The Fertita brothers are obviously “streetsmart”. If played right, they could ultimately (no pun intended) turn the Couture “resignation” into a net positive PR event for the UFC. IMO Couture is using hardball tactics to get more “respect(money).” All the Fertita’s have to do is pay Couture the 2 million or so that they were willing to possibly “waste” on Fedor (who IMO is not marketable in North America) to become the vice president of the UFC responsible for fighter liason. As vice president he could work on revamping some of the UFC’s policies. This way everyone wins. Can you imagine the positive vibes that would come from such a move from the Fertita’s? At any rate, the Fertita brothers should realize that the landscape has changed and they need a “counterbalance” to Dana.
Believe it or not this is actually great for MMA in general for now and the future..I see what Couture is doinf with his popularity..statis..postion in the UFC..the UFC being the Major League of MMA…but giving the fighter’s we talk about triple A CageRage type salaries..that is like what the F#%^!!!
It’s about time..I would love to see a Fedor vs Randy..Right now!! Who wouldn’t..the politics behind signing Fedor..blew up in UFC’s Face. I love it. With all the money that the UFC makes..and the postion they hold in the MMA world.. The fighter’s should get there fair shake.. If Dana and Zuffa are fronting like George Stienbrener and the Yankees of Combat..let’s see their stable of fighter’s Salary mirror their attitude.
Outside of other ways of making money like endorsments and a third of whatever. How much do they make just fighting in the UFC.
Why is everybody acting like Dana White pulled some kind of screw-job on Randy when it was Dana who called Randy and offered him the title shot… after being in retirement… and losing two big fights… doesn’t anybody else think that Dana did Randy a favor? Wasn’t Randy happy with the negotiations at that time? Look, business is business and I’m not one to sit and judge whether or not the way Dana White does business is right or wrong. I’m a fan, and as a fan I want to see the best fighters fight, and a lot of fighters truly have the priority of fans first, themselves second. If Randy wants to set his priorities differently, so be it. He can walk away, and the UFC will go on.
Would I like to see fighters get paid more? Absolutely. If athletes from boring sports get paid a ton of money, fighters should make double that. WIll Dana White and the UFC eventually pay fighters what they deserve? I don’t know, but I hope so and I like to think that it will happen. But in the meantime, I want to see the best fighters fight. Whether or not Randy’s decision has a positive or negative effect remains to be seen, I just wish it was done differently. Whether or not it would have accomplished as much is obviously debatable, but I wish Randy fought out his contract, and then took action. I still think he’s one of the greatest of all time and as an athlete I respect him. But I just can’t believe he would do something so out of character, and I don’t think anyone can argue this is out of character for Randy.
The one thing I’d hate to see is the problems that come with big money like we see in other sports. Guys whining about not getting paid enough when they’re making plenty of money has been turning a lot of people off to money other sports. Nobody likes to see half assed performances in a team sport, imagine how obvious and horrible it would be in a combat sport!
It’s easy to look and Randy now and say he’s worth more than what the UFC paid him (at least the numbers we know). But put yourself in Dana’s shoes before the Tim Sylvia fight… would you have dropped more money than that into a guy that nobody thought could win? Would you have paid more money to a 44 year old guy who lost his last two fights (pretty convincingly I might add) and took a year off, and decides to come back against a guy much taller and much heavier? The reason we’re all so amazed by Randy is because he defies odds the way he does, but contracts aren’t negotiated after the fact. Give me a break, Randy got what he deserved thus far. Now I agree with Randy that if he fought Fedor, he should have been able to renegotiate and get more than what his contract stated. I think it’s noble of him to want to be the representative for the other guys who might not have the ability to just walk away. But in the end, the ones who really got screwed by all of this is not Fedor, Dana, Randy or the UFC…. it’s us as fans, and I’m pretty mad about that.
PhilQNy, they really are not compensated as high as other athletes and if you look at the payouts for each event (click on any fo the UFC events in the left hand column to see what each fighter made at that event) it is really insulting and degrading. For instance Josh Koschek only made $10,000 to recently fight GSP. Most payouts for fighters arent that low but most of them are insulting keeping in mind how much money they generate and how much prep goes into each fight. most of these fighters have to pay they trainers too. how is kos supposed to pay a trainer for 3 months of work on a $10,000 payout?
instead of dana telling the world that randy is retiring because he wants to make movies, i would really like to hear dana address randy’s questions of why he pays fighters so little, when they generate soo much money for the UFC. where is all the money going? dana? ufc debt? where? cause its not going to the fighters.
hmm it seems that ufc mania started posting fighter payouts starting with UFC 74. check em out. compare the payouts to baseball, golf, tennis, soccer . . .
[quote comment=”176621″]PhilQNy, they really are not compensated as high as other athletes and if you look at the payouts for each event (click on any fo the UFC events in the left hand column to see what each fighter made at that event) it is really insulting and degrading. For instance Josh Koschek only made $10,000 to recently fight GSP. Most payouts for fighters arent that low but most of them are insulting keeping in mind how much money they generate and how much prep goes into each fight. most of these fighters have to pay they trainers too. how is kos supposed to pay a trainer for 3 months of work on a $10,000 payout?
instead of dana telling the world that randy is retiring because he wants to make movies, i would really like to hear dana address randy’s questions of why he pays fighters so little, when they generate soo much money for the UFC. where is all the money going? dana? ufc debt? where? cause its not going to the fighters.[/quote]
There are a lot of good points in that post. At the very least, if the UFC wants to have top caliber fighters and fights….freakin’ pay them enough to train full time. Beyond that, they should get a decent cut in relation to all the revenue being generated. If the UFC doesn’t start giving their fighters more appropriate contracts, there’s a good chance someone else will. I think one of the main problems is their arrogance makes them think they’re the only game in town. That may be the case right now, but as soon as someone comes along with the assets to rival their promotions and enough forethought to recognize the market potential, the UFC may just find that their greed for maximum profit has hung them out to dry.
