Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Observer reported in last week’s edition that Zuffa is planning to hold a seminar for all of its contracted fighters sometime in November:
The company is going to be bringing all the fighters under contract in (about 250 in all) for a series of seminars in November. The seminars are about lifestyle, behaving as a professional, financial planning, taxes, performance enhancing drugs, dealing with the media and also going over specifics of the rules of combat, such as injury time outs, what constitutes the back-of-the-head, what happens in regard to a match stopped on a foul and at what point they go to the cards. Fighters will be brought in several different groups.
Payout Perspective:
The UFC takes a lot of heat from the fans and the media in regards to the way they treat their fighters, but things of this nature are rarely publicized. These seminars are in the best interest of all parties: they provide useful information to help the fighters lead better lives in and out of the cage, which will ultimately also help the organization.
Has anyone seen an interview or spoken with a fighter to see if these are beneficial? I’ve heard of the ufc doing this before but haven’t heard any feedback.
Zuffa would better help the sport if they could force commissions to get on the ball with judging and reffing via these seminars. I mean really out of how many MMA fighters for the past two decades have there been a junie browning or someone similar?
This might be an interesting opportunity for the fighters to discuss the potential for a union if they are so inclined. I am not sure that I would want to try to increase my negotiating power in this way right under the nose of the dragon in his layer, but when else do all these guys get together in one place?