"I don’t want to have any distractions in my preparation. I’m three weeks away from [the Yoshida] fight and I haven’t read anything on the internet, I’ve stayed away from all of it. The bullshit of the contracts or whatever is going on, that’s part of the game. The UFC are in the contract business. I just want to get paid, I want to fight and I want to have a retirement plan. I’m going to be 31 in a couple of days. I want to have money in the bank so that I don’t have to do this for the rest of my life. I felt bad for Jon. I support Jon Fitch in any decision that he decides to make, I support any of our teammates in any decision that they decide to make. It’s friendship and we have a very strong team here."
-American Kickboxing Academy product and top UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck weighs in with Hard Core Sports Radio on the recent fiasco regarding the flash terminations of several UFC fighters (including friend and teammate Jon Fitch) who opposed a lifetime contract regarding video game rights. "Kos" has apparently stayed focused on his tough task of overcoming Japanese warrior Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida at UFC Fight for the Troops on December 16.
49 Comments »
now thats a professional. the man is here to just do his job.
lol c’mon man, that’s called smoke and mirrors! he may not have read the blogs, but he was listening to what was going on, it’s his livelihood.
wonder if him fitch and the rest of the AKA guys all cuddled after this fiasco, god knows they won’t give us good fights!
THe only AKA fighters I even like are Fitch and Cain. I could care less about Kos, Swick and the rest of them.
What worries me, is that the same way Dana was bad mouthing AKA and saying he doesnt want to do business with them at all anymore, he also is getting Fed up with ATT, which has a stable of fighters that I LOVE!!! Alves and Tiago Silva!
At least I know that Lorenzo is in the background with a Cool Head!
During this whole fitch-AKA-Dana bs, i thought Yoshida might get screwed again if Kos was out. Can’t wait for that fight.
How about supporting your employer…..you know the reason why you are actually getting paid…. kos fan just don’t like the comment.
what age do think the average mma fighter becomes non competitive or starts going down hill?
37 unless your name is couture.
On average (i.e., genetic freaks excluded):
30 - lightweights
32 - welterweights
34 - middleweights
35 - light heavy weights
36 - heavy weights
Good for KOS….thats exactly what i would say.
you guys see this vid of Brandon Vera “talking” politics?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdwPNeH4qaA&eurl=http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f2/what-brandon-vera-has-been-reduced-879176/
Wow, that was enlightening.
was funny, no?
Brandon Vera calling Palin a joke? The only thing thats a joke is Vera’s hype! He should definitely follow those last words to Bush “get your sh*t and get the f*ck out”
I am pretty much done with him now. Did you ever see the interview after the Jardine fight? He actually seemed happy with his preformance. I don’t get it, sorry Vera. How can you be happy with a loss and questionable preformance?
Didnt see it BNF. He has the talent, but somethings missing?
Well, the good news is, when Vera’s no longer fighing (which will probably be anytime now), Obama will pay for his morgtage and his gas, and his phone bill, and his cable bill, and his medical bills, and his college loans, and his electric bill, and his water bill, new snakers, and a shiny new car just like Dana White has, and maybe Obama himself will put on some gear and teach Vera how the “messiah” throws down. Then he will gently tuck him in at night and read him classic bedtime stories about a guy that “used” to be able to fight.
My favorite lines “this is my first time to vote” and “we should’nt have elected Bush the second time”. Hmmm, those two lines seem to contradict each other a bit.
Okay, okay, I’m sorry, I broke my own rule about politics on mmamania. It won’t happen again.
that was pretty funny.
I quote from the seminal movie “The Rock”– ‘Loyalty above all else, except Honor’ — What the hell is Kos supposed to say. Unless you’re part of AKA or the management team from Zinkin, every comment is pure speculation. I hope the contracts get resolved because I think Kos is a great fighter and I look forward to his continual development as an MMA (Mixed Martial Artist). Crack this dude and stay w/ the UFC Kos!!!
exactly!
Too bad that unless Kos becomes Tito, Chuck, Randy or Fedor overnight and can use his name recognition to make more money after retirement…he’s going to end up like all of those old retired pro athletes you here about, living on nothing but a shitty government pension.
There is no need for a thriving business to not take care of their employees after retirement….it’s deplorable actually.
