Ask any aspiring MMA fighter, and they would say that their dream is to compete in the UFC one day. During my time as a journalist, I’ve talked to numerous Indian fighters – some have a more realistic approach – fight and get paid. Others plan to live the dream of millions by fighting under the bright lights of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC is the largest Mixed Martial Arts organization in the world, followed by the likes of Bellator Fighting Championship and numerous other smaller league promotions. However, only UFC and Bellator can truly offer lucrative contracts to the fighters.
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While the Fertittas and Dana have turned UFC into a multi – billion dollar promotion, Viacom’s backing has quickly made Bellator yet another alternative for the fighters.
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However, MMA is still growing, and in no shape or form is perfect. In fact, choosing MMA as a career option doesn’t work out most of the times. From making all the right noises in the smaller leagues to catching the eye of one of the top promotions, there are no guarantees in MMA.
If you don’t get into the UFC, Bellator or ONE Championship, there is a good chance you’d be forced to look for other career options.
Making it to the big leagues isn’t as lucrative either. Before I go any further, I’d like to point out that the opinions stated in the article are my own, and while covering the sport is a decision I’ve made, I necessarily don’t have to agree with what is going on in the sport.
MMA is a cut throat business – certain gyms tying up with the organizations to promote their fighters have arrangements that would substantially favor their fighters, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
One of the main hindrances is the lack of proper governance, whether it is in the United States or India. Regulatory commissions more often than not don’t have a real say, while many countries, including India don’t have a regulatory commission in place.
Unlike cricket or football, MMA isn’t overseen by a commission which has the best interests of the fighters. Fighter union is frowned upon, while talk of an association is met with snigger and disgust.
Putting the labor protection for the fighters, their “independent contractor” status and its implications and other major problems aside, there is one glaring problem – the fighters’ pay. The average career span of these athletes is less than 15 years, and unlike others, they do not have the luxury of taking up a different job.
Most of the fighters suffer from post-concussive syndrome and permanent brain damage. There are no guarantees, and as one fighter recently put it, she can’t fight because she has no money for her training camp
The Muhammad Ali Reform Act
Back in the 90s, to protect the interests of the boxers and to ensure that fair and just practices are carried out by the promoters, the Ali Act was introduced, which came into effect in 2000. With the lack of leagues or regulatory commissions, the Ali Act was put forward to address the main concerns of the fighters, with the main points being:
- Finding an alternative to the long term contracts the boxers are bound to
- Finding a method to put forward credible ranking procedures
- Inconsistent procedures, and the lack of oversight by state regulations
- Need for a federal mechanism/intervention to prevent hidden agreements
- Coercive methods to force the fighters to give “options” in exchange for a title fight
One of the main arguments against the Ali Act being implemented in MMA has been that both the sports are different. There are tons of opinion pieces online which either support or denounce the application of the Act. However, Fedor’s reasons for refusing to sign with UFC throws light on just how important a reform act is in the world of MMA.
“The contract that we were presented with by the UFC was simply impossible, couldn’t be signed–I couldn’t leave. If I won, I had to fight up to eight times in two years. If I lost one fight, then the UFC had the right to rip up the contract.
At the conclusion of the contract, if I am undefeated, then it automatically extends for an as yet unspecified time, though for the same compensation.”
“Basically, I can’t leave undefeated. I can’t give interviews, appear in films or advertising. I don’t have the right to do anything without the UFC’s agreement. I could do nothing without the OK from the UFC. I didn’t have the right to compete in combat sambo competition. It’s my national sport. It’s the Russian sport, which in his time our president competed in, and I no longer have the right to do so.”
“There were many such clauses; the contract was 18 pages in length. It was written in such a way that I had absolutely no rights while the UFC could at any moment, if something didn’t suit them, tear up the agreement. We worked with lawyers who told us it was patently impossible to sign such document.”
Need for a federal law to protect the fighters
The debate has caught fire recently, and with Congressman Markwayne Mullin planning to introduce the legislation resulting in the expansion of the Act to cover the sport of MMA, people have been divided in their opinions.
While the state athletic commissions lay down the regulations, a federal mechanism is needed to ensure the legality of the contracts of the fighters. It comes as no surprise then, that certain organizations have taken a stance against the bill being passed.
While it is true that the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act caters to the problems in boxing (it is a different topic altogether how successful it has been), it makes all the sense in the world to make a few amendments and introduce the legislation, catering it to the athletes in MMA.
It could also have a snowball effect, carrying onto unionization of fighters – something quite a few fighters have been lobbying for. But the individual nature of the sport takes the wind out of the sail of any such initiative, preventing any concrete progress from being attained.
With the sport being in its infancy in India, the need for such federal law hasn’t been discussed about yet. With the eventual growth of professional boxing and MMA, India too would need a regulatory commission in the near future.
There have already been cases of promoters taking advantage of the fighters, which have hindered the progress of the sport. Only time will tell if things change, but the landscape of MMA can quickly change, leading to an interesting period in the sport.
