Media Dana White: "We're working it out" regarding Wonderboy pay issue

[Banana Tree's Nemesis]

Thompson did work....he held up his end of his contract up untill the fight part...or in the construction scenario we did our part till the concrete truck not doing his part...

No he didn't do work. A bout agreement states that a fighter is to be compensated for a completed bout.
Being on weight is a pre-condition necessary to his job. This isn't that hard to understand.
How is this such a big deal!? A lawyer doesn't get paid for having a law degree. A pilot doesn't get paid for posessing a pilot's license. A bus driver cannot be blind. These are preconditions for their respective jobs. But none of these get paid without doing actual work. They get paid for doing their job AND need to fullfill certain criteria to do that job in the first place. There's no JUST fullfilling the criteria.
A bus driver won't get paid for being able to see without ever driving a bus.

They offered WB an immediate replacement and he didn't want that either. Fair enough, his choice. They are willing to reimburse his training camp expenses. Why do you want him to get paid so bad?
He could get a new matchup every single week. Then he could actually fight for his purse. A couple of weeks delay shouldn't be that terrible for a guy who doesn't fight more than twice a year.

 

[RemyR]

Dana sure gives me a lot of reasons to post this picture

 

[markg171]

What's even the point of making weight if the only consequences is you lose 20% of your pay?

If a guy like Conor misses weight that's $1M he now owes his opponent.

Are you just retarded or something?

 

[rstringer]

the offered him a fight two weeks out and he refused. for someone who claims he can win the titile that's weak sauce.

With that said, I think Dana is a money hungry douche who doesn't pay fighters enough. But WB should have taken the later fight or taken the 20% purse of Pereira.

 

[acannxr]

To be fair, the UFC contracts state that you don't simply get paid for showing up to fight - you get paid after the fight as your "show money". It stinks that your opponent pulls out and you trained and made weight for nothing but you don't get paid for that. I disagree with that being in the contract and I think it's cool that UFC has paid guys before when this has happened but they contractually don't have to.

It would be like being a plumber and having a service call changed to a slightly more difficult job. I think it's fair to ask for more money but the employer isn't obligated and if it gets cancelled, it would be like asking to get paid for a job you didn't do. No contractor companies will pay you for something you didn't do unless it's off the table and they are just being nice.

UFC has scumbag contracts but the fighters should know what's in them. You are welcome to complain about things in your contract but you ultimately signed it and it seemingly wasn't a sticking point for you.

Well he did not fight so he should not get paid. The rules are clear. We would NEVER see another fight if someone is overweight and his opponent would get full purse without doing shit.

I agree with Dana, he didn't fight so he shouldn't be paid. He could have fought if he wanted but he didn't instead he wants to panhandle! he should be cut for this!

I'll just leave this one example (of many) in which a fighter got paid despite the opponent not making weight and the fight not happening (the example is also very ironic):

DJ did (try to negotiate it). He agreed to fight a 135 fighter at 125, but only if he got paid show and win money if the fighter didn't make weight. It was a non-starter for Dana, and the contact was never made.

And of course DJ only even asked for that stipulation because both the UFC and Dillashaw "guaranteed" that Dillashaw would make weight, so DJ wanted that so-called promise backed up in the contract; when the UFC didn't agree to the stipulation it proved that their guarantee meant absolutely nothing.

 

[LiQuiD42]

What a crap situation one person missing weight has caused. This is why the UFC should be cutting people who miss weigh by 4+ pounds. They need to send a message to these people. It is wasting Wonderboy's time, UFC staff time with negotiations between the two and the offender is sitting the roster still... In the end I believe Wonderboy will be compensated but it's going to be a minute and I don't think either party will be entirely satisfied.

 

[markg171]

I'll just leave this one example (of many) in which a fighter got paid despite the opponent not making weight and the fight not happening (the example is also very ironic):

.

Hendricks was medically pulled due to a kidney stone/intestinal blockage putting in the hospital ER. The bout was completely cancelled because Hendricks couldn't fight at all.

Completely different scenario and totally irrelevant to refusing to fight an overweight opponent or someone else 2 weeks later.

 

[Pechan]

If a guy like Conor misses weight that's $1M he now owes his opponent.

Are you just retarded or something?

Sure and between the ppv buys, sponsors etc made over 20 mills, went it with an advantage and had an easier camp because he knew he wasn't gonna cut all the weight.

But sure the biggest star that fights at whatever weight he wants was a great example.

 

[Senzo Tanaka]

Conversely, let's say I contracted Rihanna to come out for a huge event I was throwing and I used her name for marketing the event and selling tickets, she promotes the event on her social, etc.

Then the night before the event (after she flies out to Kansas City), I reach out to her team and say "Hey, sorry, change of plans. Still having the party tomorrow, but Jay Z needs more time for his set so I'm not going to need your services. We can do it in two weeks instead.".

Obviously they would have deposits and shit because they aren't as dumb as UFC fighters, but suspend belief for argument's sake. Assume that our contract let's me get out of shit.

Do you think she and her team would deserve compensation ethically?

Fair point but the difference is the contract. Does the contract say that Rhianna doesn't get paid until/unless she actually performs? Rhianna would never sign a contract where she didn't get paid for promotion. The concert itself would be a separate payment/contract.