Why is a company responsible for you after you retire? Especially, a company where the retirement age is way below the national average.
Any fighter or athlete with half a brain in his/her head put together a sound investment strategy or hires a financial advisor on top of their managment team to put said strategy together. This should include investments as well as an income generator for after retirement.
Well said. You hit the nail on the head there. Most idiots end up feeling sorry for fighters that make more money in a year from sponsorships and salaries than I will make in 20.
very well put as usual Jeff! My dad owns and runs a very successful development company! He has had 1 closing in 2 years. the year before that he had over 100 (just to give you an idea of the economy). He hasn’t gotten a job, still has his 3 houses, and is vacationing. He pays himself 30-40k a year, and invests! Point is, even someone like you and me have to have a plan! The “what if” money: what if I get a flat, break a leg or worse, lose my job! Anyone living paycheck to paycheck, but has the ability to save or buy stock (at a discounted price) and doesn’t, is just dumb, especially in these economic times.
Jeff, your insight is always loved and appreciated.
I’m of to my friday poker tournament. got 4th yesterday, netted 120!
Thank you and good luck in the tourney.
They shouldn’t be responsible for you after you retire, but a company that is successful and thriving should take steps to take care of their employees and have decent retirement plans for them. Why can a food chain have good retirement plans for their shelf stockers, tellers, and other employees, but a company that brags every month about how many dollars it’s raking in can say “no, find your own means of pension”. You’re right, they don’t have to do it, but it is another reason that the UFC is NOT in this because they “love fighters and the sport”….if they did, they would take care of their guys…they don’t. The last few days has proven where their minds are at….$$$$$$, and that’s it.
Are you Gary Shaw? Maybe Jared Shaw? Or are you just related to the Shaw’s? Or maybe the T-Shirt guy? Theres got to be a reason why you talk so much sh*t about the UFC!
Introvet,
I think we a lumping two different classes of employees together. The fighters are contract employees and Zuffa/UFC employees are most lkely salary and or hourly.
In relation to the salary/hourly employees, I’m sure Zuffa (it is the norm) contributes to an IRA or SEP as opposed to a pension. However, with non-union contract employees, this is just not the case (in most situations).
Yes, this does leave open the argument that if they really cared about their fighters…but sad as it sounds business is buisness and the UFC is in the business of making money.
Plus, like you said, fighters are contract employees, which basically means they work for themselves and the ufc is their client. When I build a house, I don’t make sure the plumbers and framer’s have a good retirement package. We agree to terms and I pay what is agreed as long as they perform the work as agreed, end of story. its not Zuffa’s job to plan for a fighters future.
Nicely put Jeff.
it’s def quite possible that Koscheck and Fitch could have no choice but to fight each other soon.
I am flattered.
Classic!!!!! lmao
funny!
Your name cracks me up every time I read it.
It grosses me out…
It grosses me out a little as well, but I still chuckle. Did you disguise yourself as introvert on that other thread by any chance?
I have to call him h4h….. I give him props for not changing it….. wait if H4H is a girl, then it is a different story
MMA, i just got the “I’m flattered” reply….classic
What does h4h stand for?
No MMA, that wasn’t me. But changing your name to someone else for the purpose of making fun is always a good time.
Especially when the someone else is Introvert.
Yes, especially him. You can also use it as a nice tool to fu*k with your friends on the site.
I am an idiot….h4m ….(smacking myself on the forehead)
That makes sense.
sorry, i’m a guy. but it’s just a name. I’m not a sicko or anything
When Dana was saying they had had problems with AKA it reminded me. Didn’t they have a brief confrontational period with Kos prior to his new contract, also?
(The old set-up on the site we could click on a fighter’s name in the side bar and look at archived news for them. Mania, any chances of getting that back? We can do our own “research” that way.)
You can still do it. Look to the right and there is a little drop down arrow that says, Categories, it allows you to look at all the names and so forth. I use it from time to time to prove a point.
Thank you BNF! I have been wondering about the archives for a while now.
Josh Koscheck is the man! Koscheck and Diego Sanchez are definitely my favourite welterweights, something happened with Josh after his win over Diego Sanchez and i’ve liked him ever since that..