All of you guys make great points, I’ve written about this since the intial retirement announcement. It’s business but despite current Couture contract it’s not like his team is going for the pennant or baseball season is starting and he’s not playing and hurting his teamates because he’s re-negotating. He can walk away from the sport anytime he wants and make more $$$ long term dollars in other areas, MMA gyms, his name-brand products, motivational speaker etc.
On the other hand I don’t blame the UFC for signing on Randy for the amount of money they did intially, I don’t blame them for management $$$$ decisions.. BUT, times change… Tito Ortiz has been saying this for years and now the most respected fighter in MMA history is voicing his opinion, and ALL fighters need to start seeing more$$$$, it will be hard on fans, but this has to start with the top fighters, boycotting, forming fighter union or something to force that change, between fighters and management.
This is possibly the most uncomfortable Randy has ever been in an interview. I bet most of the fighters are glad that someone as forthright and respectable as Randy has decided to make this stand.
Sure he could have done it after his contract was over, but actually this may be the most opportune time… in the middle of his contract and right after they offered FEDOR millions and during the publicity of Fedor signing elsewhere. You can’t fight the UFC by giving them what they want… he and the rest of the fighters need to hit them where it hurts most… negative publicity and their fat wallets.
And Yes’ Dana is avoiding the question of paying fighters more money… in the past Dana has made it personal, and he’s using that tatic again… but Tito Ortiz is no Randy Couture, so Dana is going to blame it on Couture’s manager not Randy, kind of a good move, but way to transparant.
[quote comment=”176699″]I think Randy is acting like a selfish child! I thought this sport was about MMA and the fans–NOT THE MONEY!!!!!!!![/quote]
Wake up man, do you really think the UFC would even exist if not for the money that the promoters make? Randy is 44 years old and been fighting for what about 10 years now, how the hell can anyone criticize him for wanting to fight the guy that he thinks would pose the biggest challenge to him? He retired because Dana couldn’t or just wasn’t willing to do what it took to make the fight happen. Why not just retire from fighting and give acting a shot, rather than keep working for an organization that gives their fighters meager compensation relative to what the boss is making. His decision was made that much easier by Dana straight up lying to him about how his contract compared to other fighters. I have as much respect as ever for Randy Couture, and not just his MMA legacy. I think it’s ridiculous that any “fan” could direct any negative sentiments towards him about his retirement. If you aren’t informed enough to be appreciative of Randy as a person or his MMA abilities, then I think we’re all better off if you just refrain from comment
Randy is the best in the UFC and the UFC fighters have been laying the wood to Pride and everyone else. I don’t blame him at all for moving on. Dana couldn’t seal the deal and apparently Fedor couldn’t and wouldn’t step up to the challenge to unify the belts, Fedor went out like a Bitch and why wait around and fight guys that couldn’t carry Randy’s jock? Long live “The Natural” and until Fedor steps up everyone else can shut the fuck up!
This is harball - both sides have their points. In the end, I dont trust Dana and Randy’s clock is ticking. Randy is doing what he needs to do and the UFC is doing the same. I do know I will not be happy if Randy and others get more money and I have to pay 50 for PPV. In other words, Dana is BIG OIL and we are going to get it at the pump.
[quote comment=”176699″]I think Randy is acting like a selfish child! I thought this sport was about MMA and the fans–NOT THE MONEY!!!!!!!![/quote]
LOL
You’re calling Randy selfish because he stood up for himself? You’re saying it’s about you the fan, not about Randy the guy who puts his body on the line when he steps into the Octagon. And Randy is the selfish one. Yeah, that makes sense.
And let’s realize that by retiring, HE WALKED OUT ON MONEY. If he was about the money, he would take a fight with a guy like Kongo, take him, lay-and-pray and waste time, then collect his paycheck. But he’s not like that. If Randy has a fight, he puts his heart and soul into it. But why would he do that is he gets disrespected by the company? The money is a sign of respect.
Randy does make more than a lot of UFC fighters, but those other guys are not in any position to stand up to Dana and walk away from their contract.
Put it this way, let’s say you’re working for a successful company. You’re making hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then there are these couple of guys making half a million. While they’re important to the company, they don’t work as hard as you do, and don’t have the track record you do. You’re doing what you love to do, but you’ve sacrificed health and time away from family and friends to get where you are. You’re also past the age where most people in your field would have retired. You bring all this up to the boss, looking for a raise and new opportunities, and he does nothing. Should people blame you if you resign and move on with your life?
DANA SHOULD BE FIRED i’m NOT WATCHING ANY MORE UFC events LOOK AT THE NEXT 3 EVENTS UFC &* IN NJ SUKS
UFC NEEDS A GOOD COMPETITOR Co. SO FOR NOW ITS RANDY !
DANA IS AN AHOLE I MEAN REALLY LISTEN TO HIM WATCH HIM HES TERRIBLE FORT THE SPORT!!!!!!!!!!! AND WHY SHOULD LIDELL GET OVER ! MILLION MIN IN @ OF HIS LAST FIGHTS AFTER LOSING THEM AND RANDY GEYS 250,000 per fight and he wins !
DANA SUCKS!!!!!!
I hope MMA is never about the fans….
thats what happened to wrestling, they took away fighting
and made it about what draws a crowd…so it turned into
a darn soap opera. Many have mentioned adding a stage and
entrances to the fights to hype it up, sorry i dont watch
fights for the hype. i watch for the fighting, and the sport
not pyrotechnics or drama between fighters.
but you realize these fighter are fighters, thats what they are, thats their job, and the promotion that they signed under
is bringing in money from all over and they arent getting paid squat compared to other jobs, or athletes. so wake up
and lets support the fighters, not the promoter(ufc and dana).
-GSP’s UFC 74 payday is very low compared to his drawing power, $140,000 ($70,000 to show, $70,000 to win) I would like to hear, what kind of signing bonuses, sponsorships, pay-per-view percentages and other unofficial payments, went to him if any. What does a guy like that make per year on avg?
