Leslie Smith is suing the UFC

At first, I was like:

<mma4>

And then I found out Project Spearhead needs a GoFundMe to fund her legal defense, and I was like:

<Lmaoo>

These guys are going to get annihilated by the UFC, and it's a bad look for this union effort to solicit donations from fans because Smith has sour grapes about being released (which was legal).

EDIT: So I just finished watching Smith's interview on the MMA Hour, and had several thoughts:

  • Leslie Smith comes off very likeable and the effort to create a union / association is very well-intentioned. Everybody (except the UFC) should be supporting it by default.

  • Smith is naive on a lot of things but somewhat admits that she shouldn't be in the driver's seat in Project Spearhead.

  • Smith doesn't seem to realize that challenging the UFC on the "employee vs. independent contractor" status and suing the UFC for releasing her from her contract are two very different things, with the former being a MASSIVE fight. The impression she gives is that all she needs to do is collect 30% of fighter's authorizations, and voila: employees!

  • Smith complains about a lot, and doesn't realize that it reflects poorly on her and Project Spearhead.

  • Smith's complaining that the UFC didn't pay for her + her cornermen's "bag check-in" at the airport on her departing flight. She trivializes it as just $25 / bag (something a $4 billion company can easily afford), but by doing so, again reflects that she's making an issue out of very little.

  • Smith buried Aspen Ladd on the day of for rehydrating immediately after missing weight the first time and not trying again, but was caught off-guard when Helwani informed her that there's a hard stop at 11 AM by the commission, and Ladd was not going to be allowed to weigh in again.

  • In some significant parts of the interview, Helwani schooled her on topics she's championing as to why she's being oppressed by the UFC, including admonishing the UFC for paying her both the show + win money, which instead of being appreciative for, she takes as kind of an insult for them wanting to be out of the Leslie Smith business.

  • The most interesting takeaway is that Smith comes off as a bit delusional to a minor extent. What I mean by this is that she's throwing grenades at a $4 billion tower, but then is upset that they're not inviting her in to the lobby with open arms.

  • She appears desperately to want to continue fighting for the UFC, while (in her own words) being as "antagonistic" as she can, yet complains on every turn about things they haven't done for her (which they're probably not contractually obligated to, but in a lot of cases, did anyway just to satiate her).

  • Also a part of the wishful thinking is believing she's got a chance anywhere else (Bellator, RIZIN, etc.) after (unintentionally, to her) creating the perception that she's perhaps the most difficult MMA fighter to work with in the industry.

  • Doesn't have a manager handling all of these little things when she clearly needs one; is vague about why.

  • Needs to be said again that she mixes her personal gripes with Project Spearhead's goals to unionize, when she really shouldn't (for Spearhead's benefit).

  • Was very secretive about numbers and facts about Project Spearhead (unintentionally giving away that less than 15% have signed authorization cards, but they're "on track" to getting 30% by the deadline in February 2019—so likely closer to 6%, but that probably won't be a consistent gain every month and will see diminishing returns after the 10% mark).

  • Was also secretive about the only other person's (Lucas Middlebrook, lawyer) involvement in Spearhead, especially in relation to this new lawsuit. The impression I get is that he's barely involved, and this is almost entirely her thing.

  • The big question of why she needs a GoFundMe for legal expenses when she's partnered with a lawyer goes unanswered.

  • Speaking of delusions, let's not even get into her wanting $100K / fight from the UFC for two more fights (that they apparently mistook as $100K show + $100K win). To her credit however, she does realize she overplayed her hand there.

  • If the GoFundMe doesn't give it away, Smith does: she's extremely underresourced (complaining about $25 bag check-ins, going out of her way to get the Reebok / media obligation money because she really needs it, etc.), whereas the UFC is overresourced, and has experience squashing athletes far higher profile than Smith in litigation (Couture, K. Shamrock, etc.).

  • Seems really nice and well-intentioned, and you want something like this to succeed, but unfortunately, Leslie Smith probably won't be the one to do it. She's jumping into a lion's den thinking she can tame them by walking up and pulling their manes, but is setting herself up to get mauled. The question is can she pave the way for a more powerful entity to achieve the same goal. Hope she can pull it off, nonetheless, and I still support her.
 
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Hope this thread doesn’t go to wasteland
 
I'm sure this will go well for her. She fulfilled her contract and they chose not to re-sign her. What leg does she have to stand on here?
 
Hahahahahhahaha, good fucking luck with that.

The UFC can cut whoever they want whenever they want. They could cut every single champion right now and pay out their contract, it would be dumb, but they could do it.

Your contract was fulfilled, they for whatever reason decided they didn't want to renew it and they let you go. There literally isn't a case here.
 
What is she suing for? To my understanding Her contract was fulfilled and they didn’t resign. It’s called business
 
What is she suing for? To my understanding Her contract was fulfilled and they didn’t resign. It’s called business
And the UFC protected itself ahead of time by paying her her full show money + win money to boot (which she complained about...).

At this point, Smith is coming off like someone who acts like a victim just for the sake of it. And the sad part is, the effort is a good one, but stuff like this just devalues the whole movement they're trying to cultivate.

Don't squabble over a lemon when you can get a lemon tree.
 
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Smith shouldn't be the "president".

They need someone with experience who isn't as naive as she is.
 
Suing for what though? I swear you can sue for anything in the states...
I'm surprised folks aren't on eggshells
 
What is she suing for? To my understanding Her contract was fulfilled and they didn’t resign. It’s called business

Also ufc employees are considered “private contractors” , Which is kinda bs since they have non-compete clauses , but she doesn’t have A lot going for her on this one
 
lol, so the UFC doesnt have the right to decide which fighters they want to re-sign and which ones they dont? is she entitled to a contract for the rest of her life?

is this communist Cuba?

she asked for a 100k, ufc said no thanks. They could have cut her without paying her a dime but they gave her the show and win bonus for the last fight on her contract.

is UFC obligated to give her another contract? this is some tony soprano shit.
 
Trying to sue the UFC but need a GoFundMe to do it?
tenor.gif
 
Also ufc employees are considered “private contractors” , Which is kinda bs since they have non-compete clauses , but she doesn’t have A lot going for her on this one
This.

She shouldn't be fighting whether or not her release was legal (which it was, as of present), she should be fighting the status of UFC considering athletes as contractors when they've enforced exclusivity on them. That's a big enough fight on its own, but one that they could rally public support for.

And considering WWE had this fight (and used all their resources to squash the Levy / Sanders / Klucsarits lawsuit), it's a grim outlook on that effort considering the current state of US politics.
 
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Doesnt the UFC have a clause in their contracts that if theres litigation loser pays?
 
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