promoters to set aside a portion of their ticket sales for a California state run retirement benefit fund for combat sports

Sacramento, CA — Today, Assemblymember Matt Haney’s (D-San Francisco) AB 1136, the Mixed Martial Arts Retirement Benefit Fund passed out of the Senate and Assembly floor with overwhelming bipartisan support and is now headed to Governor Newsom’s desk for signing.

World famous MMA fighters came to the state capital to speak to the importance of taking care of combat athletes as they age out of the sport.

“Your body doesn’t forget. And many times you don’t realize you’ve taken one hit too many until decades later,” said Ronda Rousey, former Bantamweight champion and the first female athlete to have signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). “Everyone loves you when you’re fighting in the octagon, but will any of those people be there for you when you’re in your nineties paying the price?”

Other notable supporters of the bill include world champion MMA fighters Urijah Faber, Cat Zingano, renowned Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) coach Cesar Gracie and MMA all-star referee and former pro-fighter Herb Dean and Mike Beltran who have been outspoken advocates of the bill since its first announcement in February.

California is the national leader in MMA, hosting the most fights and most fighters of any state. Currently, MMA fighters do not have a guaranteed source of income or retirement benefits once their careers have ended and many fighters have long term injuries from their time in the ring.

“We are providing mixed martial arts athletes with an opportunity to secure their financial future and ensuring they have money set aside when needed” said Haney. “This groundbreaking initiative sets a new standard in the sport, further demonstrating California's unwavering commitment to MMA fighters who risk their lives for the sport,” said Haney.

The fund will not be paid for using State dollars. Instead, it will be financed through ticket sales, sports paraphernalia, and souvenirs. For every ticket sold, $1 would go towards the MMA Fighters Pension Fund. MMA fighters would become vested between 12-14 fights, which is around 39 scheduled rounds at Commission regulated MMA events.

New amendments that were passed on the Assembly and Senate floor also makes it easier for MMA fighters to receive annual notices of when they vest for the pension fund and how much money they have in the fund. That annual notice will also detail how the vested fighter can withdraw funds from the fund to be used on medical bills or to fund their education.

If the Governor signs the bill, the California State Athletic Commission who administers the new fund will begin the process of creating it as soon as January of 2024.

MMA fighters are getting a pension
The career of a professional mixed martial arts fighter can be a short one. Now, when fighters leave the ring and hang up their gloves, they can expect to be getting a little financial help. The retirement fund, which may begin being created as soon as January, is not coming out of the state coffers but from a $1 cut of MMA ticket prices and souvenirs.

“Your body doesn’t forget. And many times you don’t realize you’ve taken one hit too many until decades later,” former MMA star Ronda Rousey said at the State Capitol earlier this year. “Everyone loves you when you’re fighting in the octagon, but will any of those people be there for you when you’re in your nineties paying the price?”


FILE: John Salter kicks Aaron Jeffery in their middleweight fight during the Bellator 293 event on March 31, 2023, at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif.

Matt Davies/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Interesting development here in Cali.