Matt Lindland Claims That UFC Contracts Are Illegal
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Matt Lindland Claims That UFC Contracts Are Illegal
snakerattle79
7/6/08 9:37:57AM
http://www.mmanews.com/other/Matt-Lindland-Claims-That-UFC-Contracts-Are-Illegal.html
Republican House of Representatives candidate and - of course - highly respected middleweight Matt Lindland believes there is something very wrong with the contracts from MMA’s top organization.
The UFC contracts are illegal. Based on the Muhammad Ali (Safety) Act, you cannot be the promoter and the manager at the same time,” Lindland said, “If they are telling you who and when you are going to fight, they are the manager as well as the promoter.”
I am definitely not a lawyer so it is hard to fully judge the validity of the statement, but in reading the Act, Lindland does make a few good points on how much control an organization can have over a fighter.
Lindland also said that one fighter in particular is planning to test the Act in court.
I believe that is what Randy (Couture) is saying as well.”
Republican House of Representatives candidate and - of course - highly respected middleweight Matt Lindland believes there is something very wrong with the contracts from MMA’s top organization.
The UFC contracts are illegal. Based on the Muhammad Ali (Safety) Act, you cannot be the promoter and the manager at the same time,” Lindland said, “If they are telling you who and when you are going to fight, they are the manager as well as the promoter.”
I am definitely not a lawyer so it is hard to fully judge the validity of the statement, but in reading the Act, Lindland does make a few good points on how much control an organization can have over a fighter.
Lindland also said that one fighter in particular is planning to test the Act in court.
I believe that is what Randy (Couture) is saying as well.”
Purge
7/6/08 3:25:40PM
Funny that he only came out and said all of this, AFTER Couture and Ortiz left.
prie5t
7/21/08 6:43:18PM
UFC contracts have been questionable for a while now, they're ridiculously one sided and unfair and in some cases not even worth the paper there written on being that they can cut you at any time whether it's your first or last fight on your contract.
Although i'm not 100% sure, I don't think the contracts aren't illegal under the Ali act as I believe MMA doesn't come under the Ali act but if the laws were changed I would say most if not all of Zuffa contracted fighters could become free agents.
Like I said I could be wrong but there was some discussion on one of the MMA forums awhile ago about it. Whether illegal or not I do think there extremely unfair.
Although i'm not 100% sure, I don't think the contracts aren't illegal under the Ali act as I believe MMA doesn't come under the Ali act but if the laws were changed I would say most if not all of Zuffa contracted fighters could become free agents.
Like I said I could be wrong but there was some discussion on one of the MMA forums awhile ago about it. Whether illegal or not I do think there extremely unfair.
hippysmacker
7/21/08 10:54:41PM
Posted by prie5t
UFC contracts have been questionable for a while now, they're ridiculously one sided and unfair and in some cases not even worth the paper there written on being that they can cut you at any time whether it's your first or last fight on your contract.
Although i'm not 100% sure, I don't think the contracts aren't illegal under the Ali act as I believe MMA doesn't come under the Ali act but if the laws were changed I would say most if not all of Zuffa contracted fighters could become free agents.
Like I said I could be wrong but there was some discussion on one of the MMA forums awhile ago about it. Whether illegal or not I do think there extremely unfair.
While I agree that some of the UFC's new contact stuff( about the licensing rights) is fishy myself, I think you maybe misunderstand , or just heard wrong some of the things in a UFc contract. Unless its a new fighter with no pull, who I think should really have to prove themselves until they have more pull, the cutting part at least is wrong. Take Cro-cop for exmaple. They couldn't just cut him, unless he lost 3 in a row. They did have a provision that if he lost 2 in a row, that they could cut his salary ( I beleive it was 350k and cut to 175k) in half. They instead mutually agreed to let him out of his deal according to Mirko . Their are also morality & business practices clauses, which Lindland violated by being sponsored by a gambling company. I have no problem with either , as long as they have escalator clauses when a guy keeps winning impressively. I have read that they have been doing so, and that their options in a lot of the contracts in the last 2 years have high prices. They also pay bonuses they don't need to , like the 500k they gave Randy for free, that he denied and was proven wrong when they produced the proof. He also denied receiving a 500k signing bonus which he was also proven wrong on. He backtracked then , and said he misunderstood the contract. Whatever the case, he is probably the worst possible example for Lindland to use, and the UFC/Linland have shown they have grudges against each other IMO. I personally wouldn't give much credence to anything wither says about the other, as I think both have shown they will say whatever they think will get them what they want sometimes.
Now I think there are many contracts, and many details of which us fans are unaware, and you may have some other points about their contract practices which I mentioned. What I do know for sure si they won both times fighters filed lawsuits against their contract practices( BJ and Randy) and so those at least weren't illegal. From what I heard the new licensing right contracts are based on the WWF's and the the WWF won the challenges to them in the past. Most notably Hulk Hogan and the ultimate warrior lost these. Anyway, there may be something to the UFC having some one sided ethics in their contracts, but illegal? Without proof , and history has shown us they haven't been, I think Lindland is just pursuing his personal agenda again.
Purge
7/23/08 3:28:30AM
Agreed with hippysmacker, Ortiz was said to have earned at least 5 million in 2006, from PPV alone. Also Lindland was negotiating a possible signing last year, but obviousdly the UFC didn't want him. Trashing the organization's integrity, might be one of his ignorant ways of fighting back.
jocksmall
7/23/08 9:15:50PM
i also agree that the contracts are legal but very one sided at times. if its true the ufc has 300 fighters they can never make enough fights to feed them all and they are not allowed to fight elsewhere
mk1630
7/25/08 1:02:00AM
Its not like he's just upset they wont sign him right??
cmill21
7/25/08 1:18:24AM
Posted by mk1630
Its not like he's just upset they wont sign him right??
Did you see his Affliction Salary? Guessing he doesn't care that the UFC won't sign him lol. According to John Salley they are lol, he says as an American you should be able to do what you want and the corperation shoulden't be able to have any say over your life. I somewhat agree as long as it doesn't intefere with your contractual obligations, but then when you see the UFC pulling fights until guys resign I get pissed off.
mk1630
7/25/08 1:32:40AM
Posted by cmill21
Posted by mk1630
Its not like he's just upset they wont sign him right??
Did you see his Affliction Salary? Guessing he doesn't care that the UFC won't sign him lol. According to John Salley they are lol, he says as an American you should be able to do what you want and the corperation shoulden't be able to have any say over your life. I somewhat agree as long as it doesn't intefere with your contractual obligations, but then when you see the UFC pulling fights until guys resign I get pissed off.
Haha touche'
