By MMA Fighting.com
Five of the most well-known fighters in the UFC are starting a fighters association.
Las Vegas, NV (November 30th, 2016)– The group, headlined by all-time great Georges St-Pierre, will be called the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association and will focus on evening the playing field between fighters and the UFC, it was announced on a media conference call Wednesday.
St-Pierre was joined on the call by Tim Kennedy, Cain Velasquez, Donald Cerrone and T.J. Dillashaw. Those five fighters will make up the association’s first board. Former Bellator owner Bjorn Rebney was also on the call and he said he would be part of the MMAAA in an advisory, support role. GSP, Velasquez and Dillashaw are all former UFC champions.
“Every time we fight, we’re afraid,” St-Pierre said. “This is a different fight. I know a lot of us are afraid. It’s time to step up, do the right thing.”
The three goals for the MMAAA will be earning a settlement from the UFC for current and past fighters, bring the revenue disparity from just 8 percent to 50 percent for fighters, and to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement with the UFC.
“I would have assumed that if the UFC had reached the level of success they have, the fighters would not be left behind,” Kennedy said.
Rebney made it clear that the MMAAA is not a union. A union, he said, would delay all the things the fighters want. Rebney said the unity of an association would give the fighters real power against the UFC, even if it’s not a legal union in the eyes of the National Labor Relations Board. Rebney brought up a labor strike as a possibility as a way to take action against the UFC.
“I know a lot of fighters want to remain anonymous,” St-Pierre said. “I’m telling you guys, Come see us. It’s time to stand together.”
St-Pierre, Velasquez, Kennedy and Dillashaw are all represented by Creative Artists Agency, a rival talent firm to new UFC owner WME-IMG. Rebney said that CAA is not backing the MMA Athletes Association, but supporting its athletes. He took aim at WME-IMG, saying the first thing the conglomerate should have done was fly all the UFC fighters out and apologize to how they’ve been treated.
The UFC has not contacted by anyone yet from the MMAAA, Rebney said, and he added that he doesn’t see a reason to do that yet. Rebney said he’s been working on this for two years.
“MMA was very good to me and it’s an opportunity, I think, to dramatically improve the sport,” Rebney said. “We’re not going to have MMA as a sport unless these things change.”
Tim Kennedy saying that he hoped that the success of the sport would have translated to more money for his fellow fighters.
Tim Kennedy says that there is no safety net in MMA for the fighters
Tim Kennedy: We’re here to never leave someone behind. The one sided system that the UFC has in place will be changed immediately
Tim Kennedy: “I’m proud to announce the official launch of the Mixed Martial Arts Athlete Association.”
Georges St Pierre now talking. Says that he may be viewed as a villain for bringing these issues up, but he wants change
GSP says that in most sports the money is 50/50 for athletes. In MMA it’s 8%.
Georges St Pierre says that even Conor McGregor isn’t getting his fair share
Cowboy Cerrone now admitting that he didn’t write a speech, but probably should have. Says he’ll speak from the heart instead
Cerrone talked about his fears and worries that he wants answers to. Medicals, job security, retirement. Kept it short.
Cain Velasquez talks about all of his major surgeries and how other fighters have to go through the same, with no retirement health plan
Bjorn Rebney: Hey guys, it’s been a while.
Bjorn: When the group that makes money hand over fist and the athletes responsible are asked to put their lives on the line…
… and they get paid pennies. Calls the UFC’s business plan outrageous.
Bjorn: CAA is not backing this venture, but let’s be clear, they are supportive. That’s what real agencies are supposed to do.
Bjorn is going off on the new UFC ownership, saying that they are focused on cutting costs, which will be from fighters
Bjorn on his history as a promoter: The most successful year I ever had as a promoter, I paid my athletes 53% of our revenue.
Cerrone says that this is a big risk and he has no fucking idea what’s going to happen, but will run until the wheels fall off.
GSP to fighters: I know you might be afraid, but it’s like a fight. You shouldn’t be afraid. TJ adds that it’s like pre-fight jitters
Bjorn wants to get a settlement for past wrongs, fair revenue split and severance package for fighters
Bjorn says that they are focused on the UFC and not other promotions.
Ariel Helwani asks Bjorn if there’s any other fighters on board. Bjorn says that we’ll be seeing new announcements in the coming weeks
Bjorn says that they have not reached out to the UFC as of yet, and that there is no reason to.
MMAAA says that they don’t want to outline the specifics of what they are doing so that WME doesn’t get a leg up on them.
Bjorn: Simply put, a union is the worst possible option. It would delay everything by 4 or 5 years.
Bjorn: No we are not forming a union, we are an association.
Really interesting. Bjorn brought up the option of a labor strike.
Tim Kennedy: The fighters are running this association. Period. End of story.
According to Kennedy, the MMAAA board is GSP, Cerrone, Cain, TJ and himself. Bjorn is just an advisor.
GSP: A lot of of agents and fighters will be threatened by the UFC. We’re not going to be bought to shut up
GSP: My lawyer told me I’m a free agent. But there are two sides of the situation. That’s all I can say.
GSP: For Conor McGregor, I can not speak for him, but from what he says in interviews, he’s aware of what’s going on
No exact answer to the question of who is funding the association.
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