I’m more keen on the MANY underpaid exciting, top 10 level type fighters in each weight class making 1,000’s more for payday.
It would be great to see Randy get behind the underpaid fighters, he doesn’t seem comfortable in the political/business side of MMA, at least when discussing his contract. Either way I hope he continues doing something positive with MMA, even if it’s just commentating.
If the UFC and Randy can make it happen…. the only fight left if he wants it… if a big payday can be negotiated, is to drop to 205 lbs and take on Rampage, however I get the feeling his heart is just not in it right now, he really wanted FEDOR.
I dont think Randy is selfish at all. He doesnt just talk about himself, he also stated that some of the younger guys were getting shafted as well.
So it sounds to me like he is addressing a larger problem. Yeh sure he left, people are upset, but he’s still a great guy. I dont think after all these years, shit it JUST now getting to his head. He’s not Tito.
man, i just watched that video again, and the only thing i can think about is how we the fans and randy couture are missing out on the biggest fight ever in the history of MMA. the fight between fedor and couture would have probably defined the sport and taken it to another level; especially if randy pulled off one of his patented heart pounding upsets.
and after all the talk about what the ufc should have done, what dana should have done to secure the fight, i still find myself asking; why the fuck wouldnt fedor wanna fight randy couture in a fight to define the ages. the only answer i can come up with is, he must have thought he was going to lose.
for example, fedor sites that his major reason for not signing with the ufc was because the ufc would not allow him to represent his country in sambo tourements. however, if he is so interested in fighting to represent his country in sambo tournaments, he could have signed with ufc for one fight. then, he couldve fought in the sambo tournament anytime he wanted. but if he lost his fight with randy, then his siging amount with M1 would’ve dropped way down or been completely retracted.
so, randy’s got all my respect in the world and i hope this fight still somehow happens, and if you re-watch the interview thats what randy really wants too.
[quote comment=”176850″]DANA SHOULD BE FIRED i’m NOT WATCHING ANY MORE UFC events LOOK AT THE NEXT 3 EVENTS UFC &* IN NJ SUKS
UFC NEEDS A GOOD COMPETITOR Co. SO FOR NOW ITS RANDY !
DANA IS AN AHOLE I MEAN REALLY LISTEN TO HIM WATCH HIM HES TERRIBLE FORT THE SPORT!!!!!!!!!!! AND WHY SHOULD LIDELL GET OVER ! MILLION MIN IN @ OF HIS LAST FIGHTS AFTER LOSING THEM AND RANDY GEYS 250,000 per fight and he wins !
DANA SUCKS!!!!!![/quote]First off you must not like MMA too much if you think the next 3 cards suck. I’ll give you 78 thats a pretty weak card but 77 is a very solid card and 79 is one of the best ever. And I’m not saying he shouldn’t have been making more, but Randy was making a lot more than 250,000 per fight because that doesn’t include any of the bonuses he got.
its time to increase the wages of UFC fighters!!!
imagine they still paying $3,000 which i think is an insult..
they say that UFC is bigger than boxing then why are the boxers are paid better, Pacquiao and barrera went home with 2million each after their last fight.
[quote comment=”176850″]DANA SHOULD BE FIRED i’m NOT WATCHING ANY MORE UFC events LOOK AT THE NEXT 3 EVENTS UFC &* IN NJ SUKS
UFC NEEDS A GOOD COMPETITOR Co. SO FOR NOW ITS RANDY !
DANA IS AN AHOLE I MEAN REALLY LISTEN TO HIM WATCH HIM HES TERRIBLE FORT THE SPORT!!!!!!!!!!! AND WHY SHOULD LIDELL GET OVER ! MILLION MIN IN @ OF HIS LAST FIGHTS AFTER LOSING THEM AND RANDY GEYS 250,000 per fight and he wins !
DANA SUCKS!!!!!![/quote]
Remember while Couture was retired Chuck was making th UFC the brand it is today. Whether he lost those 2 fights or not he has the power of the major draw. Like Tito ortiz, for some reason he still is one of the top PPV grossers. I agree that yes to pay someone to come from another organization more money then Randy is wrong, but to squabble among the faces of the UFC (Chuck, Randy, Tito) I think it is wrong…I am sure if Randy had stuck it out instead if retiring he to would be on the same pay scale. I think it is great that he is trying to pave the dollars a cents road for the new generation of fighter but I think to an extent it is a bit selfish to walk away from the fans of the UFC who have been behind him since he started fighting…
[quote post=”3583″]I think to an extent it is a bit selfish to walk away from the fans of the UFC who have been behind him since he started fighting…[/quote]
He’s 44 freakin’ years old. He’s supposed to keep fighting until he gets KTFO’d by some up-and-comer?
[quote comment=”176699″]I think Randy is acting like a selfish child! I thought this sport was about MMA and the fans–NOT THE MONEY!!!!!!!![/quote]
When Randy can’t feed himself or independently use the bathroom at age 60 because of repeated blows to the head, he will need all of the money he earned when he sacrificed his health. (I hope and pray that nothing like this happens to Randy, but look at the old NFL players who are broke and broken)
The fact is that the money IS being generated. Who deserves the money more? The person who is actually fighting and risking his health and maybe his life should be compensated.
The business men who made all of this possible should be insanely wealthy, because they risked a lot of money to make this work. However, they should also pay a lot more than they do.
They cannot be compelled to pay more. They are correct to get as much as they can for as little cost as possible. Randy is showing great leadership by giving back the belt and taking a stand. That is the only leverage the fighters have.
