E:60 tackles whether or not the UFC is a monopoly

[Liquidrob]

um, ESPN just airs the fights, the UFC is a 'league', well, they promote it like that, not even comparable, it's a low budget boxing show

GO to BE, I think they have a good article on it

[Ravin]

Just a thought, but isn't every sport a monopoly? When you think about it, it is.

You want to play pro football, you only have the NFL.
You want to play pro hockey, you only have the NHL.
You want to play pro basketball, you only have the NBA.

Sure you have some euro leagues like NFL Europe, and basketball and Hockey guys can go play in europe, but if you want to make the biggest buck, you have to play for the biggest organization. So if MMA is a sport, then the UFC being a monopoly isn't an issue because you could argue so is the NFL/NHL/NBA. If someone started a new football league today, do you think college guys are going to flock to it? There were second pro football/hockey leagues, and both were consumed but the NFL/NHL.

But then to put it in retrospect, the NHL most known bench warmer is Paul Bissonnette who makes $700,000/yr. Guy played 48 games last year, scored 1 goal and even has said he can't complain about his situation in life, making this much money.

[Warner2BruceTD]

I believe all four major team sports have monopoly exemptions from the US government. I know for a fact that MLB does.

The NFL has faced accusations before, most famously from Donald Trumps USFL. The USFL lost.

[Warner2BruceTD]

The other difference, is these leagues have unions that protect wages. Fighters have no such union, so the argument from some is that Zuffa is able to stiffle fighter pay by remaining the only game in town.

[Liquidrob]

big difference like Warner said is the union, plus, the UFC has pretty much 1 owner, Zuffa

All the other sports have multiple owners and players/fighters can't be shut out so easily if they have issues with an owner, in the UFC you piss off someone, you're gone

Thats why when you have these pieces you don't have any current fighters coming out saying negative things, to much to risk

[EmpireWF]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7neKshmjzI"]Dana White Responds to ESPN - YouTube[/ame]

All the other sports have multiple owners and players/fighters can't be shut out so easily if they have issues with an owner, in the UFC you piss off someone, you're gone

Jose Canseco would beg to differ.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Jose Canseco played until he was 40, and nade millions well past his prime. I dont get that one.

[EmpireWF]

Jose Canseco played until he was 40, and nade millions well past his prime. I dont get that one.

Didn't he claim he was blackballed? Or was that to help sell his books around the time Congress was all up in MLB's business?

[Steel Mamba]

Here's the full interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ck0Lb8pDmVg

[Steel Mamba]

If ESPN is airing boxing where the prelim guys make that little, why go after the UFC for giving out $8k/$8k?

ESPN is just a broadcaster.

You can't compare the UFC to small-time boxing promotions, it doesn't make any sense. That's like comparing NFL salaries to what people are making in the arena league, or other pro-am level events. The accurate comparison is NBA to NFL, etc.. UFC to Golden Boy Promotions..

[Epidemik]

so the full ESPN Piece is 10 minutes? i tried finding the full ESPN piece before i watch the full piece released by the UFC

[EmpireWF]

Around the 17 minute mark, Lorenzo says the past two PPV shows, compared to HBO Boxing PPVs, the UFC has paid their undercard fighters 5 times more money.

The interview was conducted before the UFC to Fox news broke, so keep that in mind.

so the full ESPN Piece is 10 minutes? i tried finding the full ESPN piece before i watch the full piece released by the UFC

The ESPN piece hasn't aired yet. Not sure when it will.

[Liquidrob]

Lol @ lorenzo blatantly lying about the fighters getting 50% of the revenue, please explain that, UFC fans are such rubes believing these guys

I don't know how many 'get em dana!' And lorenzo posts I have read this last week, too funny

[EmpireWF]

Lol @ lorenzo blatantly lying about the fighters getting 50% of the revenue, please explain that, UFC fans are such rubes believing these guys

It sounds like he's selling a bridge, but no one can honestly know since they don't release any of those figures publicly.

[EmpireWF]

Here's the ESPN piece

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