UFC fighters are signing slave contracts where it states they don't get paid unless they actually fight. It's one of the reasons why Francis left. The contracts are bad and there is no guaranteed money. If you sign a deal for 10 million dollars, UFC can cancel that contract if you lose, violate their code of conduct, etc. You don't get a lump sum of 10 million dollars. It's really a per fight contract but you are locked in.

Anyway, I'm not defending the contracts, I'm just saying that if you are strictly going by the contract, UFC doesn't owe Wonder Boy anything. He knew what he was getting in to. I think one big problem is UFC has paid guys when the other guy has missed weight so they set a precedent. It's like giving 50k bonuses for good performances. Now every fighter begs for 50k after every fight. Do it for one person and other people will expect the same.

 

[Poatan Power]

Thompson did work....he held up his end of his contract up untill the fight part...or in the construction scenario we did our part till the concrete truck not doing his part...

This happens all the time on construction sites its how projects go over budget ...because multiple contractor's cant get there shit together...or be professional enough to do what they said they would on the day they would ...

If i had to pour a slab and the concrete guy didnt show up but my guys were on site ready and did form work and prep work for the pour ...you beat ur ass im charging my client for the day ... And telling them that the other contractor for the concrete is to blame ... And he can recoup from him .. im not paying my crew out of pocket becusse some dumbass concrete guy cant show up on time and honor his contract lol .. .

dude how deep into this forrest are you going to go to get muddled into the details

stephen isn't getting paid his fight money because he didn't fight

UFC is literally paying for your "day" for your workers that showed up to work but the concrete truck didn't show. they're paying WB's camp fees and what not

they aren't paying you for the paved driveway that isn't paved just because you showed up and did nothing. they're offsetting your wasted time and willing to pay you to do the job another day.

there's a contract in place and it involves fighting. if you don't fight you don't get your fight money, that's fucking ridiculous to expect unless you're just expecting charity. dana's explanation was totally reasonable, assuming it's true.

 

[MMABr]

I know I am in the minority, but I actually understand the UFC's position here, and I rarely agree with the bald goof..

Sure, I think WB should get his show money in an ideal scenario, but... you get paid to fight, and he actually had the chance to fight and refused to do so.

It's not like Pereira got pulled and wasn't cleared to fight. They didn't want him to continue cutting weight, but he was still going to be able to compete despite the weight miss. Plus, it's not like WB was not going to benefit from it at all... he would've received probably 30% of Michel's purse.

This is not a scenario where X fighter gets hospitalized and his opponent is out of chances of actually competing and earning a paycheck.

 

[Bwagster]

IMO sooner than later another organization is going to give the UFC a run for their money, and the UFC's shady business practices will come back to bite em in the ass.

 

[Vil7]

Dana is a greedy, corrupt, selfish, manipulative, remorseless, woman-abusing, womanizing, terrifying, backstabbing, spineless, boastful, cowardly, lying, cruel, grumpy, untrustworthy, unforgiving psychopathic, thieving, hatred-spewing, self-centered, disorganized, apprehensive, condescending, narrow-minded, dishonorable, feeble-minded, incomprehensible, potato munching, morally bankrupt, unfriendly, bitter, careless, vindictive, sociopathic douchebag

& he’s fat and probably wears too much cologne.

 

[Steve Fox]

He didn't fight, he shouldn't get fight money. That was his decision.
All other expenses should probably be covered though.

 

[jeff7b9]

Contract said 170 pounds (with one pound allowance)

WB held his end of the deal.

Pay the man.


Contracts need to have a dollar amount stipulated for scenarios like this.

 

[Koala]

Ship him to Australia to fight Giacomo Della Maddalena

 

[DoctorTaco]

Show money/win money is already a way to cut costs for the org. They get away with managing to pay 2 guys with 3 halves of a purse, it’s brilliant.

It’s a gamble that pays off for the UFC 99% of the time. So when something like this happens (again, same thing happened to Ed Herman during the pandemic, he and his opponent both weighed in and then his opponent popped for Covid. Dana screwed short fuse too). The company should take it on the chin. They are still coming out massively ahead on the whole “shown money/ win money” thing they started

 

[Poirierfan]

I hate the UFC, and it's all to do with Dana fucking White. He's a piece of shit garbage human being. He gives his YouTube buddies 250k but won't give his fighters fair compensation? The money was already allocated for the fucking fight anyway.

 

[Barteh]

Contract said 170 pounds (with one pound allowance)

WB held his end of the deal.

Pay the man.


Contracts need to have a dollar amount stipulated for scenarios like this.

Of course it does, and that's the entire problem and what makes the UFC a bunch of scumbags. Put either 50% of show money or some kind of fixed fee for promotion + covering the cost of the training camp. It's ridiculous that something like this hasn't been a part of the contract for years already.

 

[jeff7b9]

Dana is a greedy, corrupt, selfish, manipulative, remorseless, woman-abusing, womanizing, terrifying, backstabbing, spineless, boastful, cowardly, lying, cruel, grumpy, untrustworthy, unforgiving psychopathic, thieving, hatred-spewing, self-centered, disorganized, apprehensive, condescending, narrow-minded, dishonorable, feeble-minded, incomprehensible, potato munching, morally bankrupt, unfriendly, bitter, careless, vindictive, sociopathic douchebag