The ufc definately needs to smarten up as they earn million every ppv and pay the fighters jack, and now they lost thier most marketable fighter and heaveweight, u just watch and see if the silva liddel fight happens and just watch if it does chucks payday will be huge despite a win, i think he (chuck) made a half million for losing to the dean of mean, anyways they ned a union cause the ufc opeartes out of vegas which mean they pay little to no tax, so somewhere theres a vault full of money, and even if they(ufc) are all about money as they should be as its a business, why hasn’t the purchased pride organization had a ppv or had any of its notable fighters signed??? all thye di was unify one title.
the ufc needs a shot in the arm and i don’t see any excitting dynmic fighter that can do it unless the fedor randy fight happens
where tito when u need soemone to speak their mind, think about this what randy did was way out of character so i guess the problem was getting worse as hr mentioned fighting with management and swimming up stream.
AND THE MMA WORLD ESPECIALLY DA FIGHTERS NEED A COMPETITOR COMPANY BETTER THAN IFL ELITE XC>>>>
COMPETIOTION IS GOOD, there woudl be no burger king without a Mcdonalds, and i frequent both, each is a lil’ different
CAN DANA WHITE STEP DOWN THAT ARROGANT PRICK, LYING TO A DESCENT MAN RANDY C. DANA WHITE IS A LIAR AND IS LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE VINCE MCHMAN OF THE WWF
DANA DO YOU WANNA BE A F-#ing PRESIDENT?
HE’s AN AROGANT PRICK
There is ONLY ONE WAY for the UFC to listen and THAT is for EVERY SINGLE fighter to boycott and go on strike, think about it. All fighters sit out, UFC would be totally fcuked!! They would crumble. I hope Dana White is fired that greedy bold bitch that he is!
dana really needs to grow up and start acting his age. your company is trying to become a mainstream sport and he is out their making this assanine quotes about bitch slapping some hollywood agent. I love the ufc and hope it stays around forever but with this guy as the president i dont know how much longer it will be around and i dont think it will be mainstream for long. The ufc pulls in about 3 mil in live gate every card and about 30-40 mil in ppv buys and they pay their fighters like crap i mean this should be expected. I mean your fighter payout is usually around 2 mil per ppv card and your income is around atleast 35 mil. what is all the other money going to? personally i have no clue where that money is going but i think more of it should be going to the fighters thats for sure. How do you have two guys in a number one contender fight for example koscheck vs. st. pierre and have one guy in st. pierre making $140,000 and koscheck only makes $10,000. I also agree with randy about fighters coming into the organization and making more money than him before they even prove themselves in the ufc how does mirko 1-2 in the ufc make $350,000 per fight and the champion/ufc ambassdor randy couture only make $250,000 for a heavyweight title defense? Dana white needs to straighten up his act or he is going to see his organization take a big hit. Many fighters look up to randy and i think many fighters will follow in his foot steps and their is already an example in dan henderson not signing the first extension that dana offered him saying he was not offered fair compensation. If you want the top fighters in the world your going to have to pay them top dollar i dont see what dana doesnt understand about that.
DANA WHITE NEEDS TO BE FIRED OR REPLACED ESPECIALLY SINCE HE AND THE UFC DIDN”T GET FEDOR DIDNT RETAIN RANDY AND NOW ARN’T RETAINING DAN HENDERSON?!?!?
WTF?!?!?!?
AND THE LIES THAT DANA SPEAKS
BYE DANA
HOW DO THE FIGHTERS BOYCOTT A\OR STRIKE?!?!!?
HOW DO WE GET DANA WHITE REPLACED
[quote comment=”178072″]There is ONLY ONE WAY for the UFC to listen and THAT is for EVERY SINGLE fighter to boycott and go on strike, think about it. All fighters sit out, UFC would be totally fcuked!! They would crumble. I hope Dana White is fired that greedy bold bitch that he is![/quote]
YES YES DANA WHITE NEEDS TO BE FIRED CAN WE DO THIS AS FANS OR CONTACT ZUFFA???
[quote comment=”178072″]There is ONLY ONE WAY for the UFC to listen and THAT is for EVERY SINGLE fighter to boycott and go on strike, think about it. All fighters sit out, UFC would be totally fcuked!! They would crumble. I hope Dana White is fired that greedy bold bitch that he is![/quote]
[quote comment=”178440″]dana really needs to grow up and start acting his age. your company is trying to become a mainstream sport and he is out their making this assanine quotes about bitch slapping some hollywood agent. I love the ufc and hope it stays around forever but with this guy as the president i dont know how much longer it will be around and i dont think it will be mainstream for long. The ufc pulls in about 3 mil in live gate every card and about 30-40 mil in ppv buys and they pay their fighters like crap i mean this should be expected. I mean your fighter payout is usually around 2 mil per ppv card and your income is around atleast 35 mil. what is all the other money going to? personally i have no clue where that money is going but i think more of it should be going to the fighters thats for sure. How do you have two guys in a number one contender fight for example koscheck vs. st. pierre and have one guy in st. pierre making $140,000 and koscheck only makes $10,000. I also agree with randy about fighters coming into the organization and making more money than him before they even prove themselves in the ufc how does mirko 1-2 in the ufc make $350,000 per fight and the champion/ufc ambassdor randy couture only make $250,000 for a heavyweight title defense? Dana white needs to straighten up his act or he is going to see his organization take a big hit. Many fighters look up to randy and i think many fighters will follow in his foot steps and their is already an example in dan henderson not signing the first extension that dana offered him saying he was not offered fair compensation. If you want the top fighters in the world your going to have to pay them top dollar i dont see what dana doesnt understand about that.[/quote]
MMAmania.com is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). We are an independent news site devoted to the latest UFC headlines, rumors, gossip, fighter updates, and event previews and recaps. For entertainment purposes only.
I hate dana white
[quote comment=”176508″]I hate dana white[/quote]
I 2nd that.
