Media Paulo Costa| Less than 350k is a joke

[TeddyT]

Should have told that to his manager before he signed a multifight contract. We know how this will play out now, the ufc doesnt care if you fight or not, cause you aint doing anything else under contract so go ahead, sit and pout on the sidelines till youre broke.

 

[You Will Vote For Dreyga]

What's the upside for the UFC to do that?

The UFC has hundreds of people on pay roll. Standardized pay scale and contracts makes it easier to handle-- it's efficient and organized.

And not making this up. It's literally how people in the industry say how it's done.

 

[You Will Vote For Dreyga]

Normally, I'd be inclined to not believe something until I see hard evidence but given:
1. UFC paid for the rankings and continue to do so.
2. There is a huge benefit to controlling rankings of your fighters
3. Questionable rankings over the years
4. Opacity of rankings and how it's down, not to mention every journalist on the board has their own way of ranking
5. Emails to ranking members every week with guidance

I'm willing to lower my standard of evidence here given that we're never going to see UFC emails to find out if they communicate with the ranking org and to what extent if they do.

So can we agree it's nothing but speculation.

 

[avenue94]

The UFC has hundreds of people on pay roll. Standardized pay scale and contracts makes it easier to handle-- it's efficient and organized.

And not making this up. It's literally how people in the industry say how it's done.

I don't think your maliciously bullshitting or anything, I just think a lot of people see the purse distributions and then think payroll scale. I doubt there is a poster in UFC headquarters with a pyramid and pay tiers, but if most incoming fighter contracts are standardized, then they are going to stay roughly standardized the rest of the way up the roster since everyone is going to be renegotiating from similar contractual starting points. I do agree that they have likely standardized the contractors more as the roster ballooned in size. But I also don't think managing the rosters' contracts is complex enough to the point you need a formalized pay scale. Sure, its a bitch, but it's not like all 600 fighters are renegotiating every month or something. Not to mention the UFC has so much leverage, they likely wouldn't reap a huge benefit from a pay scale.

 

[DoctorDeelon]

People are scoffing at 350k, but is that not unreasonable for a guy MAIN EVENTING a fight card by the industry leading company in MMA?

 

[rjmbrd]

Costa is 100% right here.

The UFC is paying in total ~18% of revenue to fighters. That includes every single penny: bonuses, PPV points, even the cost of insurance and hotel rooms. These guys have the absolute worst deal in all of sports and are trading brain damage for peanuts.

What kind of batshit bush-league are we talking about when you can't get a few hundred grand to be a HEADLINER for a company making a billion in revenue? Pay these guys already.

 

[MCS]

Because who knows if he'll be coming off a win in 4 fights or have suffered a career ending injury in the meantime. 2 years is a really long time to gamble.

But all this is the same for every fighter. All could get injured. When the contract is up it's time to negotiate. Posting on twitter about it rarely helps. It'll often mean inactivity. Masvidal was about to not get a pay bump and sit out until the late replacement came. Nate had his layoff because of contract disputes. Jones is at it now. These are bigger names than Costa...though Costa's ask of 350k does seem like a reasonable number.

I think Costa needs a good win now after the Izzy fight to up his everything after that. This seems like bad timing. How much boxers get paid has no effect on his sport. Him and his manager should know the revenue split and his value within that when they make a contract. Worst case is to not fight at all, unless he has other stuff going on.

 

[avenue94]

So can we agree it's nothing but speculation.

Call it a hunch based off of the UFC's track record in treating fighters and granting title shots over the years. Not to mention the lack of standardized ranking criteria and transparency is a red flag for me. And the fact that the UFC was the one who screened and hired panelists at the beginning, plus the general lack of actual journalism in mma.

 

[tech99]

I would not be surprised if the UFC cuts him. He has zero hype behind him now and he shit the bed big time against Izzy. He literally stood there and did nothing except taunt. After that type of performance you get back in there with anybody and you destroy them to start building yourself again. You do not complain about fighter pay and back out of fights.

 

[You Will Vote For Dreyga]

Call it a hunch based off of the UFC's track record in treating fighters and granting title shots over the years. Not to mention the lack of standardized ranking criteria and transparency is a red flag for me. And the fact that the UFC was the one who screened and hired panelists at the beginning, plus the general lack of actual journalism in mma.

That isn't accurate

They hired a third party to screen and hire the panelists. Everything is done through the third party, the UFC doesn't communicate directly to the journalist the third party does.

