Tony Ferguson is returning to the Octagon after taking time away due to personal issues. He’s also switched management group and was mum about his departure from his old representation.
Ferguson was previously represented by Paradigm Sports Management which represents Conor McGregor along with several other UFC fighters. He now is represented by the Ballengee Group which represents MMA fighters as well.
The Ballengee Group may sound familiar because one of its members is Jeff Borris. You may recall Borris attempted to create an association for fighters, the Professional Fighters Association. Borris became interested in helping fighters when he assisted in looking over the contract of Nate Diaz when he fought Conor McGregor. Despite a full-on media blitz, many fighters remained skeptical. Notably, Leslie Smith decided not to support the effort of PFA and went on to create Project Spearhead.
During media day, Ferguson was vague about the breakup with Paradigm and intimated that there may be unresolved money issues with Paradigm. He told MMA Junkie: “I’m not going to say they owe me money, or I owe them money, but I’m pretty sure it’s the other way around.”
Payout Perspective:
Whether it was perceived or real, client management requires managers to look out for the best interests of the individual. Ferguson believes that he may have been slighted by Paradigm since they also managed Conor. The money situation between Ferguson and Paradigm could turn into a legal matter if the parties cannot resolve it. Switching agents is a common occurrence in sports and we are seeing that representation may be more important for top-level stars.
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