The Fertita brothers are obviously “streetsmart”. If played right, they could ultimately (no pun intended) turn the Couture “resignation” into a net positive PR event for the UFC. IMO Couture is using hardball tactics to get more “respect(money).” All the Fertita’s have to do is pay Couture the 2 million or so that they were willing to possibly “waste” on Fedor (who IMO is not marketable in North America) to become the vice president of the UFC responsible for fighter liason. As vice president he could work on revamping some of the UFC’s policies. This way everyone wins. Can you imagine the positive vibes that would come from such a move from the Fertita’s? At any rate, the Fertita brothers should realize that the landscape has changed and they need a “counterbalance” to Dana.
someone should bitch slap dana lol .. Tito where you at ?!?
I hate Fedor
I dislike Fedor But I hate Dana White
i hate f’n DANA WHITE
Beef in the UFC.
Believe it or not this is actually great for MMA in general for now and the future..I see what Couture is doinf with his popularity..statis..postion in the UFC..the UFC being the Major League of MMA…but giving the fighter’s we talk about triple A CageRage type salaries..that is like what the F#%^!!!
It’s about time..I would love to see a Fedor vs Randy..Right now!! Who wouldn’t..the politics behind signing Fedor..blew up in UFC’s Face. I love it. With all the money that the UFC makes..and the postion they hold in the MMA world.. The fighter’s should get there fair shake.. If Dana and Zuffa are fronting like George Stienbrener and the Yankees of Combat..let’s see their stable of fighter’s Salary mirror their attitude.
Outside of other ways of making money like endorsments and a third of whatever. How much do they make just fighting in the UFC.
Dana White is full of it. Someone should bitch slap him.
Why is everybody acting like Dana White pulled some kind of screw-job on Randy when it was Dana who called Randy and offered him the title shot… after being in retirement… and losing two big fights… doesn’t anybody else think that Dana did Randy a favor? Wasn’t Randy happy with the negotiations at that time? Look, business is business and I’m not one to sit and judge whether or not the way Dana White does business is right or wrong. I’m a fan, and as a fan I want to see the best fighters fight, and a lot of fighters truly have the priority of fans first, themselves second. If Randy wants to set his priorities differently, so be it. He can walk away, and the UFC will go on.
Would I like to see fighters get paid more? Absolutely. If athletes from boring sports get paid a ton of money, fighters should make double that. WIll Dana White and the UFC eventually pay fighters what they deserve? I don’t know, but I hope so and I like to think that it will happen. But in the meantime, I want to see the best fighters fight. Whether or not Randy’s decision has a positive or negative effect remains to be seen, I just wish it was done differently. Whether or not it would have accomplished as much is obviously debatable, but I wish Randy fought out his contract, and then took action. I still think he’s one of the greatest of all time and as an athlete I respect him. But I just can’t believe he would do something so out of character, and I don’t think anyone can argue this is out of character for Randy.
The one thing I’d hate to see is the problems that come with big money like we see in other sports. Guys whining about not getting paid enough when they’re making plenty of money has been turning a lot of people off to money other sports. Nobody likes to see half assed performances in a team sport, imagine how obvious and horrible it would be in a combat sport!
It’s easy to look and Randy now and say he’s worth more than what the UFC paid him (at least the numbers we know). But put yourself in Dana’s shoes before the Tim Sylvia fight… would you have dropped more money than that into a guy that nobody thought could win? Would you have paid more money to a 44 year old guy who lost his last two fights (pretty convincingly I might add) and took a year off, and decides to come back against a guy much taller and much heavier? The reason we’re all so amazed by Randy is because he defies odds the way he does, but contracts aren’t negotiated after the fact. Give me a break, Randy got what he deserved thus far. Now I agree with Randy that if he fought Fedor, he should have been able to renegotiate and get more than what his contract stated. I think it’s noble of him to want to be the representative for the other guys who might not have the ability to just walk away. But in the end, the ones who really got screwed by all of this is not Fedor, Dana, Randy or the UFC…. it’s us as fans, and I’m pretty mad about that.
PhilQNy, they really are not compensated as high as other athletes and if you look at the payouts for each event (click on any fo the UFC events in the left hand column to see what each fighter made at that event) it is really insulting and degrading. For instance Josh Koschek only made $10,000 to recently fight GSP. Most payouts for fighters arent that low but most of them are insulting keeping in mind how much money they generate and how much prep goes into each fight. most of these fighters have to pay they trainers too. how is kos supposed to pay a trainer for 3 months of work on a $10,000 payout?
instead of dana telling the world that randy is retiring because he wants to make movies, i would really like to hear dana address randy’s questions of why he pays fighters so little, when they generate soo much money for the UFC. where is all the money going? dana? ufc debt? where? cause its not going to the fighters.
hmm it seems that ufc mania started posting fighter payouts starting with UFC 74. check em out. compare the payouts to baseball, golf, tennis, soccer . . .
[quote comment=”176621″]PhilQNy, they really are not compensated as high as other athletes and if you look at the payouts for each event (click on any fo the UFC events in the left hand column to see what each fighter made at that event) it is really insulting and degrading. For instance Josh Koschek only made $10,000 to recently fight GSP. Most payouts for fighters arent that low but most of them are insulting keeping in mind how much money they generate and how much prep goes into each fight. most of these fighters have to pay they trainers too. how is kos supposed to pay a trainer for 3 months of work on a $10,000 payout?
instead of dana telling the world that randy is retiring because he wants to make movies, i would really like to hear dana address randy’s questions of why he pays fighters so little, when they generate soo much money for the UFC. where is all the money going? dana? ufc debt? where? cause its not going to the fighters.[/quote]
There are a lot of good points in that post. At the very least, if the UFC wants to have top caliber fighters and fights….freakin’ pay them enough to train full time. Beyond that, they should get a decent cut in relation to all the revenue being generated. If the UFC doesn’t start giving their fighters more appropriate contracts, there’s a good chance someone else will. I think one of the main problems is their arrogance makes them think they’re the only game in town. That may be the case right now, but as soon as someone comes along with the assets to rival their promotions and enough forethought to recognize the market potential, the UFC may just find that their greed for maximum profit has hung them out to dry.
dana needs a “do you wanna be a fucking president?!?” speech, cause letting couture go is egregious.
and muscle dolphin’s idea is awsome post 2
I think Randy is acting like a selfish child! I thought this sport was about MMA and the fans–NOT THE MONEY!!!!!!!!
