MMA Junkie reports that Anderson Silva was fined $50,000 for skipping a media obligation for UFC 162 in Los Angeles on Monday. The fine was announced by Dana White.
The media event would have had Silva meeting with local press and media to kick off ticket sales for the Fourth of July card. No word on the reason for missing the event and whether the UFC would have further action against Silva.
Payout Perspective:
Interesting that a fine was announced so quickly but it was the right move for the UFC. A part of being a professional MMA fighter is to participate in the media obligations that go along with fighting. While media may be a necessary evil, it is the media that help promote the fights that make people want to spend money to watch. So, if Silva wants to be paid a lot of money, he needs to work for it…and not just in training for Chris Weidman.
Nick Diaz is the only other fighter of note to skip mandatory media obligations. It’s unlikely that the UFC will take further action against Silva at this point.
something of a side note but I wonder if GSP and Silva will some day wise up and realize they could make much more money for fighting their superfight outside of the UFC organization.
Both are getting up there in age. why fight that superfight in the UFC for 5mil each when they could refuse till their contracts are up. then fight that superfight in the open market where they could cash in on a nice 20+mil each.
screw the peanuts they’ve made so far, screw the fines. just cash out big.
adder,
I don’t see that happening. The UFC won’t let them fight outside of the UFC until they’ve been drained to a husk and discarded. If either one were to try to break their UFC contract, well, just ask Randy how that went for him.
No MMA fighter has ever been able to do for themselves what the UFC is doing for them. How many fighters could get fans to pay for a PPV without the UFC brand? Only a few in it’s history would even have a chance and that was Brock, Chuck, and GSP. Now you have to ask how many buys would they get on their own? More than likely not many. Brock had his first MMA fight in LA under K-1 on PPV and no one watched it. All the stars of Pride were only doing 20k buys in Pride and 50k for the US shows. Look what happened to Rousy just adding the credibility of the UFC to her. Not only would it be very hard to sell their fights. None of the fighters have the money to take the risk and pay for it out of their pocket. Mayweather become his own promoter and puts up 10 million to promote his fights. Why would a star UFC fighter like GSP risk everything he has just for a chance to make a little more? Now the UFC does all the work and takes all the risks and GSP makes millions. It makes me sick how some people have it out for anyone who is successful. The UFC has earned their money many times over for the risk they take, the work they do, and the jobs they have created.
Diego
who said anything about breaking their contracts? unless you’re telling me they have lifetime contracts that enslave them for all times