* Stitch fired by UFC *

[zetetic]

Joe Lauzon fan. However, the blue collar analogy he offers isn't remotely structurally similar. Nor does it have rhetorical bite - because after all, it's not an argument. The sad irony is, that UFC lauds its blue collar worker fighters, and systematically exploits them. And it operates only on the back of the fact that the back of those very workers has been broken a long time ago.

 

[callbullonBS]

http://www.joelauzon.com/2015/07/22/know-your-audience/

Props to Trifid on the Rogan board.

Sounds like Joe is a company man through and through, lost a lot of respect for the guy as a person.



"When I was 16 years old, my first real job was working for my dad. My dad owns his own business and part of that is being a wholesale supplier for live and frozen fishing baits to all of Cape Cod.

For Friday deliveries we would take orders on Thursday mid-morning and later that morning 4 or 5 of us would load the trucks. We would leave at 3am on Friday to make deliveries to the bait shops as they were opening. These are customers that buy from us every week so we are dependent upon them for income. Many times, they could be difficult to work with. They would give us one order, we would load it all on the truck and then right before we close at 8pm they would call and completely change everything in the order. Some of the stuff is very heavy and was already loaded in the order it was supposed to come off in. When we originally load in the morning we have a bunch of guys but by the end of the night it would just be me. Instead of a train of people to load everything, you have to get it from the walk-in freezer, carry it to the back of the truck, put it on the back of the truck, climb into the truck, uncover the frozen bait that is already stacked, stack it so it doesn

 

[johnyboy]

I thought the whole thing was going to be about how the ufc should be supporting the fans. Was very dissapointed. Disagree with Joe completely

 

[Terminal Strike]

I hope more fighters get vocal with this. It's a stretch to have Ronda in as well, but I'm sure it would really hit home if she voiced her disapproval. Assuming she has any towards this whole thing.

LOL at the thought of Ronda going against daddy Dana.

 

[Arkain2K]

from your mouth to JBG's ears...

I legitimately believe that with the top cutman gone, there will be more fights getting stopped when fighters can't see through the blood flowing down from the superficial cut on their forehead.

Stitch did such a good job closing up wounds, most reporters didn't even realize Robbie Lawler went to the UFC 189 post-fight conference with a huge 3-inch gash on his forehead. I suspect the viewers at home forget about that as well after the fight is over, when the Ruthless one emerges from the cage seemingly unscathed.

 

[mcewenblair]

This is the best quote for another fighter with a wooden tongue- wait until it is your turn and you are powerless:

I truly believe that the UFC are really pushing the limits of their managerial prerogative. This legal issue of a contract 'of' service as compared to a contract 'for' service is becoming very blurred as the UFC takes full advantage of its grey shady boundary. How much control does an employer need to have over an independent before they become an employee? Personally, I don't know many companies that force a so called independent contractor to wear their company uniform? There are many legal tests for decoding such issues but from a UFC public relations and human resources perspective (particularly from an occupational health and safety perspective) what a complete flop to summary dismiss Stitch Duran's service.

Such autocratic, unsubstantively justified acts to instantly dismiss without remorse seems congrugent with a monopolistic mentality. For all you fighters out there with wooden tongues I share the words of Martin Niem

 

[Roganbyarmbar]

Def not 'gotten' to (like a tooth-brush to your corn yellow teef)

As an outsider looking in on this argument, you come off as having Down's Syndrome.

 

[panamaican]

Joe never goes full black & white; he never says, "the UFC is always right and anyone speaking out is always wrong." He doesn't even say Stitch was completely wrong and the UFC's actions were completely right. He simply said that it's not the best way to do it, and it very likely leads to being fired. He's right. He has no ill will to Stitch and I'm sure he too longs for the glory days of NASCAR-style shorts; there's no way Lauzon isn't taking a financial hit from this, too, and to a larger extent than most guys on the roster. But complaining to some MMA news website instead of Zuffa isn't a smart move if you want to have your voice be heard AND keep your job.

And that's a ridiculous, unfitting analogy. If you truly think it's properly analogous, well, then there's no reason trying to point out why it's not. I doubt you'll grasp the nuances.



Joe is a pretty popular guy for someone that isn't champ. How much is he getting from Reebok, $20k? I don't remember their pay structure. I'm very confident he was getting more than that when he had sponsors on his shorts. He's taking a hit from this deal. Maybe he has voiced his dislike of the deal, but if he did, it was probably man-to-man.

The UFC has been defending fighter (and in this case, cutman) pay in general and specifically in the case of the Reebok deal. How can you not see how saying, "This deal is bad and leads to less money in my pocket and the pockets of other fighters," is going to be seen as badmouthing? It contradicts the official Zuffa line, which is that this is good for the fighters/cutmen/whoever. For all intents and purposes, it was shit talk.