All of you guys make great points, I’ve written about this since the intial retirement announcement. It’s business but despite current Couture contract it’s not like his team is going for the pennant or baseball season is starting and he’s not playing and hurting his teamates because he’s re-negotating. He can walk away from the sport anytime he wants and make more $$$ long term dollars in other areas, MMA gyms, his name-brand products, motivational speaker etc.
On the other hand I don’t blame the UFC for signing on Randy for the amount of money they did intially, I don’t blame them for management $$$$ decisions.. BUT, times change… Tito Ortiz has been saying this for years and now the most respected fighter in MMA history is voicing his opinion, and ALL fighters need to start seeing more$$$$, it will be hard on fans, but this has to start with the top fighters, boycotting, forming fighter union or something to force that change, between fighters and management.
This is possibly the most uncomfortable Randy has ever been in an interview. I bet most of the fighters are glad that someone as forthright and respectable as Randy has decided to make this stand.
Sure he could have done it after his contract was over, but actually this may be the most opportune time… in the middle of his contract and right after they offered FEDOR millions and during the publicity of Fedor signing elsewhere. You can’t fight the UFC by giving them what they want… he and the rest of the fighters need to hit them where it hurts most… negative publicity and their fat wallets.
And Yes’ Dana is avoiding the question of paying fighters more money… in the past Dana has made it personal, and he’s using that tatic again… but Tito Ortiz is no Randy Couture, so Dana is going to blame it on Couture’s manager not Randy, kind of a good move, but way to transparant.
[quote comment=”176699″]I think Randy is acting like a selfish child! I thought this sport was about MMA and the fans–NOT THE MONEY!!!!!!!![/quote]
Wake up man, do you really think the UFC would even exist if not for the money that the promoters make? Randy is 44 years old and been fighting for what about 10 years now, how the hell can anyone criticize him for wanting to fight the guy that he thinks would pose the biggest challenge to him? He retired because Dana couldn’t or just wasn’t willing to do what it took to make the fight happen. Why not just retire from fighting and give acting a shot, rather than keep working for an organization that gives their fighters meager compensation relative to what the boss is making. His decision was made that much easier by Dana straight up lying to him about how his contract compared to other fighters. I have as much respect as ever for Randy Couture, and not just his MMA legacy. I think it’s ridiculous that any “fan” could direct any negative sentiments towards him about his retirement. If you aren’t informed enough to be appreciative of Randy as a person or his MMA abilities, then I think we’re all better off if you just refrain from comment
Randy is the best in the UFC and the UFC fighters have been laying the wood to Pride and everyone else. I don’t blame him at all for moving on. Dana couldn’t seal the deal and apparently Fedor couldn’t and wouldn’t step up to the challenge to unify the belts, Fedor went out like a Bitch and why wait around and fight guys that couldn’t carry Randy’s jock? Long live “The Natural” and until Fedor steps up everyone else can shut the fuck up!
This is harball - both sides have their points. In the end, I dont trust Dana and Randy’s clock is ticking. Randy is doing what he needs to do and the UFC is doing the same. I do know I will not be happy if Randy and others get more money and I have to pay 50 for PPV. In other words, Dana is BIG OIL and we are going to get it at the pump.
[quote comment=”176699″]I think Randy is acting like a selfish child! I thought this sport was about MMA and the fans–NOT THE MONEY!!!!!!!![/quote]
LOL
You’re calling Randy selfish because he stood up for himself? You’re saying it’s about you the fan, not about Randy the guy who puts his body on the line when he steps into the Octagon. And Randy is the selfish one. Yeah, that makes sense.
And let’s realize that by retiring, HE WALKED OUT ON MONEY. If he was about the money, he would take a fight with a guy like Kongo, take him, lay-and-pray and waste time, then collect his paycheck. But he’s not like that. If Randy has a fight, he puts his heart and soul into it. But why would he do that is he gets disrespected by the company? The money is a sign of respect.
Randy does make more than a lot of UFC fighters, but those other guys are not in any position to stand up to Dana and walk away from their contract.
Put it this way, let’s say you’re working for a successful company. You’re making hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then there are these couple of guys making half a million. While they’re important to the company, they don’t work as hard as you do, and don’t have the track record you do. You’re doing what you love to do, but you’ve sacrificed health and time away from family and friends to get where you are. You’re also past the age where most people in your field would have retired. You bring all this up to the boss, looking for a raise and new opportunities, and he does nothing. Should people blame you if you resign and move on with your life?
I hope all this money crap doesn’t tarnish Randy’s legacy.
DANA SHOULD BE FIRED i’m NOT WATCHING ANY MORE UFC events LOOK AT THE NEXT 3 EVENTS UFC &* IN NJ SUKS
UFC NEEDS A GOOD COMPETITOR Co. SO FOR NOW ITS RANDY !
DANA IS AN AHOLE I MEAN REALLY LISTEN TO HIM WATCH HIM HES TERRIBLE FORT THE SPORT!!!!!!!!!!! AND WHY SHOULD LIDELL GET OVER ! MILLION MIN IN @ OF HIS LAST FIGHTS AFTER LOSING THEM AND RANDY GEYS 250,000 per fight and he wins !
DANA SUCKS!!!!!!
I hope MMA is never about the fans….
thats what happened to wrestling, they took away fighting
and made it about what draws a crowd…so it turned into
a darn soap opera. Many have mentioned adding a stage and
entrances to the fights to hype it up, sorry i dont watch
fights for the hype. i watch for the fighting, and the sport
not pyrotechnics or drama between fighters.
but you realize these fighter are fighters, thats what they are, thats their job, and the promotion that they signed under
is bringing in money from all over and they arent getting paid squat compared to other jobs, or athletes. so wake up
and lets support the fighters, not the promoter(ufc and dana).
