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[Illusion]

GSP and others promise ‘industry redefining’ announcement on Wed at 4:00 p.m. ET

During today’s The MMA Hour, Ariel Helwani read a press release from notable PR firm O’Malley Hansen Communications. It promised an “industry redefining” announcement on Wednesday, via a media conference call at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Present on the call will be Georges St-Pierre, Cain Velasquez, Tim Kennedy, TJ Dillashaw, Donald Cerrone, and Bellator founder Bjorn Rebney. A rep for O’Malley Hansen Communications told MMA Fighting‘s Marc Raimondi that further information is embargoed until the call.

There is, of course, no embargo on speculation.

GSP, Kennedy, Dillashaw, and Cerrone have all come out in favor of a union or players association, so that is the obvious guess. PFA head Jeff Boris appeared on The MMA Hour in August shortly after issuing a press release detailing his intention to form a UFC fighter’s union. So the release being read on The MMA Hour fits. And Boris said he planned to announce a nine-member board of current and former fighters this month, so the timing too fits. And he said some fighters did not wish to be named, so less than nine fits.

Where Rebney, who was ousted by Viacom after they purchased Bellator, fits into the scenario is anyone’s guess. Maybe they need someone to terrify small children.

Consider this response from Malki Kawa, who manages Jon Jones, Alistair Overeem, Frank Mir, Tyron Woodley, and Benson Henderson among dozens of others.

“If Bjorn rebney is in, I’m out,” tweeted Kawa. “He was the most anti-fighter promoter I ever met. Contract worse than UFC, and he was a nightmare compared to UFC to deal with.”

A union is not the only conceivable announcement. If the Muhammad Ali Act were to be extended to MMA at the Federal level, then title fights would be independent of a promotion, and promoters would have to bid for the rights to hold them. However, it is as likely that a 50′ tall winged monkey flies out of Brittney Palmer’s derriere as the Ali Act passes under president Trump. So Rebney announcing some fighter-owned promotion, the MMA equivalent to the forming of United Artists nearly 100 years ago, doesn’t fit.

Georges St-Pierre, Cain Velasquez, Tim Kennedy, and TJ Dillashaw are all represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the arch rival of talent agency WME-IMG that now owns the UFC. If there is a CAA connection, it is not likely to be a fighter organization effort, as you cannot simultaneously represent some fighters and represent all fighters. For that matter, it is not clear how WME-IMG can represent both Rousey and own the UFC, so an agency vs. agency angle is not inconceivable.

One thing you can count on in MMA is someone talking, so expect something more than nothing more to come out before Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. If you hear absolutely nothing new, it really is big – a major effort to organize the UFC into a union.

Fighters Union

God i fucking hope so!

I hope that the fighters Union becomes a success and manages to give the fighters some much needed leverage.

[rapeWhistle]

Originally Posted by Illusion ↗

GSP and others promise ‘industry redefining’ announcement on Wed at 4:00 p.m. ET




Fighters Union

God i fucking hope so!

I hope that the fighters Union becomes a success and manages to give the fighters some much needed leverage.

Oooooo, or maybe new Reebok fight kits!

[Illusion]

The announcement was the launch of the Mixed Martial Arts Athlete Association.

The association will approach the UFC and negotiate the fighter cut of income from a reported 8% of gross to 50%.

GSP is a fucking Boss. More details to come.

************************************************

Cliffnotes from the press conference.

Tim Kennedy: We’re gonna change the face of an entire industry and sport today.

Tim Kennedy: I come from an era, my first fight in the WEC, I would run to the bank to make sure the check didn't bounce.

Kennedy: I would have expected the record-setting profits MMA has achieved would be shared with the fighters.

Kennedy: We're here to make sure no fighter, no athlete in the UFC gets left behind.



Georges St Pierre at the press conference says that he may be viewed as a villain for bringing these issues up, but he wants change.

St-Pierre: Like everyone in life, we want to make the situation better for everybody.

GSP says he's a rare fighter who is healthy and wealthy after a career in MMA…he wants to make things better for everyone.

GSP: Most other sports are 50/50, promoters/athletes. For us, it is around eight percent (8%).

GSP: Even Conor McGregor doesn't get his fair share.

Georges St-Pierre re: fighters and speaking for the MMA Athletes Association: “UFC without fighters is only three letters of the alphabet."

Cerrone: Years ago I wouldn't have spoke up out of fear that the UFC would have benched me or fired me.

Cerrone: I don’t know what the fuck I’m getting myself into here, but I’m here to stand with the 500 fighters in the UFC.

Dillashaw: The lowest low is not losing, it’s seeing these past UFC fighters who have nothing to show for it.

Dillashaw: Training is the toughest part of this sport. I get injured and I have to pay for it. I pay for health insurance myself.

Velasquez: There is no post-retirement health plan. That’s why we’re coming together now, to make our lives better now and in the future.

GSP: everytime we go fight we are afraid. this is a diff kind of fight. bc of my situation …it's time to step up and do the right thing.

[spudigitti]

Unions are corruption legalised !!

[Illusion]

Originally Posted by spudigitti ↗

Unions are corruption legalised !!

I'm not sure how you guys do it in Eu, however all major sports here in NA are unionized. This is what MMA needs most. If you look at the distribution of gross revenue to owner/athlete it's about 90/10 percent in the UFC while all other professional sports here are about 50/50. It's about balance. That's where the fighters association comes in to play. They also will seek a benefits package similar to that enjoyed in the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL etc.

[downunder]

Talk of McGinger Vs Mayweathermelon, that will be a superfight, big hype/$$$.

[Illusion]

Originally Posted by downunder ↗

Talk of McGinger Vs Mayweathermelon, that will be a superfight, big hype/$$$.

Sounds about right. He has a better shot at beating Mayweather than he does Nurmagomedov.

[spudigitti]

Cub Swanson