It is what it is. The Reebok deal isn't very good and the actual "kits" themselves are abortions. But when you're expendable and you complain to some MMA site instead of (or in addition to) your boss, there's a real possibility you get shitcanned. That's the consequence of your actions. Gotta live with them.

I get what you're saying and what Joe is trying to communicate but he, and you, are reading the wrong emotions from this event.

Insulting your boss is a good reason to get fired, whether you say it publicly or not. But what Stitch said wasn't an insult. It was the truth. He had sponsors, now he doesn't. It cost him money. He let the UFC know early in the process, privately, and they told them that nothing was going to change.

What makes people upset is that the statements themselves weren't insults but the response to them was at the same level as if it was. I'm fine with the UFC exercising their firing power over everything that hurts their brand image. But it's counterproductive when they exercise that firing power in a way that hurts the very image they're trying to protect.

That's what Joe is missing. That this specific firing undermines the very idea of the pro-fighter image that the UFC is trying to promote. There's a reason no one bats an eye when Fighter X gets cut (even popular names) - because those cuts make sense in the larger scheme of the UFC brand of MMA. This doesn't.

 

[Datura]

Joe never goes full black & white; he never says, "the UFC is always right and anyone speaking out is always wrong." He doesn't even say Stitch was completely wrong and the UFC's actions were completely right. He simply said that it's not the best way to do it, and it very likely leads to being fired. He's right. He has no ill will to Stitch and I'm sure he too longs for the glory days of NASCAR-style shorts; there's no way Lauzon isn't taking a financial hit from this, too, and to a larger extent than most guys on the roster. But complaining to some MMA news website instead of Zuffa isn't a smart move if you want to have your voice be heard AND keep your job.

And that's a ridiculous, unfitting analogy. If you truly think it's properly analogous, well, then there's no reason trying to point out why it's not. I doubt you'll grasp the nuances.

Sorry but I can't look at everything in life through the business perspective you obviously have.

I think it really skews your morals if you're actions are based on how many shekels you can horde.

 

[SteveColdStone]

I sent Joe a message on xd lithe other nights and he replied, so I like the guy.

He has some alright points, but Stitch should not be fired over speaking his mind, even on Twitter.

 

[Datura]

What's more heroic: Impressing some guy with a Rory MacDonald av on Sherdog or doing his job so he can put as much money as possible in his bank account so he can take care of his family (including a child with severe health problems since birth)? Man, you guys are petty.

Then he should just stfu instead of writing a fucking blog about it.

I don't hate the guy, I've always enjoyed his fights but it is what it is.

*And don't throw the child with health problems thing in and then call us petty. We're the ones arguing for better fighter pay because posters like you think it's better to stay silent.

 

[Rizzo]

Yet another classy move by Uncle Dana and the UFC.


I never thought the day would come that I would actively cheer for the UFC to go out of business but I long for the day that Bellator surpasses them and buys them out.


From throwing fighters under the bus at will, watering down the cards, giving title shots to talking mouths rather than people who win fights and earn them, to canning extremely loyal employees like Burt and Stitch because they stood up for themselves.

 

[LHWBelt]

I didn't read it all but I don't think the essence of what he's saying is wrong although I know it's cool to hate the UFC right now.

 

[Polar Bears]

haha joe is just a punching bag against anyone these days. his standup is horrible like a 15 year old kid.

 

[rancid]

The cut man was previously suspended for crying about A team B team nonsense and no one cared because it wasn't about Reebok.

 

[panamaican]

The cut man was previously suspended for crying about A team B team nonsense and no one cared because it wasn't about Reebok.

Well that certainly changes things.

 

[Finnish Fan]

Joe is a company man to the hilt. Nothing of value to see here.

 

[chefdiablo]

Joe's story and explanation is reasonable and well thought out.

Stitch's responses to the questions he was asked during the interview were also reasonable and well thought out. He didn't directly complain about either Reebok or the UFC and maintained an even keel throughout.

Even Stitch's interview on MMAJunkie was completely respectful. He avoided the potential spots to vent frustrations with honest and professional answers.

I am not going to get worked up over Joe's position here. I think this is one of those situations where both views are reasonable.

The UFC's handling of Stitch was not though. They could have dealt with this privately and then with a statement later on that would have put this issue to rest. Instead they poured gas on a fire and let the man go like he punched a ref. This was not the best way for any side including the side Reebok is on.

 

[rancid]

Well that certainly changes things.

seriously, where was the outrage when his ass was suspended for his previous comments? No one gave a shit about the cut man until he mentions Reebok.

It's funny how f'n dramatic all these people are once the word "Reebok" gets mixed in to the situation...

 

[jamiehunter]

LOL at the thought of Ronda going against daddy Dana.

I agree. I don't see Ronda really speaking out against something that's good for her. Whether she agrees or disagrees with something her main concern is Rowdy Inc. not other people's careers.