Good Analogy Scott.
-GSP’s UFC 74 payday is very low compared to his drawing power, $140,000 ($70,000 to show, $70,000 to win) I would like to hear, what kind of signing bonuses, sponsorships, pay-per-view percentages and other unofficial payments, went to him if any. What does a guy like that make per year on avg?
I’m more keen on the MANY underpaid exciting, top 10 level type fighters in each weight class making 1,000’s more for payday.
It would be great to see Randy get behind the underpaid fighters, he doesn’t seem comfortable in the political/business side of MMA, at least when discussing his contract. Either way I hope he continues doing something positive with MMA, even if it’s just commentating.
If the UFC and Randy can make it happen…. the only fight left if he wants it… if a big payday can be negotiated, is to drop to 205 lbs and take on Rampage, however I get the feeling his heart is just not in it right now, he really wanted FEDOR.
I dont think Randy is selfish at all. He doesnt just talk about himself, he also stated that some of the younger guys were getting shafted as well.
So it sounds to me like he is addressing a larger problem. Yeh sure he left, people are upset, but he’s still a great guy. I dont think after all these years, shit it JUST now getting to his head. He’s not Tito.
man, i just watched that video again, and the only thing i can think about is how we the fans and randy couture are missing out on the biggest fight ever in the history of MMA. the fight between fedor and couture would have probably defined the sport and taken it to another level; especially if randy pulled off one of his patented heart pounding upsets.
and after all the talk about what the ufc should have done, what dana should have done to secure the fight, i still find myself asking; why the fuck wouldnt fedor wanna fight randy couture in a fight to define the ages. the only answer i can come up with is, he must have thought he was going to lose.
for example, fedor sites that his major reason for not signing with the ufc was because the ufc would not allow him to represent his country in sambo tourements. however, if he is so interested in fighting to represent his country in sambo tournaments, he could have signed with ufc for one fight. then, he couldve fought in the sambo tournament anytime he wanted. but if he lost his fight with randy, then his siging amount with M1 would’ve dropped way down or been completely retracted.
so, randy’s got all my respect in the world and i hope this fight still somehow happens, and if you re-watch the interview thats what randy really wants too.
[quote comment=”176850″]DANA SHOULD BE FIRED i’m NOT WATCHING ANY MORE UFC events LOOK AT THE NEXT 3 EVENTS UFC &* IN NJ SUKS
UFC NEEDS A GOOD COMPETITOR Co. SO FOR NOW ITS RANDY !
DANA IS AN AHOLE I MEAN REALLY LISTEN TO HIM WATCH HIM HES TERRIBLE FORT THE SPORT!!!!!!!!!!! AND WHY SHOULD LIDELL GET OVER ! MILLION MIN IN @ OF HIS LAST FIGHTS AFTER LOSING THEM AND RANDY GEYS 250,000 per fight and he wins !
DANA SUCKS!!!!!![/quote]First off you must not like MMA too much if you think the next 3 cards suck. I’ll give you 78 thats a pretty weak card but 77 is a very solid card and 79 is one of the best ever. And I’m not saying he shouldn’t have been making more, but Randy was making a lot more than 250,000 per fight because that doesn’t include any of the bonuses he got.
its time to increase the wages of UFC fighters!!!
imagine they still paying $3,000 which i think is an insult..
they say that UFC is bigger than boxing then why are the boxers are paid better, Pacquiao and barrera went home with 2million each after their last fight.
[quote comment=”176850″]DANA SHOULD BE FIRED i’m NOT WATCHING ANY MORE UFC events LOOK AT THE NEXT 3 EVENTS UFC &* IN NJ SUKS
UFC NEEDS A GOOD COMPETITOR Co. SO FOR NOW ITS RANDY !
DANA IS AN AHOLE I MEAN REALLY LISTEN TO HIM WATCH HIM HES TERRIBLE FORT THE SPORT!!!!!!!!!!! AND WHY SHOULD LIDELL GET OVER ! MILLION MIN IN @ OF HIS LAST FIGHTS AFTER LOSING THEM AND RANDY GEYS 250,000 per fight and he wins !
DANA SUCKS!!!!!![/quote]
Remember while Couture was retired Chuck was making th UFC the brand it is today. Whether he lost those 2 fights or not he has the power of the major draw. Like Tito ortiz, for some reason he still is one of the top PPV grossers. I agree that yes to pay someone to come from another organization more money then Randy is wrong, but to squabble among the faces of the UFC (Chuck, Randy, Tito) I think it is wrong…I am sure if Randy had stuck it out instead if retiring he to would be on the same pay scale. I think it is great that he is trying to pave the dollars a cents road for the new generation of fighter but I think to an extent it is a bit selfish to walk away from the fans of the UFC who have been behind him since he started fighting…
[quote post=”3583″]I think to an extent it is a bit selfish to walk away from the fans of the UFC who have been behind him since he started fighting…[/quote]
He’s 44 freakin’ years old. He’s supposed to keep fighting until he gets KTFO’d by some up-and-comer?
[quote comment=”176699″]I think Randy is acting like a selfish child! I thought this sport was about MMA and the fans–NOT THE MONEY!!!!!!!![/quote]
When Randy can’t feed himself or independently use the bathroom at age 60 because of repeated blows to the head, he will need all of the money he earned when he sacrificed his health. (I hope and pray that nothing like this happens to Randy, but look at the old NFL players who are broke and broken)
The fact is that the money IS being generated. Who deserves the money more? The person who is actually fighting and risking his health and maybe his life should be compensated.
The business men who made all of this possible should be insanely wealthy, because they risked a lot of money to make this work. However, they should also pay a lot more than they do.
They cannot be compelled to pay more. They are correct to get as much as they can for as little cost as possible. Randy is showing great leadership by giving back the belt and taking a stand. That is the only leverage the fighters have.