 

[You Will Vote For Dreyga]

I would not be surprised if the UFC cuts him. He has zero hype behind him now and he shit the bed big time against Izzy. He literally stood there and did nothing except taunt. After that type of performance you get back in there with anybody and you destroy them to start building yourself again. You do not complain about fighter pay and back out of fights.

They won't cut him. They'll hold on to his contract forever. Cutting him would be beneficial to Costa

 

[kflo]

Hey you are free to believe that the UFC doesn't control the rankings that they pay for. I'm not going to try to change your mind here. Most people do not know what they are talking about, but in this case I'm inclined to think the masses are right. Having promoters control their own rankings in general is bad for fighters.

You try to present it as fact when it’s just your unsubstantiated opinion.

 

[avenue94]

That isn't accurate

They hired a third party to screen and hire the panelists. Everything is done through the third party, the UFC doesn't communicate directly to the journalist the third party does.

"It was Jenness who reached out to media members in January to expand the panel from 14 members to 22. When the rankings started in 2013, it was the UFC that handled recruiting panelists both directly and through an application on its website, with FightMetric (now known as UFC Stats) handling the polling."

I would not be surprised if the UFC cuts him. He has zero hype behind him now and he shit the bed big time against Izzy. He literally stood there and did nothing except taunt. After that type of performance you get back in there with anybody and you destroy them to start building yourself again. You do not complain about fighter pay and back out of fights.

It would be interesting if that happens. A fighter has to have a loss for them to be cut, but presumably there is a time period after the loss where it has to happen. So who knows how long that period is.

But all this is the same for every fighter. All could get injured. When the contract is up it's time to negotiate. Posting on twitter about it rarely helps. It'll often mean inactivity. Masvidal was about to not get a pay bump and sit out until the late replacement came. Nate had his layoff because of contract disputes. Jones is at it now. These are bigger names than Costa...though Costa's ask of 350k does seem like a reasonable number.

I think Costa needs a good win now after the Izzy fight to up his everything after that. This seems like bad timing. How much boxers get paid has no effect on his sport. Him and his manager should know the revenue split and his value within that when they make a contract. Worst case is to not fight at all, unless he has other stuff going on.

I don't think Costa is going to get what he wants, but you're pretty much just saying fighters should do what they've always done, even though that hasn't improved their pay. I can't blame Costa for trying now, even if it's off a loss.

 

[kflo]

The lawsuit isn't directly over whether or not the UFC has monopsony power, since having one isn't illegal. A payscale wouldn't really hurt the UFC's arguments/defense since they aren't arguing that they are not a monopsony or have that power.
Having said that, from what I recall Joe Silva never mentioned a payscale. And I imagine it would have been noted if he did when deposed. Then again, Joe Silva also certainly lied during depositions.

The ufc argues they compete for talent globally.

 

[GrantB13]

He hasn't fought since losing his chance at becoming champion. Now's not the time to demand more money. Why do all these fighters have the worst possible timing with contract disputes? They wait until the middle of one or in after some loses. Costa didn't become champ and he lost very handily and hasn't come back so it's not like he's got some credit built up.

 

[avenue94]

You try to present it as fact when it’s just your unsubstantiated opinion.

The rankings aren't independent as the UFC has a direct financial stake in them and also set up and hired the panel when it first started. That's enough for me to be suspicious, and apparently the majority of people on sherdog. Believe what you want, I'm not trying to change anyone's mind on this point.

The ufc argues they compete for talent globally.

Not sure what you are trying to say here. Most sports properties compete for talent globally.

 

[kflo]

That isn't accurate

They hired a third party to screen and hire the panelists. Everything is done through the third party, the UFC doesn't communicate directly to the journalist the third party does.

And this is why too. He tries to present his opinion as fact. And when it’s pointed out he keeps doing it.

 

[BEATDOWNS]

 

[avenue94]

And this is why too. He tries to present his opinion as fact. And when it’s pointed out he keeps doing it.

Which part of "the UFC screened and hired/picked panelists when the rankings started" is not factual? Seems pretty cut and dry.

 

[kflo]

The rankings aren't independent as the UFC has a direct financial stake in them and also set up and hired the panel when it first started. That's enough for me to be suspicious, and apparently the majority of people on sherdog. Believe what you want, I'm not trying to change anyone's mind on this point.

Not sure what you are trying to say here. Most sports properties compete for talent globally.

Having a financial interest doesn’t make it not independent.