The ufc definately needs to smarten up as they earn million every ppv and pay the fighters jack, and now they lost thier most marketable fighter and heaveweight, u just watch and see if the silva liddel fight happens and just watch if it does chucks payday will be huge despite a win, i think he (chuck) made a half million for losing to the dean of mean, anyways they ned a union cause the ufc opeartes out of vegas which mean they pay little to no tax, so somewhere theres a vault full of money, and even if they(ufc) are all about money as they should be as its a business, why hasn’t the purchased pride organization had a ppv or had any of its notable fighters signed??? all thye di was unify one title.
the ufc needs a shot in the arm and i don’t see any excitting dynmic fighter that can do it unless the fedor randy fight happens
where tito when u need soemone to speak their mind, think about this what randy did was way out of character so i guess the problem was getting worse as hr mentioned fighting with management and swimming up stream.
thats my 2 cents, rawbt
DANA WHITE ROYALLY STINKS
THE UFC NEEDS A NEW “EL PRESIDENTE”
AND THE MMA WORLD ESPECIALLY DA FIGHTERS NEED A COMPETITOR COMPANY BETTER THAN IFL ELITE XC>>>>
COMPETIOTION IS GOOD, there woudl be no burger king without a Mcdonalds, and i frequent both, each is a lil’ different
CAN DANA WHITE STEP DOWN THAT ARROGANT PRICK, LYING TO A DESCENT MAN RANDY C. DANA WHITE IS A LIAR AND IS LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE VINCE MCHMAN OF THE WWF
DANA DO YOU WANNA BE A F-#ing PRESIDENT?
HE’s AN AROGANT PRICK
There is ONLY ONE WAY for the UFC to listen and THAT is for EVERY SINGLE fighter to boycott and go on strike, think about it. All fighters sit out, UFC would be totally fcuked!! They would crumble. I hope Dana White is fired that greedy bold bitch that he is!
dana really needs to grow up and start acting his age. your company is trying to become a mainstream sport and he is out their making this assanine quotes about bitch slapping some hollywood agent. I love the ufc and hope it stays around forever but with this guy as the president i dont know how much longer it will be around and i dont think it will be mainstream for long. The ufc pulls in about 3 mil in live gate every card and about 30-40 mil in ppv buys and they pay their fighters like crap i mean this should be expected. I mean your fighter payout is usually around 2 mil per ppv card and your income is around atleast 35 mil. what is all the other money going to? personally i have no clue where that money is going but i think more of it should be going to the fighters thats for sure. How do you have two guys in a number one contender fight for example koscheck vs. st. pierre and have one guy in st. pierre making $140,000 and koscheck only makes $10,000. I also agree with randy about fighters coming into the organization and making more money than him before they even prove themselves in the ufc how does mirko 1-2 in the ufc make $350,000 per fight and the champion/ufc ambassdor randy couture only make $250,000 for a heavyweight title defense? Dana white needs to straighten up his act or he is going to see his organization take a big hit. Many fighters look up to randy and i think many fighters will follow in his foot steps and their is already an example in dan henderson not signing the first extension that dana offered him saying he was not offered fair compensation. If you want the top fighters in the world your going to have to pay them top dollar i dont see what dana doesnt understand about that.
DANA WHITE NEEDS TO BE FIRED OR REPLACED ESPECIALLY SINCE HE AND THE UFC DIDN”T GET FEDOR DIDNT RETAIN RANDY AND NOW ARN’T RETAINING DAN HENDERSON?!?!?
WTF?!?!?!?
AND THE LIES THAT DANA SPEAKS
BYE DANA
HOW DO THE FIGHTERS BOYCOTT A\OR STRIKE?!?!!?
HOW DO WE GET DANA WHITE REPLACED
[quote comment=”178072″]There is ONLY ONE WAY for the UFC to listen and THAT is for EVERY SINGLE fighter to boycott and go on strike, think about it. All fighters sit out, UFC would be totally fcuked!! They would crumble. I hope Dana White is fired that greedy bold bitch that he is![/quote]
YES YES DANA WHITE NEEDS TO BE FIRED CAN WE DO THIS AS FANS OR CONTACT ZUFFA???
[quote comment=”178072″]There is ONLY ONE WAY for the UFC to listen and THAT is for EVERY SINGLE fighter to boycott and go on strike, think about it. All fighters sit out, UFC would be totally fcuked!! They would crumble. I hope Dana White is fired that greedy bold bitch that he is![/quote]
[quote comment=”178440″]dana really needs to grow up and start acting his age. your company is trying to become a mainstream sport and he is out their making this assanine quotes about bitch slapping some hollywood agent. I love the ufc and hope it stays around forever but with this guy as the president i dont know how much longer it will be around and i dont think it will be mainstream for long. The ufc pulls in about 3 mil in live gate every card and about 30-40 mil in ppv buys and they pay their fighters like crap i mean this should be expected. I mean your fighter payout is usually around 2 mil per ppv card and your income is around atleast 35 mil. what is all the other money going to? personally i have no clue where that money is going but i think more of it should be going to the fighters thats for sure. How do you have two guys in a number one contender fight for example koscheck vs. st. pierre and have one guy in st. pierre making $140,000 and koscheck only makes $10,000. I also agree with randy about fighters coming into the organization and making more money than him before they even prove themselves in the ufc how does mirko 1-2 in the ufc make $350,000 per fight and the champion/ufc ambassdor randy couture only make $250,000 for a heavyweight title defense? Dana white needs to straighten up his act or he is going to see his organization take a big hit. Many fighters look up to randy and i think many fighters will follow in his foot steps and their is already an example in dan henderson not signing the first extension that dana offered him saying he was not offered fair compensation. If you want the top fighters in the world your going to have to pay them top dollar i dont see what dana doesnt understand about that.[/quote]
hooooooollllldddd on he retired wha tthe hell